NASCAR CUP SERIES
YELLAWOOD 500
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript Highlights:

IS THE STRESS OF TALLADEGA PHYSICAL, LIKE IT MAKES YOU SICK TO YOUR STOMACH, OR IS IT MORE OF OVERTHINKING AND MENTAL STRESS?
“Really neither. The biggest stress point for me is like trying to make the right decisions to make it to the end of that race. It’s really difficult to do, no matter how good of a speedway racer you are. Just trying to make the right decisions there and the right calls. Hopefully end up towards the front there at the end of the day is definitely pretty tough.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE ROVAL, WHY DO PEOPLE STILL CONSIDER IT TO BE SUCH A CHALLENGE OR SUCH A WILDCARD SINCE IT’S NOT NECESSARILY A NEW TRACK NOW?
“I would just say that it really doesn’t have any room for error. It’s a tough place to get around. Once you start pushing, if you make any mistakes, they tend to bite you pretty hard. I’ve been guilty of that there. Late in final practice a couple of years ago and destroyed a race car. It’s just really easy to get yourself in trouble and overdrive a corner and tear something up. So, I feel like that’s what really makes it a wildcard. You have a lot of mistakes from people that you may not normally see. Maybe similar to how Darlington is easy to tear up a race car. The ROVAL kind of falls into that category.”

YOU AND YOUR NO. 48 TEAM REALLY RESPONDED TO THE PRESSURE OF BEING BELOW THE CUT HEADING INTO BRISTOL AND MAKING YOUR WAY IN. HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU NOW IN THE ROUND OF 12 THAT YOU CAN ADVANCE TO THE ROUND OF EIGHT?
“It’s not going to be easy by any means. I feel like last year we had a really great Playoff run. This year we’ve kind of had the opposite of what we had last year. It’s definitely been a little frustrating. But at the same time, our speedway cars are really fast every time we go to a speedway. And we’ve always been pretty good at the ROVAL. I know we have the tools we need to get the job done, and I’m confident we’ll have fast race cars. But I was really confident before we went to Las Vegas as well, and obviously that didn’t work out very well for us. Just got to go make it happen. We’re expected to run better than we’re running right now, and just need to go turn our stuff around and get pointed in the right direction.”

WHAT IS THE MOST UNIQUE FAN EXPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD?
“There’s always people giving you stuff or making wanting you to sign weird stuff. The most recent one that sticks out to me isn’t really one of those. I guess I’m like the approachable one to ask to go get somebody else. We were in Richmond and NASCAR had us all corralled for the driver intros and fans kind of surrounded that. Most everybody worked their way inside but a couple of us were standing outside, kind of where the fans were. And this girl kept yelling at me like for a couple of minutes. She wouldn’t stop yelling at me. So, I walked over finally, and she just wanted me to go get Chase Elliott for her. It was kind of funny. I thought that was a good one.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN CONTROL AT TALLADEGA AS FAR AS MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS AND THE RIGHT CALLS?
“The things you can control are your strategy and kind of where you place your car throughout the day and the situations you put yourself in. I don’t think you can win that race riding around in the back all day and just saving it to be there at the end. But you might be able to score decent points that way. So, it’s definitely a tough situation. The end of both Stages get pretty hectic and then the end of the race, I’m sure we’re going to see a ton of wrecks and kind of the normal superspeedway deal that we all go do and tear a bunch of stuff up. It’s going to be difficult to make it through all that and some of it is luck, but some of it is also where you put yourself. So, I’m going to do my best to put myself in the best position I can. I feel like we need to be aggressive all day and go try and win the thing, so that’s what I’m going to try to do.”

YOU ARE RUNNING UNDER A DIFFERENT PACKAGE AT TALLADEGA THIS WEEKEND THAN IN APRIL. YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TRY IT IN DAYTONA. WHAT DID YOU LEARN THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO TALLADEGA?
“I think some people thought it was really different. I didn’t really think it was that much different. I just felt like the runs formed a little differently. So, just understanding how the runs work with it; but it’s still a superspeedway race and some of a lot of the same things are going on. Just a little different how some of the aero situations worked out. But at the end of the day, it’s still very similar to what we’ve had.”

