TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
BUSCH LIGHT CLASH AT THE COLISEUM
LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
FEBRUARY 6, 2022

NASCAR CUP SERIES HEADS WEST TO KICK-OFF 2022
The highly anticipated 2022 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) season gets underway this weekend as the series heads to Los Angeles, California, for the 44th running of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum on Sunday, February 6. For the first time in NCS history, teams will take on the .25-mile track built within the renowned Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Since the inception of the exhibition-style, non-points paying show in 1979, this year marks the first time that the traditional event has been hosted outside of Daytona Beach, Florida.

With a new venue comes a new format for the 150-lap exhibition race, featuring Heat Races and Last Chance Qualifier Races for the first time in the event’s history. Of the 36 drivers to enter the event, only 23 will secure a starting spot in the Main Event. 22 of those Main Event spots will be earned by drivers racing their way through either their Heat Races or the Last Chance Qualifier Races. The 23rd starting spot will be occupied by the driver finishing highest in the 2021 NCS Driver Standings that did not transfer through their respective qualifying races.

NEXT GEN CAMARO ZL1 SET FOR COMPETITION
The upcoming NASCAR Cup Series season will be one for the history books, where the series’ major automotive brands will make the on-track competition debut of their Next Gen models, including Chevrolet’s Next Gen Camaro ZL1. Chevrolet engineers and designers, alongside the Chevrolet race teams, worked closely together to develop the Next Gen Camaro ZL1, creating a race car that looks and performs more like the production Camaro.

Bringing the track and the street closer together, the Next Gen Camaro ZL1’s new lower greenhouse, shortened deck lid and widened track width contribute to a coupe-like appearance. Like the production Camaro ZL1, the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 features hood air extractors to enhance track performance. With its fully symmetrical body design, the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 race car looks even more like the production Camaro.

Other changes to the 2022 Next Gen race car include:

• Upgraded specs to match modern passenger vehicle technology, including independent rear suspension – like production Camaros – and rack and pinion steering.

• An increase in wheel size from 15 to 18 inches. The larger diameter wheels allow for larger brakes for improved track performance. Wheels will be made from forged aluminum, like the wheels on the production Camaro ZL1.

• A new transaxle that combines the transmission and rear gears into one package.

• The bottom of the car will be sealed with an underwing and rear diffuser for enhanced aerodynamics.

• A redesigned chassis features new front and rear bumpers with an energy-management system.

• Both the front and rear clips bolt on to the center section for easier serviceability and damage repair.

Chevrolet debuted the Camaro ZL1 race car into the NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, later replaced by the Camaro ZL1 1LE in 2020. In its two years of NCS competition, the Camaro ZL1 1LE won both the 2020 and 2021 NCS Driver’s Championships (Chase Elliott, 2020) (Kyle Larson, 2021), as well giving Chevrolet its 40th NCS Manufacturer’s Championship in 2021. Along with its 814 all-time NCS wins, Chevrolet holds the title of winningest brand in NCS history.

15 CAMARO ZL1 DRIVERS ENTERED FOR THE 2022 BUSCH LIGHT CLASH:
Of the 36 entrants in this year’s Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, 15 Chevrolet drivers will be in competition:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro ZL1
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Justin Haley, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Camaro ZL1
Ty Dillon, No. 42 Petty GMS Camaro ZL1
Erik Jones, No. 43 Petty GMS Camaro ZL1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Landon Cassill, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1

TEAM CHEVY IN CLASH COMPETITION (1979-2021):
· Of the seven different manufacturers that have won a Busch Light Clash race, Chevrolet leads the way with 21 victories.

· Career Chevrolet driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Jeff Gordon, tops the list of the most consecutive Busch Light Clash appearances, totaling 22 consecutive events from 1994 – 2015.

FIRST 2023 CORVETTE Z06 RAISES $3.6 MILLION FOR OPERATION HOMEFRONT
It was a record sale at last week’s Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction when the first retail 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Edition was sold for $3.6 million, with 100 percent of the winning bid going to Operation Homefront. The winning bid made by Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series team owner, Rick Hendrick, now holds the record sale for a charity vehicle donated by a manufacturer at Barrett-Jackson, topping the previous record by $600,000, which was previously held by the first retail 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

“It’s truly a privilege to support our military members and their families through Operation Homefront,” said Steve Hill, Chevrolet vice president. “Proceeds from the first retail 2023 Corvette Z06 will benefit many U.S. military families across the country who have done so much to serve our country.”

FOR THE FANS
Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the NASCAR Fan Fest area of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Fans can check out Chevrolet vehicles on display at NASCAR Fan Fest, including a Tahoe High Country and a Corvette Stingray.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
Saturday, February 5: 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 6: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

TUNE-IN
FOX will telecast the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 6. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 HOWLER HEAD CAMARO ZL1
2022 KICKS OFF AT THE CLASH. WHAT IS THAT RACE GOING TO BE LIKE?
“It’s going to be a party and I think a race is going to break out. I mean, that’s the whole point, right? That’s why we moved from the Daytona oval to the Daytona road course, and now to Los Angeles to change it up. We want to show people what we are all about. I’ve never been to the Coliseum but people know about that facility. It’s something totally new which I think is great.”

AS THE TRACK HAS BEEN BUILT AND YOU SEE PICTURES, WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS GOING TO BE LIKE?
“I have no idea. I grew up racing on a 3/8th mile, pretty flat asphalt track called 417 Speedway (Punta Gorda, Fla.) and that’s probably the closest thing I can relate it to, maybe Auburndale Speedway (Fla). We’ll all learn when we get there, that’s for sure. It’s more than a race. We are there to put on a show and with the acts that are performing we are there for racing and entertainment.”

SO YOU LIKE THE IDEA OF THE CLASH?
“Yes, it’s different and I’m excited for a new track. It’s great to be part of the Next Gen too. The learning curve at the Clash will be incredible.”

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE WORKING WITH DANIEL (SUAREZ)?
“I’ve watched him race and he’s been through different teams, and I heard him say early on when he signed with Justin Marks and Trackhouse that this might be his best opportunity of his career. A lot of people chuckled, but I didn’t. I knew Justin and I had talked to him about what he was trying to build. Now, nobody saw the acquisition coming with CGR and how all of that would come together, but Daniel bought in on Justin and I’ve bought in on Justin for a long time, I just didn’t have the opportunity to drive for him. Me and Daniel are pretty similar. Although, in the cockpit of the car, we couldn’t be more opposite. Just how we like to sit, what angle, the steering. He actually wants it looser than me. He’s the first teammate I’ve ever had that actually asked for it to be looser than me. That’s been refreshing because now I know there is more out there to get.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 TRUE VELOCITY CAMARO ZL1
WHAT ARE YOUR THROUGHTS ON BRINGING NASCAR TO THE LOS ANGELES COLISEUM FOR THE CLASH?
“It’s going to be wild and interesting, that’s for sure. NASCAR really went outside of the box with this one, and from an entertainment standpoint, I think it should be great for fans. It’s a tight track to fit the cars on, so racing-wise, you’ll see quite a bit of beating and banging. NASCAR and Fox are both doing a good job creating excitement and adding to the racing with concerts and DJ’s enhanced television coverage. It’s a bold experiment for our sport and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”

WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU ABOUT THE NEXT GEN RACE 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 NextGen, 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 NextGen 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.”

THERE’S A LOT OF CHANGES WITHIN THE SPORT AND WITHIN THE CAR. HOWEVER, YOU ARE COMING INTO A SITUATION WITH THE SAME CREW CHIEF IN JUSTIN ALEXANDER AND THE SAME TEAMMATE IN TYLER REDDICK HEADING INTO THE SEASON. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE SOME DEGREE OF FAMILIARITY SURROUNDING YOU HEADING INTO THE SEASON?
“I think it’s really important. Any time you can build with the same team over a year’s time you start to feel each other out more and know where everybody stands. We were very close to getting both of our cars into the NASCAR Playoffs last year. It came down to a points race between the two. Obviously this year, the biggest thing is trying to get locked in with a win. That’s what hurt us. I think we were super consistent throughout the season. We had our most consistent season ever and had some good runs. Unfortunately, there were some guys that won that put us in a really bad spot. We don’t want to be in that spot again. We want to go to Victory Lane before the NASCAR Playoffs start.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
LARSON ON TESTING THE NEW NEXT GEN CAMARO:
“I participated in several tests with the new Camaro, but last week’s test at Phoenix Raceway was my first with the car with all the changes and updates for the 2022 season. The test went well, and I’m looking forward to actually racing it.”

