TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400
KANSAS SPEEDWAY
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS
OCT. 24, 2021

RACE #34 – KANSAS SPEEDWAY
For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) career, Team Chevy’s Kyle Larson is locked into the Championship 4, securing his chance to compete for the title of the 2021 NCS Champion. The next stop for the NCS Playoffs Rounds of 8 has the premier series heading to the Midwest to Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, October 24.

The 267-lap race on the 1.5-mile oval marks the second of three races in the Round of 8 and the next opportunity for the eight driver Playoff field to solidify their spot in the championship hunt. Chase Elliott is aiming to join his Hendrick Motorsports teammate in the title-deciding race on November 7, entering the Kansas race weekend in the fifth spot in the driver standings. Larson, driving the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 1LE, will start on the pole for the 11th time this season. Fellow Team Chevy and Playoff contender, Elliott, will take the green for the 400-mile race from fifth in his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE.

Larson’s dominant victory at Texas Motor Speedway, in which he led 256 of the 334 laps on the 1.5-mile oval, was his field-high eighth of the season and maybe the most important as it came with a ticket to the championship race. The 29-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver is among just 17 NCS drivers in the modern era (1972-present) who have recorded eight or more wins in a single season.

A capsule look at Team Chevy in the title hunt:

Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 1LE – 1st in Playoff Standings (Locked into Championship Four by Win)
Victories: 8 (field-high)
Top-Fives: 18; Top-10’s: 24; Poles: 1; Laps Led: 2,267
Average Finish: 9.4
Stage Wins: 16
At Kansas (13 career NCS starts): Top-Fives: 3; Top-10’s: 5; Average Finish: 16.615
Of Note: Larson has now captured four wins on 1.5-mile tracks this season, in addition to the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway in June. With his win at Texas, he has qualified for the Championship 4 for the first time in his career. In the May 2021 race at Kansas, Larson led a field-high 132 laps, but was involved in contact with another car in the closing laps to finish 19th.

Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS (-8 points below cutline)
Victories: 2
Top-Fives: 13; Top-10’s: 19; Laps Led: 527; Average Finish: 11.7
Stage Wins: 4
At Kansas (11 career NCS starts): Wins: 1; Top-Fives: 5; Top-10’s: 7; Average Finish: 10.455
Of Note: Elliott has finishes of seventh or better in five races in a row on 1.5-mile tracks this season. Elliott has five top-10 finishes in 11 starts at Kansas Speedway, including a victory in the October 2018 race, making him the youngest NCS winner at the track. His average finish of 10.455 is the best among Playoff drivers. The 2021 NCS season marks Elliott’s sixth consecutive year of being part of the Playoff field.

ALLMENDINGER LEADS CHEVY DRIVERS IN NXS ROUND OF 8
Chevrolet NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) drivers grabbed four of the top-10 spots last week at Texas Motor Speedway, led by Noah Gragson’s third-place finish in the JR Motorsports No. 9 Camaro SS. The 200-lap Kansas Lottery 300 at 3 p.m. ET Saturday, October 23, is the middle leg of the NXS Playoffs Round of 8. Regular Season Champion AJ Allmendinger, driving the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS, remains first in the standings. Justin Allgaier is third and Noah Gragson is fourth, giving the Bowtie brand three of the top-four spots in the driver standings heading into the Kansas race weekend. Chevrolet, with 15 wins, remains atop of the Manufacturer Standings.

CHEVROLET CONTINUES ATOP STANDINGS
Chevrolet remains the leader in the NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Standings in pursuit of its 40th title. Team Chevy has recorded manufacturer highs of 16 victories, 142 top-10 finishes, 3,806 laps led and 29 stage wins through 33 races. The Bowtie Brand has already surpassed its totals for wins (9), top-10 finishes (120), laps led (2,399) and stage wins (21) from the 36-race 2020 season.

TWENTY YEARS AGO: GORDON GIVES CHEVY WIN IN TRACK OPENER
The Hollywood Casino 400 will be the 32nd NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. Jeff Gordon, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Hendrick Motorsports, won the first race at the track on September 30, 2001. Starting second, he led 53 of the 267 laps, including the final 22. Gordon went on to win the 2001 Driver Championship. Gordon visited the winner’s circle at the track again in September 2002 and May 2014.

CHEVROLET CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR “MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER” WITH PINK CAMARO ZL1 PACE CAR AT TEXAS
Since 2011, Chevrolet has partnered with the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” initiative through dealership walks, national test drive promotions and national service rebate promotions. Again this year, Chevrolet is supporting the cause by pledging to contribute $350 for every lap run under caution, with a maximum of $50,000, during three NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races during the month of October.

