Phoenix Raceway
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021
1-Mile Oval
3:00 PM ET
Location: Avondale, Arizona
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (36 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 1st
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will be available to members of the media at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 6, following qualifying. To watch live, visit NASCAR.com/presspass.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Kyle Larson is one of four drivers who will compete for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. He has two season-long titles on his resume: the 2012 NASCAR ARCA Series East championship and the 2010 Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car championship.
ANIMAL STYLE: Entering the season finale, Larson leads the series in wins (nine), top-five finishes (19), top-10s (25), stage wins (17), laps led (2,474) and average start (6.4) – all career-bests. His laps led total is 972 more than the closest competitor and, no matter the results on Sunday, the Elk Grove, California, native will finish the season atop the standings in wins, laps led and stage victories.
COMBO NO. 1 AND NO. 2: Along with nine wins, Larson has also posted runner-up finishes in six races. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has finished in the top two in 43% of the Cup Series races held in 2021.
CHASING FOUR-TIME: Larson’s laps led total of 2,474 is the most ever during a 36-race season and is the most since former Hendrick Motorsports driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon paced the field for 2,610 circuits in 1995. If Larson leads at least 137 laps at Phoenix, he will set the record for most laps led by a Hendrick Motorsports driver during a season in just his first year with the championship organization.
BACK TO THE FRONT: After starting from the rear of the field due to inspection issues at Phoenix in March, Larson rallied back from two pit road speeding penalties to finish seventh in the 312-lap event. Overall, the 29-year-old driver has five top-five finishes and eight top-10s, including the last five he has entered.
UPPING THEIR GAME: At 13.64 seconds, the No. 5 pit crew owns the quickest average time for four-tire pit stops in 2021. During the playoffs, their average time is even quicker at a series-best 13.37 seconds. The over-the-wall crew is comprised of gasman Brandon Harder, jackman Brandon Johnson, tire carrier R.J. Barnette and tire changers Donnie Tasser (front) and Calvin Teague (rear).
YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. 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 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 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 completes this season and will contribute another $5,000 for every top-five finish he earns. Through 35 races, he has already pledged more than $140,000 and raised more than $200,000. To learn more, please visit KyleLarsonFoundation.org
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 1st
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will be available to members of the media at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 6, following qualifying. To watch live, visit NASCAR.com/presspass.
MARTINSVILLE MANIA: Chase Elliott’s performance on Sunday in the penultimate 2021 event at Martinsville Speedway secured his spot in the Championship 4 race for the second consecutive season. After leading a race-high 289 laps, contact from a competitor sent the No. 9 Chevy spinning in turn three. During the resulting caution, the NAPA team made repairs to the left-rear fender damage. Elliott dropped to 21st when the race resumed and was able to make it back up to 16th before the checkered flag waved.
YOUNG GUN: Last season, Elliott became the third-youngest NASCAR Cup Series champion at 24 years, 11 months and 11 days and a title this season would make him the youngest driver to win multiple championships. On Nov. 8, 2014, at 18 years, 11 months and 11 days, Elliott became the youngest NASCAR Xfinity Series champion when he clinched the 2014 title a week early at Phoenix Raceway.
CHAMPIONSHIP RUN: This weekend, Elliott could bring home his second championship in only his sixth full-time season. He would become the 11th driver to win back-to-back championships and would be the first to do so in the elimination format. The title performance would also give crew chief Alan Gustafson his second Cup trophy in his 17th full-time season. Gustafson would be the 16th crew chief to win multiple championships.
CREW CHIEF CORNER: No. 9 crew chief Gustafson leads the Championship 4 crew chiefs with 33 career wins. His victories have come from four different drivers: Elliott (13), Jeff Gordon (11), Mark Martin (five) and Kyle Busch (four). Gustafson has won with more drivers than any other active crew chief. He and Elliott have accumulated their 13 wins in 211 races – the third-most wins by an active driver and crew chief pairing.
ENGINE, ENGINE NO. 9: This weekend, Elliott has the chance to give the No. 9 car number its third championship. In addition to Elliott’s 2020 championship, his father, Bill Elliott, also won the title in 1988 behind the wheel of the No. 9.
PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE: With only one race remaining in the 2021 season, Elliott has garnered two runner-up finishes, three top-five finishes, four top-10s and 521 laps led in the nine playoff races. He has also picked up 310 points and three stage wins in those nine events.