LARSON ON THE BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM COMPARISON TO THE LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM:
“Bowman Gray was so long ago and with such a different car that I don’t think it gives me, or anyone who competed in those races, an advantage. There is a lot of hype around the event, so I’m really looking forward to the weekend.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
DANIELS ON THE RECENT NEXT GEN TEST AT PHOENIX RACEWAY:
“We learned a lot during the test last week. We went through a progression, and it allowed us to gather more data points for this car. No matter the track configuration or layout, we are going to be continuously learning with this car, so any on-track time is valuable.”

COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 NATIONS GUARD CAMARO ZL1
“The Clash is set to be one of the biggest events in NASCAR’s history. There are so many unknowns going into this race being the first race of the Next Gen car, which gives me a lot of confidence. I’m a short track guy at heart, with a win in the K&N series at Bowman Gray Stadium, so I can’t wait to get my elbows up at one of the country’s most iconic venues. Having NationsGuard come back for the 2022 season is also something I’m excited about. I look forward to giving them a great run to start the season.”

RYAN SPARKS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 7 NATIONS GUARD CAMARO ZL1
“I got my start at Bowman Gray Stadium, racing modifieds. Having the first Next Gen race at a track very similar to my roots is an awesome opportunity to capitalize on the 2022 season, right out of the gate. Short tracks are definitely Corey’s specialty, so I’m looking forward to turning some heads in our 3rd season together.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
ELLIOTT ON KICKING OFF THE 2022 SEASON WITH THE CLASH AT THE COLISEUM:
“I’m excited to get the season going. The Coliseum is a great venue, and I think it’s going to be a fun event. That’s what it was intended to be, a fun and exciting event to kick off our season, and I think it’s going to do exactly that. If you’re going to try something, the Clash is a good race to go and try it because there’s no points involved. This event has a lot of potential to be a home run for our sport. Hopefully it’s entertaining and people have fun watching at home on TV or from the stands.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
“The L.A. Coliseum is certainly an iconic place, and I’m really looking forward to going there. I can remember a lot of different events, from the Olympics to Supercross racing there, and I’ve got a lot of memories of that, so it’s going to be cool for us to race there. As far as the race goes, nobody really knows what to expect from the track and how the cars are going to drive. We certainly expect it to be chaotic with a lot going on in a short period of time. We’re going to make our best guess with the car and go try to learn as much as we can. Being adaptable is going to be important. It’s going to be exciting for sure.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 CHEVYLINERS.COM CAMARO ZL1
“This will be a unique and challenging event with the new car and new track. I’m happy to be able to participate in the very first clash in Los Angeles and to be a part of this opportunity with Kaulig Racing. This is a fun way to kick off the start of the season, so hopefully we can race our way into the big show on Sunday.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1
BYRON ON PREPARING FOR RACING AT THE LOS ANGELES COLISEUM:
“I’m excited to get to L.A. and see what the track is like in person. When the idea came out to potentially race there, I was one of the drivers who was able to experience it on iRacing early on and give some feedback on how it raced. Other than that, there’s not much other preparation we can do before we get in our race cars and on track for practice Saturday. I’m interested to see how different the track races from that first time on iRacing. I think we can expect it to be tight racing with maintaining track position as the key. It should be interesting for sure as there’s no room for error.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1
FUGLE ON RACING AT THE LOS ANGELES COLISEUM FOR THE FIRST TIME:
“I’m not sure many of us know what to expect this weekend in Los Angeles. The nice thing is that everyone is in that same situation. We’ve had a lot of time testing the new car in the off-season, which is nice, but also none of those tests were on tracks similar to L.A. Thankfully we have some practice time prior to qualifying and the race, but with three short-timed sessions, it’s not a ton of time. Most of that time will be used to get drivers adjusted to the track, learning braking points, things like that. It should be exciting though as a lot of us on the team grew up racing at short tracks like this and it brings us back to where we started.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1
“The start to my first full-time Cup season will look a little bit different this year, as we are headed to LA for the Clash! I think this is going to be a challenging but super fun week for us with this new car. It will be the first time we actually race in the new car, so hopefully we can get through it unscathed and learn a lot in the process.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 FOOD 4 LESS/SLIM JIM CAMARO ZL1
“It’s a new venue, a temporary track, a brand-new car, and we will have a lot of new fans there. I don’t know what to think about the race or track, but it’s the same for everybody since it’s all new to us. We will all figure it out quickly when we get there. We are ready to get going.”

“Then we’ll take L..A and look at it to figure out what we can change on our race cars for when we go to a track like Phoenix or other short tracks. We’ll hit different styles of race tracks in those five or six races at the start of the NASCAR Cup Series season. For us, it’s making sure we are consistent and fast at all of them. Everybody has the same chassis and a lot of the same parts and pieces. So, there is no reason why we can’t go and compete for wins against everybody else. Once we’re done with the West Coast swing, we’ll definitely know where we need to go to work and know what our priorities are for different race tracks going forward.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
BOWMAN ON RACING AT THE CLASH AT THE COLISEUM:
“I’m pumped to go to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. It’s such a cool venue, and I’m excited to see all the fans in the stands, to get the new car on the track and get the season started.”

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
IVES ON RACING AT THE CLASH AT THE COLISEUM:
“I am pretty excited to get out to the L.A. Coliseum. For one, being from the Midwest, I know the Coliseum is a big thing for college football. The history of the venue not related to racing and not having ever raced there before makes it pretty neat to go to. From the racing standpoint, there are a lot of unknowns. Just looking at similar tracks like Bowman Gray seem to have a lot of excitement. Obviously, any time you go to race, you always want to run well, but it is also a chance for us to go there and get a look at the competition and work out any bugs before we head to Daytona.”

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)

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 814 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 723
Laps led to date: 241,336
Top-five finishes to date: 4,138
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,555

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

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

       Ford: 811                                                         
       Ford: 711
       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.

Will Serve as Primary Partner of the No. 42 Chevrolet at Clash at The Coliseum and Daytona 500

SAN ANTONIO & STATESVILLE, North Carolina (Feb. 3, 2022) – Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC), a rapidly growing and mission-driven premium coffee company founded to support Veterans, active-duty military, and first responders, and Petty GMS today announced a multi-race partnership with Ty Dillon and the No. 42 Chevrolet for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The BRCC colors will debut this Sunday, February 6, during the Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Dillon will also carry the brand during the prestigious Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 20. Additional race primaries will be released at a later date.

“My favorite thing about Black Rifle Coffee Company is their support of the Veteran community,” said Dillon. “They not only have a love and passion for coffee, which I enjoy, but they have a passion for giving back to those who have fought for our freedom. Those who have and are currently serving our country allow us the opportunity to race cars and entertain those back home here in the United States of America. Representing Black Rifle is representing men and women who fought for our country, and that’s an extreme honor for me personally.”

Black Rifle Coffee Company’s mission is to serve premium coffee and content to active military, Veterans, first responders, and those who love America. The company continues its relationship with Dillon, as BRCC was represented in the driver’s limited Cup Series starts last season.

“As long-time NASCAR fans and a group that never says no to a race, we are super excited to be partnering with Ty and Petty GMS,” said Black Rifle CEO Evan Hafer. “Ty is tough, determined, smart, and resourceful—qualities he has in common with Veterans. He’s a great competitor, a great sportsman, and we know he’ll be a great partner in our mission to support those who serve our country.”

Watch Dillon and the No. 42 BRCC Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 take to the track this Sunday, February 6 for the Clash at The Coliseum. FOX will carry live television coverage, while Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the live radio broadcast.

About Black Rifle Coffee Company:

Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) is a Veteran-founded coffee company serving premium coffee to people who love America. Founded in 2014 by Green Beret Evan Hafer, Black Rifle develops their explosive roast profiles with the same mission focus they learned while serving in the military. BRCC is committed to supporting Veterans, active-duty military, first responders and the American way of life. With every purchase made, they give back.

To learn more about BRCC, visit www.blackriflecoffee.com, follow BRCC on social media, or subscribe to Coffee or Die Magazine’s daily newsletter at https://coffeeordie.com/presscheck-signup.