The second of three NASCAR Cup Series events that are part of the initiative took place last weekend at the NCS Playoffs Round of 8 opener at Texas Motor Speedway. The specially-themed pink ”Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 served as the pace car for the NCS event at the 1.5-mile Texas oval. With 55 laps made under caution during the NCS Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500, Chevrolet will contribute an additional $19,250 towards the campaign, bringing the current total to $28,700.

The final race of this year’s campaign will take place at Martinsville Speedway (Va.) on October 31, where the pink “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will return as the pace car for the NCS Playoffs Round of 8 elimination race.

ON THE WAY TO THE GREEN
With no practice or qualifying for the 267-lap race, the starting lineup is determined by NASCAR’s metrics system that was introduced to the series last year and incorporates results from both individual races and season-long results.

Team Chevy’s top-20 starters:
1st Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 1LE
5th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE
9th William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 1LE
12th Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Cat Dealer Tech Camaro ZL1 1LE
13th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Advent Health Camaro ZL1 1LE
14th Austin Dillon, No. 3 Get Bioethanol Camaro ZL1 1LE
16th Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Good Sam Camaro ZL1 1LE
17th Eric Jones, No. 43 Petty’s Garage Camaro ZL1 1LE

BOWTIE BULLETS
· Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 16 wins, 142 top-10 finishes and 3,806 laps led of 8,120 total this season.
· Chevrolet has scored 25 wins with the Camaro ZL1 1LE over two seasons.
· Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 12 wins in the 31 races since 2001 at Kansas Speedway.
· In addition to its 12 wins, Chevrolet has amassed 61 top-five and 132 top-10 finishes in the 31 races since 2001 at Kansas Speedway.
· Kyle Larson paces all drivers with 2,267 laps led this season.
· William Byron was runner-up to Larson at Texas Motor Speedway, giving Hendrick Motorsports its sixth 1-2 finish of the season.
· Byron earned his fourth top-two finish of the season, including a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
· Hendrick Motorsports, which leads the Owner Standings, is tied for most wins at Kansas Speedway with seven.
· Kurt Busch is tied for the most starts at Kansas Speedway with 31.
· Career Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson is the all-time leader with 19 top-10 finishes in 29 races at Kansas Speedway.
· Five Team Chevy drivers have combined for 29 stage wins: Chase Elliott (Daytona RC, Michigan, Daytona2, Charlotte2); William Byron (Homestead, Pocono2, Road America); Tyler Reddick (Road America, Indianapolis road course x2); Kurt Busch (Nashville Superspeedway, Pocono1, Atlanta2); Kyle Larson (Las Vegas, Atlanta x2, Kansas, Dover x2, Charlotte x3, Sonoma x2, Nashville, Darlington2, Bristol2, Las Vegas2, Texas2).

FOR THE FANS:
Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Kansas Speedway.
Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2021 Trailboss LT, 2022 Camaro 1LZ, 2022 Trailblazer 1RS, 2022 Corvette 3LT, 2021 Tahoe, 2021 HD Crew Cab.
At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE show car.

TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:
Saturday, October 23
· Brandon Brown: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
· Joe Graf Jr: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
· Sam Mayer: 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
· Josh Berry: 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Sunday, October 24
· Ricky Stenhouse Jr: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
· William Byron: 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
· Tyler Reddick: 12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
Saturday, October 23: 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 24: 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

TUNE IN
NBCSN will telecast the 267-lap NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 24. Live coverage is also on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NBC will telecast the 200-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 300 at 3 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 23. Live coverage is also on MRN.

QUOTABLE QUOTES
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 1st IN STANDINGS
LARSON 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, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE
DANIELS 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, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS
ELLIOTT 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, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 13th IN STANDINGS
BYRON 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, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE
FUGLE 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, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 15th IN STANDINGS
“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; bunch of grooves. 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, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
“The one thing that Kansas (Speedway) definitely 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.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 GET BIOETHANOL CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 17th IN STANDINGS
HOW IS KANSAS UNIQUE COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER 1.5-MILE TRACKS?
“Kansas Speedway has done a really good job with their banking. There’s a line right up by the fence that has a little extra grip. There’s an angle up there that I don’t think many tracks have figured out yet, but Kansas got it right. You can run from top to bottom there. The bottom groove is the preferred groove at the beginning, but it becomes too tight to try and run around there in turns one and two sometimes depending on what the balance of your race car is. I’ve enjoyed that track a lot ever since they repaved it. I wish every track could do as good as a job as Kansas has with repaves.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 PETTY’S GARAGE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 24th IN STANDINGS
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH RACING AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY?
“At Kansas (Speedway), it’s just the craziness of the restarts. Kansas is so wide that you can run anywhere from the white line all the way up against the wall. When you go through those restarts, you just have cars everywhere. You’re three, four, sometimes five wide. It’s hard to balance that, be aggressive and move forward; but stay out of trouble and not get damage, as well.”

