Kansas Speedway
Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021
1.5-Mile Oval
3:00 PM ET
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (34 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

FINAL FOUR: Kyle Larson led 256 laps – including the final 218 – to win the 334-lap race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. The 29-year-old driver secured one of four spots in the Championship 4 and will compete for his first NASCAR Cup Series title at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 7. The Texas win marked Larson’s second consecutive victory and eighth win of 2021.

CAREER YEAR: Through 33 of 36 Cup Series races, Larson leads the series in wins (eight), top-five finishes (18), top-10s (24), stage wins (16) and laps led (2,267) – all career bests. His laps led total is 868 more than the next-closest competitor.

LEADER OF THE PACK: Larson has led 1,187 laps on 1.5-mile tracks in 2021, the most ever by a driver during a season. In fact, the rest of the field has combined to lead just 13 more (1,200) on that type of track in 2021. Larson is the only driver with multiple victories (three) in races held on 1.5-mile layouts this year.

ONLY JG: Jeff Gordon is the only Hendrick Motorsports driver to lead more laps than Larson during a season. In 1995, Gordon led 2,610 laps and he paced the field for 2,314 circuits a year later. In 2001, the four-time Cup Series champion led 2,320 laps – the benchmark for a 36-race schedule. Larson trails that record by 53 laps with three races remaining in 2021.

42 FOR LARSON: Along with eight 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 42% of the Cup Series races held in 2021.

SPORTING IN KC: In May at Kansas Speedway, Larson finished second in stage one and won stage two. He led a race-high 132 laps before contact with another car after a late-race restart resulted in a 19th-place finish. Overall, Larson has three top-five finishes and five top-10s in 13 starts at the 1.5-mile track.

UPPING THEIR GAME: At 13.63 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 13.22 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.

IT KEEPS ADDING UP: 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 33 races, he has already pledged more than $135,000 and raised nearly $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: 5th

No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

ROUND OF 8 ROUND UP: Chase Elliott continues his run to defend the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series title this weekend at Kansas Speedway. This is the fifth consecutive season he has advanced to the Round of 8 of the playoffs. Through the seven playoff races this year, Elliott has led 190 laps and spent 774 laps inside the top five and 1,438 laps running in the top 10. He is currently fifth in playoff standings, eight points below the cutline. Elliott has collected victories at the next two tracks in the round (Kansas, Martinsville Speedway). In his previous 57 playoff races, he has collected six wins, 22 top-five finishes, 32 top-10s and led 1,653 laps.

THREE TO GO: With only three races remaining in the 2021 season, Elliott’s eight top-two finishes are tied for the most he has collected in a single year and is also the second-most of all drivers this season. With 33 races complete this season, the driver of the No. 9 has also picked up two wins, 13 top-five finishes, 19 top-10s and 527 laps led.

KANSAS STATS: On Sunday, Elliott is set to make his 12th Kansas Speedway start at the Cup level. In his previous 11 races at the track, he garnered one win, five top-five finishes – tied with Charlotte Motor Speedway and Martinsville for the second-most top-five results at a track in his Cup career – seven top-10s and led 145 laps. He has finished inside the top 10 in five of the last six races at the 1.5-mile venue. Elliott also holds the second-best average finish (10.5) among active drivers at Kansas, behind only Kevin Harvick (9.1).

1.5-MILE STATS: This weekend at Kansas, Elliott will make his 61st start on a 1.5-mile track in the Cup Series. In his previous 60 races, Elliott has led 764 laps. Last season, he scored his second career 1.5-mile track win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28. Along with two victories, Elliott has collected 18 top-five finishes – five of which are runner-up results – and 30 top-10s on 1.5-milers. He currently holds the second-longest active top-10 streak (five) on these tracks.

QUICK STOPS: The No. 9 team owns the third-best average time for four-tire pit stops at 13.34 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.

HONORING A CANCER HERO: This weekend at Kansas, the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet will feature a very special name above the driver door. Candy Howton’s name will be showcased as part of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation’s initiative to recognize those who have fought bravely against cancer. Howton was diagnosed with Stage 2B lung cancer in January 2019. They had to remove her right lung completely because of the cancer’s location in the organ. After surgery, Howton had several weeks of chemotherapy. She was very determined to be well enough to attend the April 2019 Talladega Superspeedway race to watch her favorite driver, Elliott. When April arrived, she was able to make her first trip to the Talladega race and cheered Elliott on as he won the event.