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. Founded in December 2021, Maury Gallagher, championship-winning team owner of GMS Racing, purchased a majority interest of Richard Petty Motorsports. Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, known as “The King,” remains a key stakeholder of the organization. For more information, visit www.pettygms.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow Petty GMS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Award-winning digital financial platform joins 23XI Racing, extending long-term relationship in NASCAR

Mooresville, NC (February 3, 2022) – Today, 23XI Racing announced the addition of MoneyLion (NYSE: ML), the award-winning digital financial platform, as the Official Digital Banking and Cryptocurrency Partner of 23XI. This multi-year partnership continues MoneyLion’s involvement in NASCAR as part of the company’s larger commitment to connect with, engage, and motivate hard-working Americans to build their financial power.

MoneyLion is on a mission to rewire the American financial system and positively change the path of every hard-working American. Both 23XI and MoneyLion share a common belief that we all get ahead when nobody gets left behind. As such, 23XI and MoneyLion will be encouraging NASCAR fans to #BeALion in their drive toward excellence.

This message comes to life in 23XI’s Bubba Wallace and Kurt Busch. MoneyLion will be a primary partner of the No. 23 Toyota Camry TRD and the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for select races in 2022, as well as an associate partner with 23XI throughout the season, beginning with the Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, February 6.

“We believe in NASCAR and this young team,” said Bill Davaris, Chief Marketing Officer of MoneyLion. “Bubba and Kurt are lions, both on and off the track, and epitomize the mission and mantra we live by at MoneyLion. Through their sport and influence, and with our all-in-one financial platform, we can make a tangible impact on people’s lives.”

“As we continue to move into our second year, we’re excited to add innovative partners like MoneyLion to the 23XI Racing family,” said 23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta. “In MoneyLion we find a company that shares similar goals, like building a winning team unlike any other in our respective industries and making a difference for those around us. We look forward to a partnership that is as successful on the track as it is off the track.”

“It’s great to welcome MoneyLion to the 23XI Racing team,” said Busch. “We have a vision for thinking about racing differently and it’s great to have a partner on our team that shares a similar outlook within their industry. We look forward to having fun together this year and enjoying some exciting moments on the track as we compete for wins.”

“It’s a great fit for me and our team to partner with a company that strives to make a lasting difference in other people’s lives,” said Wallace. “Coming up I had people help to make that difference for me as I worked towards my dream of racing in NASCAR, and I hope through the partnership with MoneyLion and the powerful financial content and products they offer, we can help more people feel equipped and empowered to chase their dreams.”

The MoneyLion paint scheme will debut at Phoenix Raceway in March with Kurt Busch and the No. 45 team. MoneyLion’s first race as the primary partner with Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 Toyota Camry TRD will be at the legendary Darlington Raceway in May.

Follow @moneylionracing and #BeALion on Twitter to learn more about the 23XI Racing and MoneyLion partnership and stay up to date on Young Lion activations, giveaways, and prizes throughout the season.

About MoneyLion

MoneyLion (NYSE: ML) is a mobile banking and financial membership platform that empowers people to take control of their finances. Since its launch in 2013, MoneyLion has engaged with 9.4 million hard-working Americans and has earned its members’ trust by building a full-service digital platform to deliver mobile banking, lending, and investment solutions. From a single app, members can get a 360-degree snapshot of their financial lives and have access to personalized tips and tools to build and improve their credit and achieve everyday savings. MoneyLion is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Sioux Falls and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. MoneyLion has achieved various awards of recognition including the 2020 Forbes FinTech 50, Aite Group Best Digital Wealth Management Multiproduct offering, Finovate Award for Best Digital Bank 2019, Benzinga FinTech Awards winner for Innovation in Personal Finance 2019 and the Webby Awards 2019 People’s Voice Award.

For more information about the company, visit http://www.moneylion.com. For investor information and updates, visit http://www.moneylion.com/investors and follow @MoneyLionIR on Twitter.

About 23XI Racing

23XI Racing – pronounced twenty-three eleven – was founded by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 Winner Denny Hamlin in 2020. With rising NASCAR star Bubba Wallace selected to drive the No. 23 Toyota Camry TRD, the team made its NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2021 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Wallace made history on October 4, 2021, when he captured his first career Cup Series win, becoming just the second African American to win in the Cup Series, and earning 23XI Racing its first-ever victory. 23XI Racing expands to a two-car organization in 2022 with Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM
BUSCH LIGHT CLASH AT THE COLISEUM
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 2, 2022

COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 NATIONS GUARD CAMARO ZL1, Press Conference Transcript:

I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF TALK, A LOT OF PEOPLE SPECULATING HOW THIS COLISEUM RACE IS GOING TO BE, WHAT IS YOUR TAKE? WHAT IS IT GOING TO LOOK LIKE?

“I think the one thing that everybody’s overlooking slightly is that we all are in a way, sometimes we don’t show it, are all professional racecar drivers. I think what you see on a quarter bullring on a Saturday night isn’t quite the product you are going to see here on Sunday or even Saturday nights. With the consideration of everybody’s pretty lean on equipment and cars right now, I don’t think you are going to see really bonehead moves or aggressive moves besides maybe some rutting and gauging for a transfer spot, but you’re not going to see people wiping each other out often I don’t think. I could be wrong, but I have seen races at Bowman Gray go green to checkered with no cautions, I think people are overlooking the potential that we could see very minimal amount of cautions. I think it will be a good durability test for these Next Gen cars for sure.”

SO, AT THE SPEED THE CARS WILL BE AT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE SAYING WELL THERE CAN’T BE THAT MUCH CHAOS OR DESTRUCTION BECAUSE THEY AREN’T GOING TO BE GOING THAT FAST IN SUCH A SMALL AREA. SO NO MATTER WHAT WE TALK ABOUT, WHAT PICTURE DOES THAT PAINT?

“I mean I can assure you that if somebody left rears you and backs you into the fence at 80 miles per hour, you are not going to drive away and not have any damage. The most vulnerable thing on these cars are the rear toe lengths. That is what keeps the rear tires square with the independent rear suspension versus the Ford nine-inch. You can beat and bang with those rear-end housings all you wanted to and they are not really going to bend a whole lot, if at all. Now we are going to be beating those 18-inch wheels, which are obviously three inches bigger than what we had, so it is going to have more torque on the suspension when you do beat and bang and those toe lengths are only about the size of my pinky and about this long. I think those are going to be the first things to go and bend. I can assure you if a rear tire is not pointed in the right direction with this car you are going to have a bad day. I think that what you are going to gain in durability with the composite bodies beating and banging, leaning on guys and not really worrying about a fender rubbing a tire, you are going to give up the durability of the suspension pieces. Particularly the ones that keep them pointed straight. You are going to be going fast enough to wreck. Ask Daniel Suarez how it went at Bowman Gray when he was up on the tires at pit road entry. He was going fast enough to almost have it pointed vertical. You’ll definitely see some wadded-up stuff at the end of the night. Hopefully it’s not the seven Nations Guard Camaro.”

HOW FAST DO YOU THINK THE CARS WILL GO? WHAT DO YOU THINK THE TOP SPEED WILL BE?

“I’m guessing 85 maybe top end, you may see that in qualifying with the little big longer straightaways. I think you saw somewhere close to 80 at Bowman Gray and it looks like the straightaways are a bit longer there and tighter corners. In the simulation runs somewhere around 14 flat, I don’t know what that works out to be average speed wise, but you’ll be going fast enough to do some damage if you back the thing into the fence for sure.”

I know you are a short track guy at heart, so how important is it do you feel like to add to the first time since 1971 a true quarter mile bullring to the Cup Series dynamic in addition to like the dirt track last year too?

“Yeah, unfortunately it’s not a points paying race right? It is kind of like a pro bowl and I love the fact that NASCAR opened it up for the teams that wouldn’t capable or qualified for the CLASH in its old format. It opens it up to everyone available to qualify for the race, especially for the first one that is such a monumental event that’s going to be this weekend, but my expectations are as high as they have ever been in the Cup Series. Which the bar is set particularly low, because any given week I know that single car speed I haven’t been driving anything faster than a 25th place car and you know with a couple of Next Gen tests under our belt we have had pretty good speed and I think that this is the most even going into an event in the history of NASCAR you could argue. With the limited amount of notes, the quarter mile racetrack, temporary racetrack that nobody has any notes on it, you know, and everybody is guessing at their simulation. It kind of goes back to old school racing where you try to set the car up based on what you know and align left and get the elbow up and get after it. So, I’m excited to see how much speed we have off the truck and hopefully we can punch our ticket and race on Sunday night.”

WITH THE GRIPPIER TIRE AND THE LARGER BRAKE PACKAGE, DO YOU THINK SHORT TRACK RACING IS GOING TO CHANGE AT ALL OR IS IT STILL BASICALLY SAME OLE MARTINSVILLE AND BULLRING RACING WE HAVE HAD BEFORE?