“I feel like as far as car balance, you just have to have a lot of speed in your car. You’re pretty much wide open around that track and it always seems like it moves up against the wall as the day goes. So, just having the speed in your car is really important to where you can get up there and have the maneuverability, but also have the speed to drive through the field.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 GOOD SAM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 25th IN STANDINGS
WHAT IS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES AT TRACKHOUSE RACING RIGHT NOW?
“I think that would take about an hour to tell you everything that is going on or it might be easier just to tell you what isn’t going on. It’s way more than what i was expecting. There’s a lot of stuff going on people-wise, the shop, the Next Gen Car and things like that.”

“I am a big believer in if you want to take care of the future you have to take car of the present. I try not to get too involved in things like that because I still have three more races this year and want to concentrate on that.”

“You are always going to be as strong as your last race. I have to keep working on this year, but we have a lot of people working very, very hard getting ready for next year.”

”We have to keep digging. The future is very bright.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2020): 39
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

Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2020): 32
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most Recent: Chase Elliott (2020)

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

Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2021 STATISTICS:
Wins: 16
Poles: 5
Laps Led: 3,806
Top-five finishes: 66
Top-10 finishes: 142
Stage wins: 29 – Chase Elliott (Daytona RC, Michigan, Daytona, Charlotte RC), William Byron (Homestead, Pocono 2, Road America), Kyle Larson (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Atlanta x2, Kansas, Dover x2, Charlotte x3, Sonoma x2, Nashville, Darlington, Bristol, Texas 2), Kurt Busch (Nashville, Pocono 1, Atlanta 2, Las Vegas 2), Tyler Reddick (Road America, Indy RC x2)

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 811 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 722
Laps led to date: 240,511
Top-five finishes to date: 4,131
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,544

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,145
       Chevrolet: 811
       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.

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Monster team return this weekend to the scene of their best finish so far in the 2021 Cup Series season.

It was at Kansas Speedway back in May that DiBenedetto scored a fourth-place finish. Now they’re back at Kansas for the 21st annual Hollywood Casino 400, which will be the final intermediate-track race of the season.

In May, DiBenedetto started fifth, struggled in the first two Stages but capitalized on some late-race restarts and drove into the top five despite having just two fresh tires whereas many of his competitors had four.

Not surprisingly, he’s looking forward to a return to the 1.5-mile track, where his Wood Brothers team has five top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 23 starts.

“Kansas is my favorite mile-and-a-half track since the racing is so good there,” DiBenedetto said. “You can run all over the race track.”

He said he’s encouraged by the speed the Menards/Monster team has shown at tracks like Kansas, where the 550-horsepower package is used. The final two races of the season – at Martinsville and Phoenix – will be run with the 750-horsepower package.

“We have good speed on the 550 tracks, so we just need to get that win especially with how well the team is working together,” he said.

DiBenedetto and the Menards/Monster team will have extra motivation this weekend as the No. 21 Mustang will carry the name of Cancer Hero Howard Scholick above the driver’s door in the position normally taken by DiBenedetto’s name.

Scholick, of Columbia, Md., was nominated by his son-in-law Scott Townsend as part of a program put on by the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, the NASCAR Foundation and AdventHealth.

Townsend said he chose DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers because they share some of the same qualities as his late father-in-law.

“They operate with honesty, integrity and never shy away from hard work,” Townsend wrote.

“Matt has not had an easy road to get to the top level of NASCAR, but even when constantly being faced with adversity he continues to work hard with his ‘never give up attitude.’”

He said Scholick was much like DiBenedetto when it comes to work ethic and determination.

“It’s just a perfect fit, and we as a family are so thankful for the opportunity to honor Howard in this way.”

Team co-owner Jon Wood said his family and DiBenedetto are proud to be a part of the Cancer Hero program.

“It’s an honor to be chosen by the Scholick family, and we will do our best this weekend to turn in a performance that a hero like Howard would be proud of,” Wood said.

DiBenedetto will start Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 from 15th place, as the line-up was set using metrics from Texas, with the eight remaining Playoff contenders occupying the first four rows.

The green flag is set to fly just after 2 p.m. (3 p.m. Eastern Time) with TV coverage on NBCSN. Stage breaks are set for Laps 80 and 160 of the 267-lap race.

Menards

A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states. Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building. Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too! For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

Wood Brothers Racing

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

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