BACK HOME: No. 9 team jackman Semke hails from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, less than 40 miles from Kansas Speedway. Before stepping on the football field at the University of Kansas in 2012, Semke was a part-time bounty hunter. The 28-year-old was a defensive lineman for the Jayhawks for three years, earning Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honors twice. Semke signed with Hendrick Motorsports in October 2016.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 11th

No. 24 RAPTORTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

TEXAS TWO-STEPPED: Starting 12th Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, William Byron powered his No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE to the front and remained there for almost the entirety of the race. Finishing stage one in fifth after a pit strategy call and leading 55 laps in stage two before crossing the stripe in second to end the second stage, Byron continued to run second as the laps wound down. With a string of late-race restarts to end the race, Byron ultimately crossed the finish line in second behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson – a track-best finish for Byron.

LOOKIN’ AT THE TOP TWO: After his runner-up result at Texas last Sunday, Byron has now finished in the top-two positions four times in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. That feat ties him for the third-most in the field behind Hendrick Motorsports teammates Larson (14) and Chase Elliott (eight). This is also the most times in a season that the 23-year-old driver has finished in the top-two positions, doubling his previous best of two in 2019.

CONTINUING THE TREND: Down to the last three races in the 2021 Cup Series season, Byron continues to post career-best stats this year at the highest level of competition in the No. 24 RAPTORTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. So far, Byron has collected one win (Homestead-Miami Speedway), two pole awards (Road America and Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – most by a driver this season), 11 top-five finishes and 18 top-10s all while leading 368 laps and collecting three stage wins. In his Cup career, these are the most top-five finishes, top-10s, laps led, and stage wins the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has collected in a single season.

1.5-MILE MOMENTUM: With the Cup Series racing at eight mile-and-a-half tracks so far this year, Byron has finished inside the top 10 in six of those events – tied for the second-most behind Kyle Busch (eight). Even going back as far as the last 12 races on 1.5-milers, Byron has secured eight top-10 finishes on that configuration of track.

HOT START AT KANSAS: Right out of the gate Byron found success at Kansas Speedway in just his first two NASCAR national series starts at the 1.5-mile track. With one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start in 2016 and one NASCAR Xfinity Series start in 2017, Byron finished no worse than fourth in both events. In fact, in his debut at the intermediate oval in 2016 – just his fifth Truck Series start – Byron started from the top spot, led 34 laps and collected his first Truck Series win. That kickstarted the most successful season by a rookie in the history of the series.

MIDWEST MOJO: Aside from those first two starts, Byron has seven Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway. While Byron faced bad luck in his first three races, including a mechanical failure, a late-race on-track incident and a pit road penalty, he has since turned that luck around. In his last four starts at the 1.5-mile track, Byron has collected one top-five finish and four top-10s. His four-consecutive top-10 finishes at Kansas is tied for the longest active top-10 streak at the intermediate track. Byron has the longest top-10 streak in his Cup Series career at Kansas (four) ahead of Phoenix Raceway (three) and Pocono Raceway (three).

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE KANSAS: Looking to make his second start as a Cup Series crew chief at Kansas Speedway this Sunday, Rudy Fugle’s first race at the Midwestern track earlier this year resulted in a ninth-place effort with the No. 24 team. Aside from that one Cup Series start, the Livonia, New York, native has 10 previous starts at the 1.5-mile oval, all coming in the Truck Series. In those 10 events, Fugle’s drivers have started from the pole four times, led 391 laps, collected two wins (2016 and 2018), earned five top-five finishes and six top-10s. In fact, Fugle’s 2016 win came with Byron, who captured his first Truck Series victory in just their fifth start together.

RAPTOR® TOUGH: Earlier this week, Axalta Racing unveiled a special paint scheme for the Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE featuring their newest acquisition, U-POL, and its RAPTOR® brand. The new paint scheme has a charcoal base with bright green accents and will be on board Byron’s Chevy this Sunday at Kansas as well as at the season finale at Phoenix. 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.

HONORING KEITH COOPER: The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation have partnered together for the second time to recognize those who have battled cancer by auctioning off the space above the driver-side door to honor a cancer hero. For this Sunday’s race, Byron will have Keith Cooper riding on board his No. 24 Chevy, who was nominated by his son, Brian Cooper. Working at General Motors for 36 years, Cooper was known as one of the hardest workers by his family, friends and coworkers. He spent every Sunday watching NASCAR with his son and was a diehard Jimmie Johnson fan until his retirement from the Cup Series. Once Johnson retired, Cooper began cheering for Byron and the No. 24 team. Unfortunately, Cooper lost his battle to lung cancer in August of this year.