“I think you will see a lot more lock up, like guys come to pit for lock ups. The brakes we had on the Gen 6 car weren’t capable of really, you could lock the tire up a little bit, but the weight of the car far overcame the max potential of the smaller rotors were. Now we are going to have I think more brake than what tire grip we are going to have available when the tires get hot. You are going to see a lot more lock ups into guys when they are racing hard because you are going to be able to go deeper into the corner whether that is Martinsville or Turn 3 at Phoenix or here at LA, you are going to be able to get into the corner deeper but that margin for error for sliding the tires is considerable smaller. So, what you gain in potential and abilities you are going to give up in tire grip once those 18-inch tires get hot they definitely degrade pretty quick. I think it is going to be pretty interesting to watch.”

WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR YOU OR ANY COMPETITOR TO WIN THIS FIRST EVENT THIS WEEKEND? FOR YOU PERSONALLY, AT WHAT LEVEL WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO GO?

“I mean at the end of the day there are no points on the line, not an exuberant amount of money you know like you are not racing for Daytona 500 money, you are racing, I can promise you first probably pays better than second last time I checked. There’s lots of things you have to consider, which you are not going to consider once you put the helmet on. We are all racecar drivers and that goes out the window with any common sense when you put the visor down. When, let’s just say two potential playoff contenders get into it and they want to fight and beat and bang, that is a thing that can last all season long for something that might not truly be worth it. I do think that anything is going to be worth it to be the first guy to win in the Next Gen car as well as the first guy to win, potentially the only guy to win, in the LA Coliseum. I think there’s going to be a lot of guys going to some great lengths, myself included, to get myself into the show as well as hopefully put ourselves in position to win the show.”

I’M GUESSING THAT YOU GO IN EACH WEEKEND TO GET THE BEST PERFORMANCE AND ANY COMPETITOR WANTS TO WIN, DO YOU LOOK AT THIS EVENT AS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY OR THE MOST REALISTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO WIN IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME OR JUST SINCE THE LAST SUPERSPEEDWAY RACE? HOW DO YOU VIEW THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU PERSONALLY?

“Yeah, bar none. I’m not going in with just the hopes of making it. I think if we don’t finish in the top seven, I feel like I would be pretty disappointed in myself and our abilities to you know not finish inside the top seven we didn’t do our job as a race team. There is no excuse why we can’t pull the belts tight, make our car have some positive changes and get some good speed out of the thing and contend for a top-10 for sure. It’s different than a speedway. A lot of luck goes into a speedway, and a little bit of luck is going to go into this event just like any race, but you know generally speaking I am riding around waiting for everybody to wreck and then two laps to go jam it in there if we finish sixth then great. Not very fun as a racecar driver riding around hoping everybody wrecks and if they don’t you run 28th like we did spring Talladega. This is the only the first event where me running to our maximum ambition gives us a chance that we know we might see some fruit on the backend because we are going to have a lot better relative speed than we probably had last year or years previous.”

I REALLY LIKE WHAT I AM HEARING IN YOUR VOICE. YOU KNOW THE CONFIDENCE YOU HAVE. IS IT MORE OF THE UNKOWNS WITH THE CAR OR IS IT THE SHORT TRACK? DO YOU THINK THE SHORT TRACK ITSELF SUITS YOUR TALENT?

“I definitely obviously favor short tracks. It is what I grew up cutting my teeth on, you know had some success there with second and first at Bowman Gray the two times we have been there. That is the closest track that is similar to. I have been to Columbus, Ohio and run well there. It is a quarter mile, more round than the LA Coliseum, so I feel like on paper I’ve got as much stock car experience running quarter mile small tracks that is of anybody in the field as well as our team building solid racecars to have good speed at the last couple Next Gen tests. I think to it’s a little bit of myself like eventually, you know I tweeted this the beginning of the year, I have been paying dues for five years in this thing. It’s like when you play NASCAR 08 career mode and you get in with the crappiest team and then you go to the next team and you keep progressing one team at a time to ultimately where you want to go. Then eight years later you are winning races and championship, that is literally how my career has been and it has been eating a lot of crow and learning a lot of lessons the hard way on LIVE television each and every Sunday that a lot of guys would learn on a Saturday afternoon with a lot less expectations. I think now I have just been telling myself like you belong here. You know I think that now the competition side has to match what I feel like off the racetrack with the podcast and fans understanding my story and the work I have been putting in on the backend. Hopefully with this Next Gen car and the people we have in place at Spire Motorsports we can continue to match the competition graph up to the off-track momentum that I have behind myself. A lot of this is about confidence and if you don’t believe in yourself to get the job done, nobody else will believe in you. So, I know I can get the job done. This the best chance I have had in my Cup Series career and Xfinity Series career probably in the last decade to be competitive and race for not just a win but a top-10 or just be competitive and rub fenders with guys I usually don’t. I know that is a long-winded answer, but I’m confident now until we get really get beat back into submission a couple of weeks into the year. We still have realistic expectations, but you know the longer I get into this and the more I am racing around guys that I respect, I keep telling myself right, wrong or indifferent I’ve paid the dues and I belong in the Cup Series. Hopefully we can start pairing some good runs and good finishes together to enhance that.”

IF THIS IS A SUCCESS, WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE THIS DONE NEXT? LIKE IS THERE A STADIUM OR ANY SORT OF PLACE THAT YOU ARE LIKE MAN THAT WOULD BE COOL TO RACE THERE?

“I just keep thinking about the AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. It all depends on the footprint right. I don’t know about footprint of the field and how big it is. That is a state-of-the-art facility down there in Dallas, but if it works here which it will, there’s a couple things that could happen early to derail it but I think everything in NASCAR control has been over and above what has been expected. I think they have done a bang-up job with how the track looks and the pavement of it and everything. The marketing of it has been a homerun as well. I was watching FS1 this morning and there was a little ticker across the bottom talking about it. Talking about Floyd Miller team, so I think that there’s as much momentum behind the sport as ever and I think this event is really going to capture it. Without getting into the details too much about what side of the track would be better or if it could work, AT&T stadium would be pretty slick. If this model works, it could open a lot of doors for the sport for the future.”

YOU TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER, YOU MENTIONED THE CLASH AND YOU KIND OF WISH IT WAS A POINTS RACE, DOES THAT GIVE US A HINT THAT MAYBE YOU THINK THIS CAR, THE NEW CAR IS A GREAT EQUALIZER THIS YEAR AND YOU ARE REALLY GOING TO HAVE A LOT BETTER SHOT AT BETTER FINISHES AND BEING ON MORE EVEN PAR WITH THOSE UPPER TEAMS?

“It is not the great equalizer. It at least makes a Spire Motorsports race apples to apples with a Hendrick Motorsports. Before it was an apples to bananas or oranges or whatever tastes terrible. Asparagus. We weren’t even in the same ballpark. We might have had a car that was a couple of phases old, but we are not getting trinkets that actually makes feet. So, just off raw speed of Charlotte if we had taken our Gen 6 car out to a test like that, we would be wide open and we would be 1.2 to 1.3 seconds off the fastest guy. Nothing I could do behind the wheel to make that thing go any faster. Now when we go back with this Next Gen car, we are trying taller spoiler, shorter spoiler, more horsepower and they land on the package and now we were a fourth to sixth place car out of the 22 or 23 that were there. You are on the edge of sliding around, you are on the edge of busting your ass and you know finding the grip and putting a little bit of that courage back behind the wheel, you can see the gain on the speed chart. Just the bigger teams with the collective minds will probably get to a better baseline quicker than a smaller team with two or three engineers with not a lot of teammates to bounce information off of to compare and then go down a particular path that might work. With that being said, the bigger teams that have four teammates that can try a, b, c package and land on one and continue in that progression will get to a place of their cars are a little bit quicker earlier than a place like ours I believe. We’re still in a place where a Spire Motorsports can hit on a set up and race with any of the guys any given Sunday. Now we don’t expect to do that every Sunday, but our potential races from where we hit on Martinsville or Bristol or Darlington, if a great day previously was 15th or 18th, I feel like we can run top-10 on a good day for us. So, I think that gives me a lot of confidence and optimism going into the year.”

DO YOU THINK THAT THIS WILL HELP BRING SOME OF THAT FUN BACK MAYBE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT NOT HAVING SO MUCH FUN? DO YOU THINK THAT WILL GET A LITTLE MORE FUN?