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM PRIOR PLAYOFF EXPERIENCES THAT CAN HELP YOU THROUGH IT THIS TIME?
“The biggest thing for me is just trying to maximize each and every race and every Stage. You can’t freak out and try any harder because I’m already trying as hard as I can every week. Approaching every race like normal and really just trying to maximize each and every thing. Last year we didn’t change what we were doing that worked. This year we didn’t change what we were doing that hasn’t worked. But just trying to maximize every Stage and every race. You can’t really worry about the points. They kind of are what they are right now. We’re not in a great spot and we’re going to a place that’s a huge wild card. But at the same time, we could be on the good side of the wild card and have other guys get torn up and have an opportunity to win the race. So, we’ve just got to wait and see how it shakes out. If it works out for us, it does. And if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

NOT THAT TALLADEGA COULD GET ANY MORE WILD, BUT DOES THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS AREN’T USING THESE CARS AGAIN ADD TO PEOPLE SAYING THEY DON’T CARE WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN?
“Yeah, I feel like I should just answer that with are you silly? I’m still going to send it. But I don’t know. I don’t think any race car driver in the Cup Series really, other than a few that are in some situations where they are driving for teams that can’t afford to tear stuff up or have their own reasons for not wanting to tear stuff up. Like, nobody goes to a superspeedway race and is like, oh I want to save this car for the next one or anything like that. We’re all putting it all out there, kind of regardless. But yeah, you’re right. These cars don’t have to get fixed. They are going to have whatever afterlife they have (laughs) after we switch to the new car next year. I hadn’t even thought about that but man, we don’t need any more reasons to tear stuff up at superspeedways. So, stop giving us reasons.”

DO YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE? OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE AT THE MERCY OF WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DO?
“I don’t know. I want to sit here and tell you I’m super confident and everything is going to be fine. But I’m really confident that we’re going to have a really fast race car. We always do. The guys do a great job on our superspeedway cars, and we show that each and every year. We’ve had a bunch of Daytona 500 front rows and that comes down to some really fast cars. Not super confident that my 39 best friends are going to make the best decisions all day to put me in a great spot, but at the same time we’re all in the same situation and just go race and do what we can.”
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.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
YELLAWOOD 500
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
TALLADEGA, ALABAMA
OCT. 3, 2021

RACE #31 – TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
Chevrolet drivers from NASCAR’s three national touring series return to the always exciting Talladega Superspeedway where NASCAR’s longest oval will be the host of a Playoff tripleheader. The 188-lap YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 3, will mark the second event in the three-race set of the Round of 12 for the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Playoffs. The upcoming race weekend is the second visit for NASCAR’s premier series to the 2.66-mile Alabama venue during the 2021 season. Championship contender William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE, led Team Chevy in the final running order of the April race at the track with a runner-up finish.

Four Team Chevy drivers are contenders in the Championship battle. The field will be trimmed from 12 drivers to eight following the third and final race of the Round of 12 held on the Charlotte ROVAL on October 10.

Here is a capsule look at Team Chevy in the title hunt:

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Cincinnati Camaro ZL1 1LE – 2nd in Playoff Standings (+57 points above cutline)
Victories: 6
Top-Fives: 16; Top-10’s: 22; Poles: 1; Laps Led: 2,000
Average Finish: 9.1
Stage Wins: 15
At Talladega (13 career NCS starts): Top-10’s: 2; Average Finish: 23.538
Of Note: Collected his series-best 15th stage win and led 95 laps on the way to a 10th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the opener of the NCS Round of 12.