48 Alex Bowman

Age: 28 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Resides: Concord, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Greg Ives

Standings: 12th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

1.5-MILE STATS: Alex Bowman has 68 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series on tracks measuring 1.5-miles in length. The Ally-sponsored driver captured his first career victory at Chicagoland Speedway on June 30, 2019, after leading 88 laps. Bowman has nine top-five finishes, 19 top-10s and has led 463 laps total at 1.5-mile facilities in his Cup career. In the last eight starts on 1.5-mile tracks this season, Bowman has captured three top-five finishes and four top-10s.

NO PLACE LIKE KANSAS: Bowman will make his 13th start at Kansas Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Earlier this season, he finished 18th after 267 laps and last season, Bowman brought home an eighth-place result in the spring race and a third-place finish during the fall playoff race at the venue. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE is ranked fifth for the best average finish (8.5) at Kansas over the last six races. Bowman’s five top-10 finishes (career best) all come from his runs at the venue. He has two top-five finishes, five top-10s and has led 76 laps at the 1.5-mile track. Bowman made one start at the venue in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2013 and finished 11th at the end of the 200-lap event. He’s also made two Kansas starts in the ARCA Series and brought home wins in both races, including from the pole position in 2012.

IVES IN KANSAS: Crew chief Greg Ives has called the shots 13 times at Kansas Speedway in the Cup Series. The Bark River, Michigan, native’s drivers have three top-five results, seven top-10s and have led 78 laps at the 1.5-mile facility. Ives’ best finish of second came in spring of 2019 after the team rolled off fifth and led 63 laps. The crew chief’s résumé includes one top-five finish and two top-10s at the venue in the Xfinity Series. In 2013, Ives’ driver led 81 laps en route to a third-place result at the facility. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team at Hendrick Motorsports from 2006 until 2012. During that time, he was part of two wins, two pole awards and eight top-10 finishes at Kansas.

HONOR A CANCER HERO: This weekend, Bowman will carry a very special name above the door of his Chevrolet Camaro thanks to the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and NASCAR Foundation’s Honor A Cancer Hero auction. Judy Kontny of Lakeland, Florida, will ride along with the No. 48 team at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. Kontny is Ives’ aunt and a big fan of the No. 48 team. Two weeks after her husband passed away from cancer in 2010, Kontny was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was in remission but the cancer returned. She has been fighting the disease ever since.

HOME-TRACK FEELS: The fueler for the No. 48 team, Jacob Conley, grew up approximately 204 miles from Kansas Speedway in Omaha, Nebraska. Conley went to Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, and graduated with a degree in sociology in 2012. While at the university, Conley played offensive tackle for the Tigers and was a starter during all four years of college.

PIT PERFORMANCE: The No. 48 pit crew sits seventh on the charts for the fastest average four-tire stop time of 13.92. The team includes fueler Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.

ONE-TWO PUNCH: Kyle Larson and William Byron finished first and second Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, which delivered Hendrick Motorsports’ sixth 1-2 sweep of 2021 – the second-highest total since the NASCAR Cup Series went to a 36-race schedule in 2001. With seven in a single season, Hendrick Motorsports (2009) and Joe Gibbs Racing (2019) have the most sweeps of first and second in that span. The all-time record is 10 held by Carl Kiekhafer Racing, which accomplished it in 1956 during a 56-race Cup Series season. In 1957, Peter Depaolo Racing did it six times in 53 events.

NIFTY 50: Following Larson’s Texas performance, Hendrick Motorsports has recorded 50 all-time wins during the Cup Series playoffs – 17 more than next-best Joe Gibbs Racing (33) and more than double third-place Penske Racing (24). In seven playoff events this year, the team has three victories – all courtesy of Larson.

ONE MORE SHOT: Entering Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports is within striking distance of the Cup Series single-season record for most laps led on 1.5-mile tracks. In 2005, the five-car Roush Fenway Racing organization led 1,515 laps in 10 races held on intermediates. This year, the four-car Hendrick Motorsports stable has led 1,464 laps in eight events on 1.5-milers.

2021 FOR THE AGES: Hendrick Motorsports is having one of its best statistical seasons since Rick Hendrick launched the team in 1984. Through 33 points-paying events in 2021, the organization has 14 points-paying Cup Series wins – its second-best mark in a 36-race season and tied with 1998, which featured a 33-race schedule. Its best full-season victory total came in 2007 when it won 18 of 36 points events (50%).