“Well, fun’s relative. I can assure you Kyle Larson had a lot of fun last year. (inaudible) Granted he got on the wheel and got after it and rightfully so got the job done. Got the big trophy, but I’m having a lot more fun even when I am running 30th than I would be welding seats back here at Lajoie seats. So fun is a perspective and what kind of perspective you are looking at. Now Kyle Busch running 30th no matter what day it is and no matter what the particular circumstances are is not having fun running 30th. Fun I think is a loaded question. At the end of the day, I’m doing what I love and what I dreamed of when I was a little kid that I have been working hard my entire life to get to and I am doing it with a team I love going to battle with each and every weekend.”

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Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022
0.25-Mile Oval
6:00 PM ET
Location: Los Angeles
TV: Fox
Event: Clash at the Coliseum (non-points)
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

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 5, at 12 p.m. local time.

THE CHAMP IS HERE: With a victory in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway in November, Kyle Larson won the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship to become the fourth driver to secure a title for Hendrick Motorsports. 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.

ANIMAL STYLE: 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.

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

STADIUM RACING: Sunday’s 0.25-mile track at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has been compared to the similar layout at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In the 2012 NASCAR ARCA East Series race at Bowman Gray, Larson led 35 laps from the pole position before finishing fifth in the 153-lap event.

YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, 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 2021, Larson announced the launch of 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 also works 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

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 5, at 12 p.m. local time.

CLASH CONSISTENCY: Sunday will mark Chase Elliott’s sixth consecutive appearance in the season-opening Clash exhibition event. While the NASCAR Cup Series has never raced at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, many compare the newly constructed track to the legendary 0.25-mile Bowman Gray Stadium located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Elliott is one of only a few current drivers with experience at Bowman Gray, having competed in two ARCA Series East races in 2011 and 2012. Elliott’s best finish was sixth in 2012.

2021 RECAP: Last season, Elliott and the No. 9 team nearly won their second Cup Series title after advancing to the Championship 4 for the second consecutive year. In 36 races, the 26-year-old driver scored two victories (Circuit of The Americas and Road America), 15 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s. His average finish of 11.4 was a career-best at the Cup level. Capping off the year, Elliott earned most popular driver honors for the fourth straight time.

PIT ROAD POWER: At the end of the 2021 Cup Series season, Elliott’s pit crew was named the Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew for demonstrating the most consistency on pit road throughout the 36-race schedule. In the 20 years since the award’s inception in 2002, Hendrick Motorsports has won it a total of five times (2004, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2016 and 2021). In 2022, the same five-member crew returns to the No. 9 team: T.J. Semke (jackman), Jared Erspamer (tire carrier), Nick O’Dell (front-tire changer), Chad Avrit (rear-tire changer) and John Gianninoto (fueler).

NINE YEARS WITH NAPA: The 2022 season marks the ninth year of partnership between Elliott and NAPA AUTO PARTS. The Atlanta-based company first teamed up with the Dawsonville, Georgia, native for his rookie NASCAR Xfinity Series season in 2014 and has been with him ever since. NAPA will serve as majority sponsor of Elliott and the No. 9 team for 26 Cup Series races this season, including Sunday’s Clash at the Coliseum.

DYNAMIC DUO: Elliott and crew chief Alan Gustafson are entering their seventh season together. The impressive duo is third among active driver and crew chief pairings with 13 points-paying wins. In 2020, they broke through for their first Cup Series championship and followed it up with a repeat visit to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway last season.

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 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2021 IN THE REARVIEW: Embarking on his fifth season in the NASCAR Cup Series, William Byron is coming off a personal-best year at the highest level of stock-car competition. He started 2021 by capturing his second career Cup win with a strong performance at Homestead-Miami Speedway in February. From there, Byron went on an 11-race streak of top-10 results to become the youngest driver in history (23 years, 1 month and 17 days) to post a top-10 streak of 10 or more races. Locking himself into the Cup Series playoffs for the third consecutive time, he fought through adversity to make it to the Round of 12 and finish the season a career-best 10th in points with one win, two pole awards, 12 top-five finishes, 20 top-10s, and 425 laps led.

COMING FOR THE CLASH: The 2022 season will once again kick off with the Clash exhibition race — but this year at an exciting new venue: the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It will mark Byron’s third consecutive start in the Clash with all three occurring at different venues. In last year’s event held on the DAYTONA Road Course, Byron started fifth and finished the night in fifth despite suffering a late-race flat tire.

STADIUM STYLE: While the L.A. Coliseum is a new venue on the Cup Series schedule, Byron has experience on a similar track: Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He competed at Bowman Gray with the NASCAR ARCA Series East in 2015 when he started fourth and finished in the 15th position.

RUDY, RUDY, RUDY: In 2021, Rudy Fugle wasted no time immersing himself at Hendrick Motorsports for his debut season as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief. After starting the year with a trip to victory lane in just his third race with the No. 24 team, Fugle posted 11 consecutive top-10 results and cemented the No. 24 team firmly in the playoffs before finishing 10th in points. He is looking to build off of his successful first season at the Cup level and propel Byron into championship contention.

WELCOME BACK VALVOLINE: Valvoline will open 2022 as the primary sponsor of Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Sunday’s Clash at the Coliseum. It will be the first of two races that the Valvoline colors will be on board the No. 24, with the second race being at Byron’s hometown track for the Charlotte ROVAL. Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the company’s heritage spans more than 150 years, during which time it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume. To learn more, visit valvoline.com. For a closer look at Byron’s No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, click here.

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

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

BOWMAN’S ALLY: Alex Bowman returns for his second season with the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team. In 2021, he delivered Ally its first points-paying win as a primary sponsor at Richmond Raceway and added three more victories: Dover Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Martinsville Speedway. Bowman has qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in each of his four full-time seasons with Hendrick Motorsports.

TIGHTEN THE STRAPS: Coming off his best year in the Cup Series, Bowman heads out west to Los Angeles for the Clash at the Coliseum this Sunday. He brings confidence following his late-season win at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway in October when he led the final eight laps of the of the 501-lap event. It was his fourth and final win of the 2021 Cup Series season.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: Bowman is one of a handful of current Cup Series drivers who have competed at Bowman Gray Stadium, which features a similar layout to Sunday’s event at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In 2011, he ran the NASCAR ARCA Series East race, finishing 12th in his only appearance at the venue.

CHEERS TO ’22: The No. 48 team has partnered with canned-cocktail brand Day Chaser ahead of the 2022 season. The new sponsor will be featured on driver and team firesuits and displayed on the No. 48 transporter and other team equipment.

LA-LA LAND IS SPECIAL: Entering Sunday’s season-opening Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, Hendrick Motorsports holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for wins in special events. The team has 37 combined victories in the 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.

GOING BACK TO CALI: Entering the first-ever NASCAR race held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Hendrick Motorsports has earned more than twice as many wins in California than any other team in Cup Series history. It has gone to victory lane 21 combined times in the Golden State with 11 points-paying wins at Auto Club Speedway, seven at Sonoma Raceway and three at the defunct Riverside International Raceway. Wood Brothers Racing is second with 10 California victories.

DO IT AGAIN: 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. Chase 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.

LOOKING BACK: 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 testing of the new Next Gen Camaro: “I participated in several tests with the new Camaro, but last week’s test at Phoenix Raceway was my first with the car with all the changes and updates for the 2022 season. The test went well, and I’m looking forward to actually racing it.”