2021 SEASON RUNDOWN: As the series heads into the final race of the 2021 season, Elliott’s nine top-two finishes are the most he has collected in a single year. The driver of the No. 9’s 14 top-five finishes are tied for his most at the 35-race mark. In those 35 races, Elliott has also collected two wins, 20 top-10s, six stage wins and 858 laps led.
PHOENIX STATS: This Sunday, Elliott will make his 12th Cup Series start at Phoenix. In his previous 11 starts at the 1-mile oval, the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has led a total of 402 laps – the third-most laps led at a track for Elliott. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has collected one win, four top-five finishes and seven top-10s.
LAST SEASON LOOKBACK: Last November at Phoenix, Elliott outran three of the best drivers in stock-car racing to earn his first NCS championship after a thrilling season finale. Elliott clinched the title after leading 153 laps, the third-most laps he has led in a race, en route to Hendrick Motorsports’ record-extending 13th championship.
GUSTAFSON AT PHOENIX: Gustafson will call his 34th Cup Series race at Phoenix on Sunday. In his previous 33 races there, he has collected four wins, 11 top-five results including two runner-up finishes, 22 top-10s and 833 laps led. Gustafson’s four wins come from four different drivers: Busch in 2005, Martin in 2009, Gordon in 2011 and Elliott in 2020. He worked with the oldest winner ever at Phoenix Raceway (Martin at 50 years, 3 months and 9 days) and the track’s youngest winner ever (Busch at 20 years, 6 months and 11 days).
NAPA KNOW HOW: Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will don the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme in Sunday’s championship race at Phoenix Raceway. It will be the Atlanta-based company’s second time with a driver competing for the title in the season finale.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: The No. 9 team owns the second-best average time for four-tire pit stops at 13.37 seconds during the playoffs. The NAPA pit crew is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 10th
No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
TAKING THE WHITE FLAG: Down to the final race in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron has one more chance to improve his already career-best stats this year at the highest level of competition in the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. So far, Byron has collected one win (Homestead-Miami Speedway), two pole awards (Road America and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – most by a driver this season), four top-two finishes, 12 top-fives and 20 top-10s all while leading 425 laps and collecting four stage wins. In his Cup career, these are the most top-two finishes, top-fives, top-10s, laps led and stage wins the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has collected in a single season.
VENTURING TO THE VALLEY OF THE SUN: Heading to a place where he has found success in every level of NASCAR competition, Byron will return to Phoenix Raceway for the eighth time in his Cup career. Across his seven Cup Series starts at the 1-mile oval, Byron has a track-best finish of eighth from March of this season. In fact, Byron currently holds a three-race top-10 streak at Phoenix. The 23-year-old driver also has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix on his résumé, both coming in 2017, when he started on the front row and finished in the top four in both races, including a win in November. With that victory, he became the youngest winner ever at Phoenix in the Xfinity Series at 19 years, 11 months and 13 days.
DYNAMIC DUO OUT WEST: In 2016, Byron was behind the wheel for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the 1-mile oval with crew chief Rudy Fugle atop the pit box. The duo won the pole and went on to lead 112 laps. Unfortunately, an engine failure while Byron was leading with 10 laps to go ended his night early and his chances to advance on to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway – where they ended up finding redemption and winning.
RUDY’S PHOENIX PERFORMANCE: Heading to Phoenix Raceway for the second time in his Cup Series crew chief career, Fugle’s first outing earlier this season resulted in an eighth-place effort with the No. 24 team. Aside from that lone Cup Series start, Fugle has eight Truck Series starts under his belt at the 1-mile oval. In those eight races, Fugle has four pole awards and his drivers have led a total of 471 laps. While Fugle has only one win Phoenix (Erik Jones, 2013), he also has two runner-up results, three top-five finishes and six top-10s. In fact, Fugle’s drivers have finished worse than ninth only two times, including the race with Byron that they dominated before an engines failure resulted in a 27th-place finish.
RAPTOR® TOUGH: After making its debut a couple weeks ago at Kansas Speedway, the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will once again hit the track, this time for this weekend’s race at Phoenix Raceway. RAPTOR® is a durable protective coating and bed liner that is designed to tolerate the toughest climatic conditions and can be applied to a wide range of substrates from steel, wood, concrete and plaster to plastics and composites. Resistant to common fuels, U.V., scratches and stains, RAPTOR® is available at local paint distributors, auto parts stores and can also be purchased from online retailers like Amazon. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, click here.