BLACKJACK: Hendrick Motorsports has won 11 of the last 21 points-paying Cup Series races. Joe Gibbs Racing is the next-best team with four wins in that span.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on his mindset ahead of Kansas knowing team is in Championship 4: “My mind is on Kansas. I want to go there and win. I have led a lot of laps there and come close to a couple of different wins. I want to go there and lead a bunch of laps and try and get another win and then look forward to Martinsville. I don’t want to change up what we have been doing; still take it week by week and do a great job every weekend and carry some momentum into Phoenix. I think it would be bad if we went to Kansas and Martinsville and had a couple of DNFs because we are ‘relaxed.’ Hopefully we can go through these next couple of weeks, have a few good runs and head into Phoenix with some good momentum.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on preparing for Phoenix and upcoming races: “The schedule makes us prepare for Phoenix a little bit earlier. It’s a Friday, Saturday, Sunday race with practice starting on Friday and qualifying on Saturday. The truck leaves for Phoenix that week, I believe on Tuesday. Your week is short so you have to be prepared on the front side, which we will be. We still have to go have a good run in Kansas and definitely want to have a good run in Martinsville. We have had that one circled for a while because we, as a team, feel like we have something to prove. Hopefully we can do that. We will be focused on Phoenix, but we want to have some good races in the meantime.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at Kansas: “We’ve been hit or miss at Kansas, really. I’ve had some good runs and even some of those good finishes we haven’t been as solid as I feel like we want to be, but it’s a place where I know we can go and have success at. I feel like it’s a place where we have a decent notebook, so to speak, to build off of and make ourselves better.”

Elliott on being below the Championship 4 cutline: “The great thing is we’re able to be in this Round of 8, which is a great thing. Another thing about that is a win anywhere in this round is an opportunity to race for a championship. Obviously, we want to win – that would be the best way to lock ourselves in. Last year was certainly that way and kind of how it all played out. I would love to do that this weekend at Kansas and be able to go ahead and lock into Phoenix and set our eyes on that one. We’re going to fight through it either way and see where we end up.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the difference between racing at Kansas in the fall versus the spring: “The fall is usually always cooler than when we go there earlier in the year. It creates a lot of more wide-open throttle time because of that. You still move around the racetrack just as much and the restarts are just as crazy, but your on-throttle time is probably the biggest difference between the two races. It makes it a little bit easier to race but it’s still a tough track because I feel like the surface is pretty hard on tires. It sets it up to be a fun race to be in and I’m sure it’s a fun race to watch for fans. Something about that place clicked early on for me in Trucks and Xfinity. I struggled a bit there when I first got to Cup, but I think I’ve learned a lot over the years and it’s become one of my best tracks now.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on why Kansas is one of his favorite racetracks: “Kansas is a really cool track. I like the progressive banking, the speed and the handling that comes with that track. I like when you have to have all the facets of the car together, and the crew chief has a major part to do with that. The first time we went there this year, we ran up front for most of the first stage and I just didn’t do a good job adjusting on it during the second stage, putting us back in traffic. We’ve made a lot of changes since then and our 550 horsepower package is way better since then. I’m just super, super excited to get there. It’s a track where drivers can go bottom, middle or top. Not only can we make a lot of adjustments as needed, but William can as well with his driving style because of that. It reminds me of Homestead at a young state before it aged and got really abrasive. If we can hit on everything we need to, we can definitely go win.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on returning to Kansas Speedway: “Going to Kansas, I’m really excited. (It’s) one of my favorite racetracks. It’s the only repave that’s stayed super race-y. I’m excited to get there and run from the bottom all the way to the outside wall. It’s been a good place for us in the past. We struggled there in the spring but we have a good notebook to look back on from previous races. Our teammates were pretty strong – the No. 5 dominated that day, so being able to look at his notes and go back strong, we should be good this weekend.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the track differences between Kansas and Texas: “The one thing that Kansas allows is multiple grooves in the track. In Texas, you were able to have two grooves, maybe a lane and a half, but in Kansas you can enter on the high side and carry momentum and someone can dive bomb you. You can be trimmed out for the restart for the first four or five laps and then you start getting tight off or loose in and the guy who has a little better downforce can get by you. Hopefully, our Ally Chevrolet has speed on the short and long runs and is able to run top to bottom.”

CHASE BRISCOE
Kansas Advance
No. 14 DEKALB® Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview
● Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 34 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 24
● Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 80 laps / Final Stage: 107 laps
● TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The countdown is on to the final checkered flag of the season as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway in Kansas City for the second time this year. In May, Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) earned a 20th-place finish at Kansas but have since finished inside the top-15 five times at intermediate tracks with a best of 11th earned twice – in May at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in and in August at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.