Chase Elliott, No. 9 A Shoc Camaro ZL1 1LE – 6th in Playoff Standings (+22 points above cutline)
Victories: 2
Top-Fives: 13; Top-10’s: 18; Laps Led: 525; Average Finish: 11.6
Stage Wins: 3
At Talladega (11 career NCS starts): Wins: 1; Top-Fives: 4; Top-10’s: 5; Poles: 2
Average Finish: 17.273; Average Running Position: 12.195 (series-best)
Of Note: The 2021 NCS season marks Elliott’s sixth consecutive year of being part of the Playoff field. Six of his 13 career NCS wins have come in the Playoffs. Elliott has wins at five of the next seven venues on the NCS schedule. Elliott garnered a runner-up finish at Las Vegas to open the Round of 12.

William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE – 9th in Playoff Standings (- 4 points below cutline)
Victories: 1
Top-Fives: 10; Top-10’s: 17; Pole Wins: 2; Laps Led: 283; Average Finish: 13.8
Stage Wins: 3
At Talladega (7 career NCS starts): Top-Fives: 2; Top-10’s: 2; Average Finish: 17.143
Of Note: The 2021 NCS season marks Byron’s third-career Playoffs appearance. Byron led the Team Chevy brigade with a runner-up finish in the April race at Talladega.

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE – 11th in Playoff Standings ( -13 points below cutline)
Victories: 3
Top-Fives: 7; Top-10’s 14; Pole Wins: 1; Laps Led: 151; Average Finish: 14.4
At Talladega (12 career NCS starts): Top-Fives: 1; Top-10’s: 3; Average Finish: 24.583
Of Note: The 2021 NCS season marks Bowman’s fourth-career Playoffs appearance. Bowman scored a career-best runner-up finish in the April 2019 NCS race.

CHEVROLET STARTS STRONG IN NXS PLAYOFFS
Josh Berry drove the No. 1 JR Motorsports Camaro SS to victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Playoff opener to lead a Team Chevy sweep of the top three positions. Championship contenders Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson placed second and third, respectively. Regular-season champion AJ Allmendinger remains first in the standings. Allgaier will start on the pole in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Camaro SS for the 113-lap/300-mile Sparks 300 on Saturday, October 2, at Talladega Superspeedway. Chevrolet, now with 13 wins, remains first in the Manufacturer Standings.

RACE TWO OF NCWTS ROUND OF 8: CHEVROLET SILVERADO 250
The Chevrolet Silverado 250 on Saturday, October 2, is the penultimate race of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Round of 8 Playoffs. Reigning champion Sheldon Creed, driver of the No. 2 GMS Racing Silverado, is fifth in the standings heading into the 94-lap/250-mile race at Talladega Superspeedway. Carson Hocevar is sixth and Zane Smith is seventh.

CHEVROLET LEADING DOWN THE STRETCH
Chevrolet remains the leader in the NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Standings in pursuit of its 40th title. Team Chevy has recorded field highs of 14 victories, 132 top-10 finishes, 3,415 laps led and 27 stage wins through 30 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.

RECOUNTING CHEVROLET WINS 10, 20, 30 YEARS AGO
Darrell Waltrip delivered Chevrolet’s first of a manufacturer-high 41 victories at Talladega Superspeedway on May 1, 1977, and a Chevrolet has taken the checkered flag in the fall race 10, 20 and 30 years ago. Clint Bowyer won the Oct. 23, 2011, race in the No. 33 Chevrolet Impala (Jimmie Johnson won the spring race for the Chevy sweep). Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Oct. 26, 2001, race in the No. 8 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, leading a field-high 67 (Bobby Hamilton won the spring race for the Chevy sweep). Dale Earnhardt dominated the July 28, 1991, race in the No. 3 Chevrolet Lumina, leading 101 of 188 laps. He leads all drivers with 10 wins at the track.