Larson on the Bowman Gray Stadium comparison to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: “Bowman Gray was so long ago and with such a different car that I don’t think it gives me, or anyone who competed in those races, an advantage. There is a lot of hype around the event, so I’m really looking forward to the weekend.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the recent Next Gen test at Phoenix Raceway: “We learned a lot during the test last week. We went through a progression, and it allowed us to gather more data points for this car. No matter the track configuration or layout, we are going to be continuously learning with this car, so any on-track time is valuable.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on kicking off the 2022 season with the Clash at the Coliseum: “I’m excited to get the season going. The Coliseum is a great venue, and I think it’s going to be a fun event. That’s what it was intended to be, a fun and exciting event to kick off our season, and I think it’s going to do exactly that. If you’re going to try something, the Clash is a good race to go and try it because there’s no points involved. This event has a lot of potential to be a home run for our sport. Hopefully it’s entertaining and people have fun watching at home on TV or from the stands.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the Clash at the Coliseum: “The L.A. Coliseum is certainly an iconic place, and I’m really looking forward to going there. I can remember a lot of different events, from the Olympics to Supercross racing there, and I’ve got a lot of memories of that, so it’s going to be cool for us to race there. As far as the race goes, nobody really knows what to expect from the track and how the cars are going to drive. We certainly expect it to be chaotic with a lot going on in a short period of time. We’re going to make our best guess with the car and go try to learn as much as we can. Being adaptable is going to be important. It’s going to be exciting for sure.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on preparing for racing at the Los Angeles Coliseum: “I’m excited to get to L.A. and see what the track is like in person. When the idea came out to potentially race there, I was one of the drivers who was able to experience it on iRacing early on and give some feedback on how it raced. Other than that, there’s not much other preparation we can do before we get in our race cars and on track for practice Saturday. I’m interested to see how different the track races from that first time on iRacing. I think we can expect it to be tight racing with maintaining track position as the key. It should be interesting for sure as there’s no room for error.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at the Los Angeles Coliseum for the first time: “I’m not sure many of us know what to expect this weekend in Los Angeles. The nice thing is that everyone is in that same situation. We’ve had a lot of time testing the new car in the off-season, which is nice, but also none of those tests were on tracks similar to L.A. Thankfully we have some practice time prior to qualifying and the race, but with three short-timed sessions, it’s not a ton of time. Most of that time will be used to get drivers adjusted to the track, learning braking points, things like that. It should be exciting though as a lot of us on the team grew up racing at short tracks like this and it brings us back to where we started.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at the Clash at the Coliseum: “I’m pumped to go to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. It’s such a cool venue, and I’m excited to see all the fans in the stands, to get the new car on the track and get the season started.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at the Clash at the Coliseum: “I am pretty excited to get out to the L.A. Coliseum. For one, being from the Midwest, I know the Coliseum is a big thing for college football. The history of the venue not related to racing and not having ever raced there before makes it pretty neat to go to. From the racing standpoint, there are a lot of unknowns. Just looking at similar tracks like Bowman Gray seem to have a lot of excitement. Obviously, any time you go to race, you always want to run well, but it is also a chance for us to go there and get a look at the competition and work out any bugs before we head to Daytona.”

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Clash at the Coliseum Advance| Wednesday, February 2, 2022

The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum is scheduled for Sunday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and will feature the competition debut of the NASCAR Next Gen Mustang. Team Penske’s Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang, won the Clash in 2017. He spoke with members of the media this afternoon about this weekend’s event.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang – TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW PAINT SCHEME? “Yellow, a lot of yellow. We’re gonna see that car on the racetrack, for sure. I thought Shell and Pennzoil coming together doing that video on our social pages did a great job of kind of explaining the story of what Next Gen is for NASCAR and what Next Gen is for Joey Logano and what it is for Shell and Team Penske, and kind of going to the next level and unveiling a cool paint job while we’re at it. It’s obviously very clean. I’d call it basic, which I think a lot of times when you get a good-looking scheme you get too many lines and you miss some of the awesome body lines that are on this Next Gen car, so it really kind of shows a lot of the cool curvature of the new design on the Next Gen car and, like I said, she’s clean, she looks good, she’s got some polished up wheels on it. That’s something that definitely sets it apart from a lot of other cars on the racetrack and that’s also a lot of work on Team Penske’s side to do that, but it’s definitely gonna be neat when you see that on a Team Penske car. I’m proud to finally unveil it. I know everyone has been waiting, but we just felt like 2-2-22 was the right time. We felt like we should play off the 22 in 22 and then go with this date as well for the unveil, so I’m pretty excited about the car and excited to drive it this weekend.”

HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE REST OF THE FIELD DEAL WITH THEIR PERSONAL CODE OF CONDUCT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND HOW YOU RESPOND IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS? “You hit the nail on the head. You’re in that position more and more every year as you see the way the playoff schedule is, especially last year, there are moments when you’re on the racetrack that test your character. It test who you are and how do you want to race and what are you gonna do to make it to the Championship 4 or to win a championship. NASCAR has put us all in a position to make challenging positions on what is right. I’ll be 100 percent honest with you, a lot of times you don’t know what’s right. You try to play out all those scenarios in your mind before the weekend starts so you know what to do in the moment, but half the time it’s something that comes up that’s maybe something you didn’t think about or something you didn’t have the answer to yet and you’re forced to make a decision in a split second. That’s the position that we’re put in. That is very entertaining for you guys. That sucks for us sometimes. You’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do. It is something that I think all of us drivers will think about a lot and the Clash is no different. You look at the way they’ve designed this racetrack, not just the fact that it’s small, but the way they put the curbing on the bottom. It just seems like it opens the door for more contact and sliding it down in there, so we will have to wait and see. There’s gonna be moments. There are transfers that they’re probably gonna do what they’ve got to do to get into the feature, and you’ve got no points on the line. I think it just kind of depends. Just because there’s no points on the line doesn’t mean that grudges don’t get carried over to the next race, either. It’s a tricky place to be. I don’t have the answer for you, but we are put in this spot a lot.”

WHAT IS YOUR MORAL CODE AS YOU HEAD INTO THE CLASH? “To be honest with you, you have to be consistent. What’s consistent? I’m gonna win. I’m going out there to win the race. That’s the goal and we do what it takes to do that, but you have to have your moral code and what is considered ok? Is straight-up dumping somebody OK to go win a race? I don’t think so. That’s not really in my cards. Now, a bump-and-run I’ve proven that’s OK. The facts are you have to be OK with it happening to you. Am I OK with getting wrecked? No. Am I OK with getting moved out of the way? I’m not gonna be happy about it, but you have to be OK with it if I’m gonna do it. I feel like that should be the code. Whatever you’re OK with happening to you, you should be all right with doing to somebody else. That’s probably what it is and that’s only fair. That’s just what it is. That’s what we’re going for. We’re going to win. There’s gonna be a lot of people watching this. It’s probably going to be one of the most highly-rated Clashes of all time I bet from TV, from really anything. There’s more people talking about the Clash this year than ever because we’re doing something different. It’s kind of like the dirt race last year. We talked about it so much that, boy, a lot of people are gonna tune in and watch because it’s such an unknown. There’s a lot of good things that go along with the Clash, but also a lot of tricky situations.”

WOULD YOU DO AS MUCH, THE SAME, OR MORE TO WIN THE CLASH THAN YOU WOULD THE DAYTONA 500? “I feel like it’s the same. Like I said, you’ve got to be consistent.”

THE SAME FEELING FOR BOTH RACES? “Maybe winning the Daytona 500 is a little better feeling. It pays a lot better, I promise you that. Maybe a lot cooler trophy, too. I can’t say it’s the same thing, but we’ll probably race the same way. We’re competitors that want to win, so I don’t think anything changes.”

IT’S BEEN SINCE 1971 THAT NASCAR HAS RACED ON A TRACK LIKE THIS. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GET BACK TO THESE GRASSROOTS STYLE OF RACES? “I think it’s cool that we’re doing different things. I’ve been saying this all along, it’s not the Next Gen car, it’s Next Gen NASCAR. Everything is going to change with it. Obviously, you guys know all the details that go along with that now, that it’s not just the car is different. It’s different tracks, it’s different formats, there’s different weekend formats, you name it, so a lot of different things go along with this and I think there’s a lot of good things like going back to like you said to some of the short tracks and roots of our sport is great. I don’t know about quarter-mile racing yet. The last time I was on a quarter-mile I was driving a Legends car and I was nine, so I think this is gonna be pretty different. It’s a full sized car out there. I don’t know what we’re gonna have for room, but it’ll be interesting and we’ll learn. Either way, we’re gonna know whether we want to do this again or not.”

IS THIS NEXT GEN CAR GOING TO LOOK LIKE THE SAME ON SHORT TRACK RACES WE’VE KNOWN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS? “Some things will change. On a short track, being quite frank, the cars are just different. I don’t want to say they’re easier or harder to drive, but your brakes probably aren’t gonna be at limit anymore. You’ve got huge brakes on these cars. Wheel hop is not really a thing with the independent rear suspension, so you’re not gonna have wheel hop, but all of this allows you to dive it down into the corner harder, so it’s gonna change the racing a little bit, I think. There’s less risk on wrecking yourself by overdriving the car, which is gonna change the way we all race each other. I’ll be interested to see what that looks like. I don’t know if the Clash is gonna be the best example of what Martinsville will look like or other short tracks because it’s just so different and it’s a new asphalt, which is a lot different than our other short tracks.”