● Though the result doesn’t show it, the Cup Series rookie was on pace for his best finish of the season last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Briscoe and the No. 14 DEKALB® Ford team are riding a wave of momentum into the final race on a 1.5-mile track this year after he ran in the top-10 for the first two stages in Texas and was racing hard for the sixth position when contact with Denny Hamlin resulted in damage to the right side of the No. 14 and a flat tire during the final stage. After going a lap down while making repairs, Briscoe fought his way back to the lead lap and eventually secured his 11th top-15 finish of the season. It was also Briscoe’s fourth top-15 in the last five races.

● DEKALB brand returns to the No. 14 Ford Mustang for this Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400. The DEKALB brand was first featured on the SHR machine driven by Kansas native Clint Bowyer and, much like the iconic No. 14, DEKALB brand corn has built a reputation for proven performance for more than 100 years. The newest version of the DEKALB Corn Car Briscoe will drive this weekend features a message important to farmers and racers alike: Winning Has Roots. Winning is more than a goal, it’s a state of mind. Just ask any farmer or NASCAR driver pushing to improve their performance each and every season. Once a winning mindset takes hold, it drives everything else, shaping families and defining legacies at every turn. Because, winning has roots.

● In celebration of the rookie driver joining the DEKALB brand racing family, fans are invited to join the Chase for the Corn. If Briscoe takes his DEKALB Corn Car to victory lane at Kansas, four randomly selected members of the Chase for the Corn Facebook event will win free corn for 2022. All members must do is mark “going” for a chance to win.

● Briscoe leads the Cup Series Rookie of the Year standings by 267 points and has been the highest-finishing rookie driver in 27 of 32 events. With Rookie of the Year honors in the Truck Series (2017) and Xfinity Series (2019), Briscoe is looking to join Erik Jones and William Byron as only the third driver in history to claim the title in all three of NASCAR’s top national touring series.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 DEKALB Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You were having a good run at Texas last weekend, one of your best on an intermediate track this year. Can you carry that over to Kansas this weekend?

“We’ve come a long way since the last race at Kansas. Just last weekend, we were able to show we can come into the 550 (horsepower) races with top-10 speed. I think that can for sure transfer over to this weekend and we’ll try to go pick up where we left off. Kansas is a place where you can move around and find your line – the opposite of Texas, really. I’ve always enjoyed racing there, reminds me a lot of dirt racing and having those options to find what you need as the track and car change.”

There’s been a lot of discussion this week about your tangle with the No. 11 late in the race. Is this just one of the many tests you face as a rookie driver?

“Yeah, I think so, but I haven’t done anything different than what I was doing earlier this year. Except maybe that we’re running better, so I’m around those guys that are up front every week. I’m not going to purposely try to mess up a playoff driver’s day and put them in a bad spot. But, I’m not there to pull over and let them go. I was put in the 14 to win races and, to do that, I’ve got to race as hard and smart as I can every week. I always try to respect the guys I’m racing against because that’s what I’d want them to do for me, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to wave someone by. I’m racing for something, too.”

No. 14 DEKALB Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe
Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: John Klausmeier
Hometown: Perry Hall, Maryland

Car Chief: Chad Haney
Hometown: Fairmont, West Virginia

Engineer: Mike Cook
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Engineer: Marc Hendricksen
Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

Spotter: Joe White
Hometown: Windsor, Virginia

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey
Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Chris Jackson
Hometown: Rock Hill, South Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Jack Man: Brandon Banks
Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Justin Wilson
Hometown: Wise, Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Front End Mechanic: J.D. Frey
Hometown: Ferndale, California

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams
Hometown: Naples, Florida

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips
Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Glenn Funderburk
Hometown: Mint Hill, North Carolina

KEVIN HARVICK
Kansas Advance
No. 4 Subway Delivery Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview
● Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 34 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 24
● Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 80 laps / Final Stage: 107 laps
● TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Subway® restaurants has joined Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) to put its Eat Fresh Refresh™ on the fast track by becoming a primary sponsor of the championship-winning NASCAR Cup Series team. The world’s largest quick-service restaurant brand is leveraging the partnership to highlight Subway Delivery powered by DoorDash, which allows guests to order their Subway favorites via the Subway app or on Subway.com. Guests can buy one Footlong and get another Footlong for 50 percent off using code KEVIN50 when they order delivery online or in the Subway app. (Limit one at participating restaurants.) Subway has a $0 delivery fee on all Subway Delivery orders and guests can still earn and redeem Subway MyWay® Rewards points.