HOMETOWN HYPE: Phoenix Raceway holds a special meaning for one member of the No. 24 team. Michael “Too Tall” Madill, the rear suspension mechanic for the No. 24 team, hails from Glendale, Arizona, approximately 30 minutes from Phoenix Raceway. At the age of 16, he made the move to North Carolina to begin his career in NASCAR. Now 32 years old, Madill is embarking on his 12th season in the sport and his third with the No. 24 crew.
48 Alex Bowman
Age: 28 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 14th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
TICK TOCK: Last Sunday, Alex Bowman captured his first Martinsville Speedway victory after leading the final nine laps of the 500-lap event. The driver of the No. 48 ran inside the top 10 for most of the event and was in position to take over the lead on lap 448. This marks the team’s fourth victory of the season and Ally’s fourth career victory as a team partner. The No. 48 is no stranger to victory lane at the Virginia-based venue with Jimmie Johnson capturing nine wins in 38 starts. Before Sunday’s win, the most recent No. 48 victory at the track came in 2016 after Johnson led 92 of 500 laps.
BOWMAN WINS, PETS WIN: Through the yearlong initiative between Ally and the Best Friends Animal Society, when Bowman wins a race, a local shelter receives $10,000 from him and primary sponsor Ally. Last weekend, Ally donated $10,000 and Bowman donated $1,000 to the Pittsylvania Pet Center in Martinsville, Virginia. The Pittsylvania Pet Center is committed to protecting the health, safety and well-being of all companion animals by working with animal control offices in the enforcement of state and local laws, reducing the number of stray and homeless animals and providing the best care possible for every animal that comes through their doors. Every week, Ally and Bowman each make a $1,000 donation to a local animal shelter in the race market and that donation gets bumped up if the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet clinches a victory.
WELCOME HOME: Bowman heads to his home state to take on Phoenix Raceway for the 13th time in his NASCAR Cup Series career. The Tucson, Arizona, native has one top-10 finish at the 1-mile facility, which came in 2016 after he started from the pole position, led a race-high 194 laps and spent 272 laps inside the top two for an average running position of 1.9. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1-mile oval with a best finish of eighth (2017) and one NASCAR ARCA Menards Series West start in 2011 when he led 23 laps en route to a second-place result.
ONE RACE REMAINS: The Cup Series season concludes with this weekend’s race at Phoenix and Bowman has had a career year through 35 events. The 28-year-old driver has four wins, eight top-five results and 16 top-10s, all personal season highs. Bowman has led 161 laps this season at nine different venues. Since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2016 as a substitute driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bowman has six wins, 24 top-five results, 57 top-10s, 1,075 laps led and three pole awards, including two in the DAYTONA 500.
IVES IN PHOENIX: Crew chief Greg Ives is set to call his 14th Cup Series race this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. The Bark River, Michigan, native claimed a victory at Phoenix in the 2015 fall event with Earnhardt after leading 22 laps. In 2016, Ives guided Bowman to a pole win, 194 laps led and a sixth-place finish. The crew chief has one win (2016), two top-five finishes and four top-10s in his 13 starts and his drivers have led 250 laps. Ives has four Xfinity Series starts at the venue as a crew chief with a best finish of fourth with driver Regan Smith in 2013. From 2006-2012, he was part of four wins, one pole award and 11 top-five finishes at Phoenix Raceway as a race engineer for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team.
PIT ROAD TIMES: The No. 48 pit crew sits seventh on the charts for the fastest average four-tire stop time of 13.92 seconds. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.
CHAMPIONSHIP FOCUS: On Sunday, Hendrick Motorsports will field two championship contenders – Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson – in the title-deciding NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway. It will be the first time the team has placed two drivers in the Championship 4 since NASCAR went to its current playoff format in 2014. Hendrick Motorsports holds the all-time records for Cup Series championships (13) and different drivers to win a title (four). Jimmie Johnson (seven championships), Jeff Gordon (four), Elliott (2020) and Terry Labonte (1996) have all won Cup trophies for the organization.