DID YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON TOM BRADY RETIRING? “I stuck with Tom Brady just out of respect with the way he’s done it. He’s the best. It’s fun to follow someone’s career like that, that strives for excellence to the degree that he has in his career, and the underdog story. He eventually was not the underdog, but at the start of his career he was. I watched some of the documentaries on his career and things like that is highly entertaining to me, so I always found myself rooting for him even when he left the Patriots I still stuck with him because I think he’s a stand-up person. It doesn’t seem like you ever hear anything bad about him. To be honest with you, I always say that Tom Brady and Jimmie Johnson probably have a lot in common and the amount of championships they’ve won, the person that they seem to be, I know Jimmie obviously better than I know Tom Brady. I’ve never met him, but it seems like they do a lot of things in a similar way and they’re pretty dang successful because of it.”

DID YOU REALLY SEE YOURSELF BEING THE GUY IN 2022 THAT WOULD BE THE VETERAN GUY AT TEAM PENSKE? “There have been plenty of times in my life, especially recently over the last two or three years that I look back 10 years ago and I go, ‘Boy, I would have never called that one.’ I would have never called this happening or having some of the people that have come along with me throughout the whole ride. I’d say, ‘Boy, you wouldn’t have called that, would you?’ I don’t know. I really enjoy the surprise of life. You kind of roll with the punches and let things happen and try to control what you can control and Jesus take the wheel through the rest of it and you end up somewhere and this is better than I could have ever expected, so I’m grateful to be in the position with Team Penske, with a great partner at Shell and Pennzoil, and 10 years with this partnership this year says a lot for the consistency – who we are, what we stand for, the loyalty, all those I take a lot of pride in. I think that’s a really special thing. You don’t see that a lot in our sport with drivers and teams and sponsors all sticking together for that long. It’s pretty rare, so I take a lot of pride in being a part of that equation at Team Penske.”

NO PIT STOPS AT THE COLISEUM, BUT HOW MUCH TIME HAVE YOU SPENT ON THE CHOREOGRAPHY OF PIT STOPS. HAVE YOU BEEN PRACTICING MORE THAN USUAL AT THE SHOP? “Some. I’m involved enough to know how they’re changing their placement on the car and what they’re doing differently and how quick it is – those type of things. Obviously, I’m in tune with all that stuff, but it’s gonna be different for sure. The teams are doing it in different ways. In each team you see some different things that I don’t think anyone is comfortable with in terms of what’s the best. It also changes the strategy, too. If you have a faster pit stop, it makes you think differently at some racetracks, so you’ve got to keep all of that in mind. Everything is different with this car. It’s not just the car and how the driver has to work the air to move and pass cars and do things. The crew chief also has to think about calling the race differently because fall off is gonna be different and pit stops are gonna be different. Fuel mileage is gonna be a lot different. How quickly we can fill up the car is different, and getting the car full on a shorter pit stop is also part of the equation, so there’s a lot more to think about and a lot of things we have to kind of figure out as we go.”

IF SUNDAY’S RACE PROVES SUCCESSFUL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS IDEA EXTENDED ELSEWHERE? “I haven’t put much thought into it yet, but if it does work, shoot, pick up the walls and set them down somewhere else – keep going. Go from one stadium to the next. I think it’s awesome that if this does work, it gives us the ability to race downtown. It gives us the ability to race in the middle of cities where the stadiums are placed. If we can do that, I think it brings our sport to a whole different level. As much as I love our racetracks and they’re great, they need a lot of space – not just for the racetrack itself, but for camping and for everything that goes along with it. It’s a different environment than if it’s in the middle of a city, like a football game or a baseball game. If this works, this gives us the ability to go downtown anywhere and that’s a whole different fanbase that I don’t think we’ve reached our full potential in yet, so if this works it’s great for our sport. I’m saying if because we haven’t done it yet. We have to wait and see. It’s definitely changing the game, so we’ll kind of see how it works.”

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GO BACK TO THE WEST COAST AND RACE AT THE COLISEUM? “I’m glad to go back out there. There are a lot of great race fans. I always think that Fontana is one of the best camping racetracks we go to. You see the environment and everybody is hanging out and riding their bikes around, a family environment out there, so I love the Fontana experience. Sonoma, obviously, is very special as well. Different landscapes, different people. It’s a different world. You think about the cultures and how different it is when you go from north to south, east to west. The cultures are different. The people are different and it’s fun to be able to tap into all those markets. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do that in the last couple years, so I’m excited to go back.”

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PROSPECTIVE FANS WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING NASCAR FOR THE FIRST TIME. WHY SHOULD THEY FOLLOW ALONG WITH NASCAR? “You’ve got to go and watch it. It’s hard to explain how NASCAR is until you go there. There have been so many times throughout my career where somebody will say, ‘Man, I didn’t watch NASCAR until I went to a race the first time.’ And they go, ‘I didn’t know it was all that. I thought it was just you guys driving in circles.’ Once they start seeing what it is, they become hooked nine times out of 10 it seems like. I love hearing those stories, so me telling somebody what it’s like I don’t think puts it into perspective until you can actually just go there and see it. Usually, everyone gets hooked from there.”

AS YOU START YOUR 10TH SEASON WITH TEAM PENSKE, HOW HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR ROLE EVOLVE? “I definitely feel like it’s changed drastically. It’s interesting. I’ve really adjusted some things in my life. I got this new motto in my mind, less is better. That’s what I want to do. I want to do less things and do it better, so I’m kind of cleaning up some of the stuff that isn’t as important and focusing on the things that are the most important. I’m pretty excited about that because obviously as one of the leaders in the organization takes on a lot more responsibility and takes on a lot more work and a lot more ability direct, especially with this Next Gen car. It’s bringing on a lot more work for everybody included, so a lot more to think about, do, more decisions to make and want to make sure that I’m ready for that. Less is better. That’s my thing and pushing that through this year. I’m excited about that and as a leader of Team Penske I’m excited about what we’ve got coming our way. The tests have gone pretty well. Our teammates are working well together. Blaney and I are probably closer than we’ve ever been and that’s a good thing. He’s seemed to step up as well, so I think the two of us can help guide the rookies into places to where all four of us can lead together in different departments and do different things, so I think we’re coming a long way. There are gonna be some learning curves for everybody, myself included, and the guys that have been here 15-20 years are gonna have a learning curve as well, much as the rookies are gonna have learning curves this year. There’s lots of work to do.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM
BUSCH LIGHT CLASH AT THE COLISEUM
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 2, 2022

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1, Press Conference Transcript:

THE DRIVERS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE COLISEUM, BUT FROM WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS A HEAVIER CAR AND WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FEELS YOU HAVE WITH THIS CAR, WHAT IS THE CLEAREST THING THAT YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO US FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE FEEL?

“I think just the steering. It is a rack and pinion so kind of like a super late model. The steering box that we used to run is definitely a lot slower, so I feel like going down the straightaway is slower and you have more time to move your hands. Honestly the steering rack I think is an improvement and I really like it so far. It takes a little bit getting used to for the first couple laps on the track every time we go to a new track but overall I think it is definitely an improvement. Something that will kind of make moves a little bit easier, especially on the speedway races to kind of make moves around people. Honestly the brakes are a little bit different. They stop a little bit better than the previous car, but not a whole lot different. Honestly the cars from Phoenix is not that different feeling wise of how it drives versus the old car. I am pretty optimistic for how it drives already”

OBVIOUSLY, THIS WEEKEND’S EVENT IS A NEW EVENT. WE ARE SEEING THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS A LOT MORE SHORT TRACKS OR CLOSE COMPETITION TYPE OF SITUATIONS. THE CAR IS SUPPOSED TO BRING YOU GUYS CLOSER TOGETHER, OBVIOUSLY THAT CAN LEAD TO MORE CONTACT, CONFLICT AND DRAMA. HOW DO YOU AS A DRIVER, CERTAINLY YOU HAVE YOUR PERSONAL CODE AND HOW YOU DO THINGS, BUT HOW HAS THAT FORCED YOU TO REACT IN DIFFERENT WAYS OR HOW HAVE YOU HAD TO REASSES THAT IF AT ALL IN THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS THAT YOU GUYS ARE BEING PUT MORE AND MORE INTO AND LIKELY BE PUT MORE AND MORE INTO IN THE FUTURE AND HAVE TO FACE THESE SITUATIONS?