● Dorothy was right. There’s no place like home. And for Harvick, home is an intermediate racetrack. With apologies to those in Harvick’s hometown of Bakersfield, California, the veteran racer has made the intermediate tracks that comprise the majority of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule his home. Of Harvick’s 58 career NASCAR Cup Series wins, 23 have come at intermediate-style racetracks. Kansas is a sweeping, D-shaped oval that has produced high speeds and daring, side-by-side racing since its debut in 2001. Harvick has competed at the track for every one of its Cup Series races – one of only three drivers to do so (Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman being the others) – and has amassed quite the history in his 31 career starts. Three wins, five second-place finishes, 10 top-threes, 11 top-fives, 18 top-10s and 949 laps led make Harvick one of the most successful drivers in Kansas’ relatively young history. His average start is 13.2, his average finish is 9.1 and he has a lap completion rate of 98.7 percent.

● In his last two NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas, Harvick has finished second. In his most recent visit to the 1.5-mile oval back in May, Harvick finished .336 of a second behind race winner Kyle Busch. In last year’s Hollywood Casino 400, Harvick finished .312 of a second behind Joey Logano.

● Harvick scored his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Kansas in the 2013 Hollywood Casino 400 with a massive 1.140-second margin over runner-up Kurt Busch. Harvick scored his next Kansas win in the 2016 Hollywood Casino 400 with another impressive performance, crossing the stripe 1.183 seconds ahead of next best Carl Edwards. Harvick’s most recent Kansas victory came in May 2018 when he beat Martin Truex, Jr., by .390 of a second.

● Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon lead the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Kansas with three victories apiece. Only Harvick, Hamlin and Logano are still active, and only eight of the 15 Cup Series winners at Kansas are active. Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 marks the 32nd Cup Series race at Kansas.

● Harvick’s 11 top-fives at Kansas are the most among active drivers, as are his 18 top-10s, and he leads nearly every Loop Data category: Average Finish of 7.9 (series-best); Average Running Position of 8.644 (series-best): Driver Rating of 109.7 (series-best); 642 Fastest Laps Run (series-best); 5,863 Laps in the Top-15 (81.7 percent, series-most) and 1,055 Quality Passes (series-most).

● Harvick has scored 22 top-10 finishes this season, third-most among NASCAR Cup Series drivers. The two drivers ahead of him: championship leader Kyle Larson (24 top-10s) and Hamlin (23 top-10s).

● Harvick has completed the second-most laps of any driver this season (8,070). Only Hamlin is ahead of Harvick in this category with just 46 more laps completed (8,116).

● Harvick is good at Kansas even outside of the NASCAR Cup Series. He has six top-fives across 11 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile oval, with the highlight being a victory in September 2006.

● Harvick’s No. 4 Subway Delivery Ford Mustang will carry the name of Lester DeVooght above the driver’s side door during the Hollywood Casino 400. DeVooght was an avid supporter of Harvick and his family nominated DeVooght as their Cancer Hero via a collaboration between the Martin Truex Jr., Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation. DeVooght courageously battled cancer after his first diagnosis in late February 2019 of duodenal adenocarcinoma, a rare but fast-spreading cancer of the small intestine. He finished his chemo and radiation treatments in August 2019 and had a short reprieve before his cancer returned in April 2020. Sadly, DeVooght passed away on Oct. 4, 2020. Throughout his battle, the Findlay, Ohio-native remained a staunch follower of NASCAR and Harvick, in particular. Sunday at Kansas, DeVooght gets his name on the car he cheered for on countless Sundays.

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Subway Delivery Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Consistency has been a hallmark of your season and you’ve talked about how you’ve had to grind all year long to get the best finish possible. Is this a testament to your 21 years as a NASCAR Cup Series driver and your eight years together with the No. 4 team of Stewart-Haas Racing?

“I feel like the experience of our team has carried us through this year because we know how to race for eighth to 10th and finish eighth to 10th. And we know the scenarios, when to gamble and when not to gamble. And I think our team has done a great job of executing all the details of the season, and that’s what’s kept us in the game.”

Heading into your first race at Kansas earlier this year, you and your crew chief, Rodney Childers, talked about how you needed to approach the race differently to overcome the loss of downforce your car had compared to last year. Can you provide some insight into what you had to do behind the wheel to get that second-place finish?

“It was a combination of things. I think it was a change in thought process. I think it was a great gamble on the call at the end of the race to come and get tires. I think a lot of things just changed that weekend for a better direction and we got a good finish out of it.”

You’ve raced at a good amount of mile-and-a-half tracks since you last competed at Kansas. As the year has progressed, have you also seen progress in your mile-and-a-half program?