BOWTIE 40TH: Chevrolet has secured the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championship, marking its milestone and record-extending 40th. With one race remaining in the season, Chevy teams have won 18 of 35 points-paying events. In 2021, Hendrick Motorsports has delivered 16 of the 18 Chevrolet victories (89%) and contributed 83% of the points toward the manufacturer title. Since Rick Hendrick founded the team in 1984, 279 of Chevy’s 551 wins (51%) have come from his stable.
IN THE DUST: Entering Sunday’s Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports holds the track records for wins (11), pole positions (12), top-five finishes (50), top-10s (92) and laps led (2,904). Elliott clinched the 2020 Cup Series championship with his win there last November.
GO TIME: Hendrick Motorsports has won five of the nine 2021 Cup Series playoff races – including each of the last four – and eight of 14 dating back to last year. It has recorded at least one playoff win in 17 straight seasons (since the playoffs began in 2004) and notched 52 combined wins in playoff races, which is the most. A Hendrick Motorsports driver has won in each of the last six playoff elimination races, including Elliott’s title-clinching performance at Phoenix in 2020.
STAGING AREA: With 27 stage wins thus far in 2021, Hendrick Motorsports is tied with Joe Gibbs Racing (2019) for the most ever in a single Cup Series season. The team will have an opportunity to break the record Sunday at Phoenix.
TOP-TWOS: With one race remaining, Hendrick Motorsports has recorded 32 top-two finishes in 2021, which is tied with JGR (2019) for the most in a single season in NASCAR’s modern era (since 1972). Hendrick Motorsports has swept the first and second positions in seven races this year, including a string of four straight 1-2 finishes.
YEAR TO REMEMBER: The 2021 season has been one of the most memorable in the history of Hendrick Motorsports. In May, the team finished 1-2-3-4 at Dover International Speedway, won Chevrolet’s milestone 800th race at Circuit of the Americas and at Charlotte Motor Speedway broke Petty Enterprises’ long-standing record for Cup Series wins. With one event remaining on the calendar, Hendrick Motorsports has recorded 16 points-paying victories, which is its second-most in a single season (18 in 2007). It became the only team since 1972 to win six consecutive points races – and seven overall including Larson’s non-points NASCAR All-Star Race victory. With its entire four-car stable contributing to the 2021 total, Hendrick Motorsports is the first team in Cup Series history with four race winners under the age of 30 in a single season.
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on his mindset heading to Phoenix Raceway: “It’s definitely the most important race ever in my career. I’m fortunate that it’s at Phoenix. It’s a track I haven’t won at before, but I’ve had some really good runs there, and earlier this year we had a really, really good race car. I just made two mistakes and sped on pit road two different times. If I can clean up those mistakes, I think we’ll have a great shot to win as well as the other three guys who I’m sure I’ll be going up against. It’ll be tough, but I’m looking forward to a chance to race for a championship.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on using notes from the spring Phoenix race: “The best experience that we have to go off of is the spring race that we had there. Our car was really fast. We had a couple of mistakes of Kyle speeding on pit road, and some of that was on us too just for getting the timing marks down. But we’ve learned from that and we have good notes from that race. Of course, great notes from Alan (Gustafson) and Chase (Elliott) winning the championship and winning the race there last year. So, those two recent data points of ourselves and our teammates are just great to have and great to go off of and build from.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on if there are lessons from last year’s championship run that he will carry with him this season: “I think a little bit of everything. We will look at obviously our car side of things from how we raced the last few years, not just that particular race last year. Then, obviously, the spring race in Phoenix – we have some things to look back at. So, I think we will definitely dive through every bit of that information that we have. I think from the mental side, having that experience of going and experiencing the emotions of the week and leading up to it and all those things, it is kind of nice to have been through that before. It didn’t really seem to matter last year so I don’t know that it really matters; I don’t know whether it really affects your performance or not, but there were things and experiences that I learned last year that I’ll try to carry forward to better myself and to better our team and that’s all you can do with that information.”
Elliott on being locked into the Championship 4: “Getting in that final four is really the goal every year. The goal is to go win the championship, so it’s just nice to have another shot. It wasn’t the exciting transfer walk-off type like it was last year but nonetheless, to have a shot to go race for to the championship is really all that matters to us right now. I would love to have won at Martinsville, but I feel like our teams in a good place, performing well over the last couple weeks so I am excited for the opportunity. That’s all I can ask for this time of year.”