“I think it is great for the sport to have more of these tracks. I mean it is definitely, I think you leave these tracks feeling rewarded as a team and as a driver to do well at a place like Martinsville, which feel I like this place is going to be similar to. There is definitely a lot more conflict I’d say, you kind of pick and choose your battles. This race isn’t that long, so you are not going to have a lot of chances to kind of give and take. I think it is going to be a lot more take for most of these guys, but I mean overall I think it is good to pick and choose your battles and what you think it important. If you have the pace in the car and the speed to pass guys, then it is going to be a lot easier than trying to defend. I mean if you are defending you are kind of at the mercy of the guy behind you, but hopefully we are fast enough we can be the one making the moves and be the one making the passes.”

It hasn’t been that long since you were doing bullring style racing in your short track days and we have dirt race now. How important is it do you feel, if at all, to have that kind of racing be represented in the Cup Series again? It has been since 1971 that the Cup Series has raced at Bowman Gray.

“I think it’s important, I don’t know, you know there are a lot of awesome tracks around the country like the fairgrounds people have talked about and places like Hickory. There are a lot of cool tracks that have a lot of character that I think would be cool to see some of the series go to. But yeah, I think that background for me definitely helps. Kind of gets you back to that mindset you’re not air blocking as much you are doing more so just racing your car against the other guys and you aren’t worried about aero and what that implication is for the guy behind you. I think anytime that is less of a story and we are talking about pure driving and how to use the brakes and the throttle around the track is good. I think it is going to be great. I don’t know how this track is going to race, but I certainly think there are a lot of good tracks out there we could be going to.”

ONE TECHNICAL QUESTION. YOU MENTIONED THE BRAKES AND THE TIRES, HOW IS THIS BIG BRAKE PACKAGE AND THE GRIPPIER TIRE GOING TO CHANGE THE DYNAMIC OF REAL SHORT TRACK RACING AT LIKE THE LA COLISEUM AND MARTINSVILLE? IS IT GOING TO BE THE SAME SHORT TRACK RACING THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN?

“I think so. From what I saw at Phoenix the car wasn’t that different than the previous car. I think the tire is a little bit gummier than what we had in the past, so I think that is a good thing. It seems to really be receptive to the track and the brakes honestly, I thought were going to be a lot more powerful than they are, but they are just a little bit different. Maybe instead of braking at the three mark at Phoenix, you brake at the two, so it is maybe 50 feet different. It is not massive, so I think you are going to see similar racing to what we have had in the past everything is just going to be a little bit quicker.”

GOING TO THIS RACE AT THE COLESIUM SO MUCH IS PUT INTO THIS IS GOING TO BE ENTERTAINING, IT’S DIFFERENT, IT’S GOING TO BE FUN. THERE IS HYPE IN PACKAGES AND DON’T BE THE LEADER GOING INTO TURN 3 ON THE LAST LAP, ARE YOU OK WITH THAT? ARE YOU OK WITH THE FACT THAT WE ARE GOING HERE AND EVERYONE IS EXPECTING IT TO BE WILD AND DIFFERENT AND BASICALLY IF CARNAGE HAPPENS CARNAGE HAPPENS? ARE YOU OK WITH THAT?

“Yeah definitely. The fact that it’s an exhibition race opens up a lot of things to try. I definitely commend NASCAR for doing some of the things with the platform and the format and all of that stuff. So, I think it’s great and yeah I would feel a little different about it if it was a points race, but I think it’s great to have events like this when it is really about the fans and trying to put on a good race and hopefully pride for the teams to try to win. We want to put our best foot forward and try to win on Sunday because that sets the tone for the rest of the year so that is important to us, but it is a little different event because it is a non-points race. I’m looking forward to it and kind of don’t know what I have to I get there.”

What is it about what you are seeing, and I know you have been on IRACING RUNNING THE COLESIUM WHAT IS IT THAT IS REMINDING YOU OF MARTINSVILLE?

“Yeah, I think just the shape of the track. I mean Bowman Gray when I raced there is a little bit rounder and the corners are a little bit maybe bigger than these corners, so I think the corners are tighter here which kind of makes it like Martinsville because Martinsville has pretty long straightaways and tight corners, so I think you are going to see a lot of the same things. That is kind of my idea, but we will have to see when we get there of what it really races like.”

I AM DOING A STORY ON JEFF GORDON AND HIS NEW ROLE. HE HAS BEEN THERE QUITE A LOT EVEN WHEN HE WAS WORKING FOR FOX, AS HE HAS BEEN MORE INVOLVED WITH THE TEAM OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HOW HAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM CHANGED PERSONALLY?

“Yeah, I think Jeff (Gordon) and I, I’m the closest with him out of all the drivers that used to race. So, I think he has been a big asset for me and all the guys and I feel like he has been close to the team but over the last like year and a half he has gotten really close with all of us and I probably talk to him once a week or once every couple weeks about things. His advice is definitely valuable, so big fan of him being on board with us fulltime and I see him around the shop more than I did probably when he was working for FOX so that’s cool. Yeah, I think it is going to be a good thing.”

OBVIOUSLY, I KNOW THAT YOU GREW UP AS AN AVID RACING AND NASCAR FAN, BUT FOR US ON THE WEST COAST THAT NORMALLY ISN’T THE STORY. WHAT WOULD HAVE TO SAY TO PROSPECTIVE FANS ON THIS SIDE OF THE COUNTRY AND WHY SHOULD THEY BUY INTO OR FOLLOW NASCAR?

“I think it’s just an ultra-competitive sport. You only have 36 to 40 guys out there and you only have one guy that wins, so I think it is very competitive. Your probability of winning is kind of low, but I think it really kind of something that people can cling to. The fact that it’s somewhat relatable and I don’t know it’s just exciting. When you go to a race for the first time and you hear the cars and understand what it is about, it’s a lot different than TV. I think having a chance to get people out to the track and kind of understand what it is like really shows the sense of speed and danger maybe that we are all doing.”

AND TO THAT WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT NASCAR’S MOVE TO DO THE CLASH THIS YEAR AT THE COLESIUM IN ORDER TO DRAW UP SOME MORE FANS ON THE WEST COAST?

‘I think it’s great. It seems to be hard to kind of get people out to Auto Club Speedway sometimes, so I think it’s great to kind of have it closer to the cities. I am all for doing more races around the cities. I think that’s a pretty cool idea. I think we see it with F1 a little bit and some of the different series, so excited for that and I think it is going to put on a great show.”

JUST SIMPLE, WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST THIS WEEKEND?

“Looking forward to just being out in a different environment. Looking forward to how cool it is going to look at that place, you know fill it up with fans. I have never raced in an atmosphere like that. I think the closest thing is Bristol and that’s an awesome environment when you pull off pit road for the race, so I think it’s going to be a really cool adrenaline rush kind of seeing how that plays out and seeing how it is before the race.”

GOING BACK TO THE SIM AND IRACING SIDE OF THINGS, YOU’RE E-NASCAR COKE DRIVER NICK OTTINGER FINISHED FIFTH LAST NIGHT AND HAD A COUPLE OF RACE SESSIONS. HAS HE TOLD YOU ANYTHING ABOUT THE TRACK AND HAVE YOU HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH HIM ON THAT?

“Yeah we text quite a bit, so yeah I kind of pick his brain a little bit from what I can learn from him and the iRacing side. I get a chance to go to the Chevrolet SIM after this and run the Coliseum for the first time, so you know excited for that. Hopefully I can learn some things that I can apply when we get there.”

I KNOW THE HAULERS ALREADY LEFT FOR LA, SO I KNOW YOU HAVENT LEFT YET SINCE YOU ARE IN YOUR APARTMENT. DOES THE TEAM PLAN TO DO ANYTHING FOR FUN WHILE THEY ARE IN LA BEFORE PRACTICE?

“I don’t know about fun. I think they’ve got their hands full, but yeah maybe I will go have some fun before the weekend. I get out there Friday, so I think there will be plenty of fun at the racetrack.”

WITH THE IRACING EVENTS THAT THEY HAD IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LA COLISEUM AND BEFORE IT WAS ANNOUNCED, DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THOSE AND DID YOU GIVE ANY FEEDBACK TO NASCAR ABOUT THE TRACK DEVELOPMENT?

“Yeah definitely. They came to me back in I think August/September to ask me about the track and what I thought so I got a chance to run a few laps on it and kind of get a feel for it. Definitely a cool track and feel like it’s got a lot of potential. Pretty cool to see it all come together through iRacing, so that’s pretty neat. Hopefully it turns out good for the fans.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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