“We’ve definitely still got a deficit to some of the cars that we’re racing against, but we’ve definitely made up ground on the performance side and just have a better idea of where we need to be to just keep us in the game.”

Your history at Kansas is impressive. Three wins, five second-place finishes, 10 top-threes, 11 top-fives, 18 top-10s and 949 laps led across 31 career NASCAR Cup Series starts. What makes you so good there?

“I think Kansas has been a great racetrack and, really from a driver’s standpoint, a fun racetrack because of the fact that it’s worn in so well. You can race at the top of the racetrack, which is the preferred groove as the tires wear out. It’s faster at the bottom of the racetrack on new tires. But as a driver, having options is something that is a lot of fun. As they repave Atlanta and you look at some of the other racetracks, really Kansas is going to be one of the more unique racetracks because of the fact the asphalt and the shape of the racetrack is so driver-friendly as far as where you can drive on the racetrack. You can literally drive from the wall to the apron all the way around the racetrack. So, it’s a fun racetrack. It’s been good to us and, hopefully, we can continue that trend on Sunday in our Subway Delivery Ford Mustang.”

No. 4 Subway Delivery Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Kevin Harvick
Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith
Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer
Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Stephen Doran
Hometown: Butler, Pennsylvania

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala
Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith
Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard
Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Stan Doolittle
Hometown: Ninety Six, South Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal
Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Richie Bean
Hometown: Bradford, Vermont

Tire Specialist: Jamie Turski
Hometown: Trumbull, Connecticut

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Rick Hodges
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell
Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

KANSAS CITY (October 20, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Kansas race weekend today:

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

If a non-Playoff driver did what Ryan Blaney did last race, would that be against the driver code?

“I think we have seen in our sport that there is no code. Just depends on how you were brought up and kind of how your racing background is and stuff like that on whether that is acceptable or not. Certainly, I would have been more upset at (Ryan) Blaney at the time. Looking back on it, Ryan was three-wide in the middle and just steered right and cut our tire, but after the race I told him, ‘I get it, no big deal.’ I know it wasn’t malicious. It was a mistake, and you can ask him. I said, ‘It’s all good.’ I understand it for that reason – that we are all fighting for it and whatnot, but he is a car that we are battling. He is trying to get the spot just as much as I am from him. It’s hard racing amongst guys going for a championship.”

Do you expect non-Playoff drivers to give you a little more room because they are not competing for the championship with the favor returned next year?

“You expect the favors that you have be returned. It’s over with, but my frustrations are with if you take me out and I don’t wreck you immediately the next race or the next few, then like you owe me one. It’s just one of those things that I just don’t understand the mentality of some of these guys, but like I said in post-race media after Texas that I understand that everybody is racing for their own individual race. You can go through the whole list of quotes that I’ve got. Somebody asked me that question, and I gave plenty of quotes for it.”

Was there a period that you weren’t comfortable at Martinsville or when did you find the feel of the track?

“It started pretty early in my career. My rookie season was actually pretty rough at Martinsville. I remember getting into an incident and I cut a tire and backed into a wall, but I think it was probably just a time that I got lapped there. My story is very similar to – I forget who it was, whether it be Jimmie Johnson or Tony Stewart who said – that they got lapped, I think it was Jimmie, he got lapped early on in his career and he followed Jeff Gordon and just followed him and was like oh, well that is how you are supposed to do it. From that point on, you just kind of get it. I think that my situation was probably really similar to that.”

Shy of an outright win, what do you think the threshold for advancing?

“I think that if we can run in the top-five in the next four stages and if we can finish in the top-five the next two races then I think we will be okay. We will probably be fine. A lot of it honestly depends on your competition. I think we were very, very fortunate this past weekend with all the attrition with the competitors getting in trouble. All of that played a big factor into us kind of maintaining our position up towards the top. Feel very fortunate of that, but we have to assume, based on past results, that one of those guys at the bottom – whether it be Joey (Logano) or Martin (Truex Jr.) are going to go out and win these next two races, and if they do that, then that cut line moves right to me, and I’m actually plus one, not plus nine or eight or whatever it is. That’s the number that I’m racing to – is plus one to even right now.”

When do people start thinking about how do you beat the 5 team?