Elliott on the No. 9 team dynamic: “I feel like we have a great team. I feel like our approach is very similar; I let him do his job and he lets me do my job. We don’t question it and I feel like it ends up being a really nice working relationship. Our team has grown and has changed a little bit over the course of my six years. I think that as you go, you evolve and you get to know people better, you start doing better. You start finding that little bit in each person that helps performance each week and it all adds up. So, we have a great group people. I am proud to have them and I am excited go to work this weekend.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on competing for a championship against No. 5 team: “It makes it a lot of fun. It’s certainly more enjoyable for me and it gives you a little bit of comfort knowing that you have teammates who are going to be pushing the front and pushing forward to prove their cars, their pit crews, all of the above. It’s a fun time here and we are proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports and what they have been able to do in all phases of this organization. They are operating at a super high level. It’s a fun time and we certainly enjoy it.”
Gustafson on looking back at the 2020 championship nearly one year later: “To me, it’s much more about 2021 than 2020. I’ve just been focused on trying to get in a position where we can do that again. I really haven’t had a chance to reflect on last year much or really even think about it. We are just focused on this season and trying to get ourselves and our team in the best position we can for this weekend. Certainly, there’s some things we learned going through last year and this season so far that we can apply, but as far as anything else, it’s just been keeping our eyes forward. We are looking forward to getting to Phoenix.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on what to expect returning to Phoenix Raceway this season: “When we went to Phoenix earlier this season, it was a good experimental race for us. It was still early on in the year, and we were still getting Rudy (Fugle) up to speed in the Cup Series. I think we learned a lot that race, but unfortunately not a ton will apply when we go back this weekend. With everything we’ve learned throughout the year, the car will be set up completely different and the track will handle differently, as well. The good thing is we will have practice this time around. With this being the final race, you know everyone will bring their best equipment, but we will have the time to really dial it in before the race. You just don’t want to cross the fine line of dialing yourself in or dialing yourself out.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on what the team has accomplished this season: “It’s crazy to think that this is the last race of the season and that my ‘rookie’ year is coming to a close. I couldn’t be more proud of what we have accomplished as a team this year. I had a lot to learn coming in and everyone helped to get me up to speed. We won a race so early on and showed consistency throughout the rest of the year. This team as a whole, William included, has grown so much in just a short time to have a career-best year. There will be more to come; our chance will come. We would love to be heading to Phoenix in the hunt for a championship but we’re glad to have two teammates in the hunt representing Hendrick Motorsports, as well. We’ll all four be strong Sunday.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on if he’s satisfied with his breakout season: “Yes and no. It’s so frustrating to have this playoff run go how it has gone. Last year, we had a great playoff run. We didn’t go into it with a lot of playoff points, but we were extremely consist – finished pretty well in the points and had a good playoffs. This year, we’ve just had everything go wrong that could possibly go wrong. So, it was really special to at least get pointed in the right direction to try to end the season on a high note and get a win after how the last couple of months have gone. Obviously, we’d rather be in the final four. I think it’s pretty obvious; that’s what everybody wants. We just haven’t had the consistency that we needed to make that happen. It’s unfortunate, but that’s just the way it went. So, we will work hard at trying to understand why that is. We’ve been trying to understand why that is for quite a while, so if we can get that dialed in, we’ve proven we can win races. Anytime we have a shot at it, we tend to finish the job. So, (we will) just keep trying to continue to put ourselves in positions to win races.”
Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the approach to Sunday’s race in Phoenix: “Really similar. Obviously, they always talk about racing the playoff guys with respect and I don’t think we race anybody with disrespect. So, whether you’re in playoffs or not, I don’t think it should matter. Obviously, you know, things happen on the racetrack and intentional or not intentional, we will be truthful about it. There was a time in the last few years Alex made a move and it was intentional and he owned up to it, so track record should speak for that. Phoenix, we have two teammates in in there, we have a guy we just had some controversy with, so I don’t expect us to race Denny any differently, as well as our teammates any differently, than we have all year. For a position to win the race, it really comes down to whoever wants to go for second, right? In the end, we’re never going to put ourselves in a situation to ruin those guys’ opportunity to win a championship because we know at some point we’ll be in that same scenario and (will) want to get raced exactly how they would. So, in in the end, we’re just going to go out there have a nice, calm, clean race, hopefully a fast car, and let the driving and the speed dictate itself.”