“Well, I think the 5 (Kyle Larson) has been very, very dominate on the mile-and-a-half racetracks and our championship is going to be decided on a mile racetrack, which is very, very different. Last year, we were very good on the mile-and-a-halves, and we were not that strong on short tracks, and we were beat before we got there. Our cars were just not fast enough. We knew that. This year, I think that we’ve flipped that a little bit where we are actually better on the 750’s than we are at the 550’s, even though we are still strong. That was by far our worst 550 race in probably a couple of years, just off of speed and what not that we had, and we were still sixth-to-seventh place. I think, while we know – I’m not putting their speed aside or ignoring it. I certainly just think we are going to a very, very different racetrack that is one in itself. We are going to decide a championship on this one racetrack. Hope your cars are fast and you’re good at that one type of racetrack because if you get to the final four what you did the first 35 races does not matter.”

Can you give me a sense of the restarts at Kansas?

“Kansas, we’ve actually seen as many big wrecks as we’ve seen anywhere, and a lot of them come on restarts, guys trying to push their lanes forward, guys going three-wide in a lane that closes and it causes a wreck, so there is just a lot of pushing that goes on, on restarts because you are trying to get your lane to move forward and advance and sometimes that pushing just gets a little too far. Kansas has been an attrition racetrack. It really has for whatever reason. You’ve got to treat it with respect and certainly on these restarts, you’ve got to manage your risks.”

Why did you engage Chase Briscoe on Instagram?

“A lot of it to me is the mentality that the younger guys have is they can’t pick up the phone and call you. They just make immature statements on social media, so I thought I would just go down to that level for a minute.”

Did that lead to any other conversations?

“No.”

Do you have any interest in Formula One?

“I think this year I’ve probably watched more races than I have my whole life, for sure. Some of that is driven by social media. My friends are tuning into it. You see that the American press is giving it more attention this year. Obviously when you see a buzz or see something on social media about it, you want to kind of tune in and see what’s going on. That’s kind of driven my interest in it, more so than anything.”

What are your thoughts when you are watching it?

“I’m interested by it, but it’s crazy because you know – you’ve got probably a 90 percent chance of picking which two guys are going to win. This year has been a little bit different with craziness going on, but there is two people that can win, two teams that can win. There is not much side-by-side racing, as compared to NASCAR, but yet fans and media love it. I think Kenny Wallace actually posted a very good question this week asking ‘What is it? What is people’s infatuation with it right now?’ because when you talk about how critical fans or media or whoever might be of our racing in NASCAR, it’s head and shoulders above anything going right now. The show is good. Why can’t we get people to turnout? Texas was just a big disappointment seeing what was up in the stands there, and yet we are talking about the biggest crowd in history showing up for COTA F1 race next week. So, there is some kind of disconnect that’s going on that’s not making this deal work, but I would love to see us have more of an F1-style approach to a race weekend and how we host hospitalities, parties, just all of those things. There’s just got to be more to it than us showing up and racing like we are doing right now.”

Have you watched Drive to Survive?

“Yeah, I have. When we started filming our deal with Bubba (Wallace) and 23XI, it certainly made me tune into that to see how they did the production on that and certainly it came across with some good storylines. Certainly, I’m a person that will turn into that series as it continues.”

Does it change your aggression level with Kyle Larson locked in?

“I think the entire field would’ve said that was a perfect case scenario for all other seven guys. If you ask them again this weekend, if they are not going to win for themselves, they are going to be rooting for the 5 (Kyle Larson) to win again. I think we understand in the position that I’m in, I’ve got to be smarter with the decisions that I make. I think the 22 (Joey Logano) and 19 (Martin Truex Jr.) with the hole that they are in, they are probably going to be more aggressive so we’ve got to be aware of that, but certainly, it was probably the best situation that could have happened this weekend was the car that was likely going to get in on points no matter what anyway win the race.”

Do you have any plans to expand to the Xfinity or Truck Series on the ownership side?

“No, that financial model does not make sense for us.”

Have you had a conversation with Bubba Wallace since Texas? He was very low after Texas, but the Talladega victory was a big high.

“I think that it’s part of our sport. It’s week-to-week. A lot of that comes with just time and experience on how can be settled within yourself to understand that it’s just one week and you move on. He’s racing to improve for the rest of the year. There really is not much for goals that we have other than work on being more competitive and continue to learn as a driver. I like his aggressiveness. I like that he was trying to be aggressive and get spots on a restart. Definitely am not going to fault him on that. I think that win is going to carry his confidence for quite a while, although that this is kind of just a little speed bump in the road for the confidence. It certainly could grow there at Kansas. He ran really good earlier in the year and had a good car. Run well, and I think that confidence will come right back. That’s our sport. It’s week-to-week. You’re only as good as your last race, so I’m sure he’s probably down in the dumps a little bit this week.”

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