ON THE WAY TO THE GREEN
With no practice or qualifying for the 188-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:
3rd Chase Elliott, No. 9 A Shoc Camaro ZL1 1LE
5th Kyle Larson, No. 5 Cincinnati Camaro ZL1 1LE
10th William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE
11th Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE
13th Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Realtree Camaro ZL1 1LE
14th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
16th Austin Dillon, No. 3 BREZTRI Camaro ZL1 1LE
18th Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Good Sam Camaro ZL1 1LE

BOWTIE BULLETS
· Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 14 wins, 132 top-10 finishes and 3,415 laps led of 7,560 total this season.
· In addition to its 41 wins, Chevrolet has amassed 196 top-five and 379 top-10 finishes at Talladega Superspeedway.
· Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick (seventh) and Austin Dillon (eighth) scored top-10 finishes in the spring race at Talladega.
· Reddick (11.3) has the best average finish among active drivers with three or more starts at Talladega.
· On May 1, 2016, Chase Elliott became the youngest pole winner at Talladega at 20 years, 5 months, 3 days.
· Kurt Busch is tied for most starts at Talladega among active drivers at 41.
· Busch leads active drivers with 21 top-10 finishes and 7,400 laps completed at Talladega.
· Ricky Stenhouse Jr. earned his first NCS win on May 7, 2017, at Talladega.
· Hendrick Motorsports continues to lead the Owner Standings.
· Kyle Larson paces all drivers with 2,000 laps led.
· Tyler Reddick is second among drivers with 99.51% of laps completed (7,523 of 7,560).
· Five Team Chevy drivers have combined for 27 stage wins: Chase Elliott (Daytona RC, Michigan, Daytona2); 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).

FOR THE FANS:
Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Talladega Superspeedway.
Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2021 Silverado 2500 HD Carhartt LTZ, 2021 Silverado 1500 RST, 2021 Tahoe Z71, 2021 Blazer RS AWD, 2021 Camaro ZL1, 2021 Corvette C8, Pink 1500 Crew 1LT.
At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Camaro ZL1 1LE show car.

TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:
Saturday, October 2
· Carson Hocevar and Ryan Truex: 9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
· Sheldon Creed, Jack Wood and Chase Purdy: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Sunday, October 3
· Alex Bowman: 9:25 a.m. – 9:40 a.m.
· Ross Chastain: 9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
· Corey LaJoie: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
· Daniel Suarez: 11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
Saturday, October 2: 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 3: 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

TUNE IN
NBC will telecast the 188-lap NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 3. Live coverage is also on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NBCSN will telecast the 113-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series Sparks 300 at Talladega at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 2. FS1 will telecast the 94-lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado 250 at 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 2.

QUOTABLE QUOTES
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 CINCINNATI CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 2nd IN STANDINGS
LARSON ON HOW HE PREPARES FOR TALLADEGA:
“I’ve never really challenged for a superspeedway victory. It’s a different kind of race where you are in the middle of a draft for most of the race. I’ll look at past races and see what drivers did at the end of the stages or at the end of the races to see what might work or what I could possibly do different.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 CINCINNATI CAMARO ZL1 1LE
DANIELS ON STRATEGY AT TALLADEGA:
“Talladega is a wildcard, for sure. We’re going to maximize points as best we can during the stages and we want to be there at the end. We’re going to have to call a smart race and work with our teammates. Hopefully we’re there at the end battling for the win.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 A SHOC CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 6th IN STANDINGS
ELLIOTT ON HEADING TO TALLADEGA:
“Talladega is such a toss up with how crazy that place can be. I’m not sure you can ever really feel good about heading into Talladega. Maybe if we would’ve won at Las Vegas, I’d feel good about heading into the weekend. The next couple weeks are going to be wild. We are looking forward to it.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 9th IN STANDINGS
BYRON ON FOCUSING ON RACING AT TALLADEGA:
“We’ll be aware of the point situation this weekend but we can’t focus on it since it’s not the final race of the round. It would have been nice going into Talladega above the cut line and with more of a cushion but that’s part of the playoffs. Talladega and the (Charlotte Motor Speedway) ROVAL are two of our best tracks, though. Both superspeedways and road courses can be unpredictable, but they are tracks that we have had some of the most success at. My first Cup Series win came on a superspeedway. I know Rudy (Fugle) and the guys will bring a fast Axalta Chevy – it will just be about execution and getting as many points as we can. That’s what our goal has always been.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE
FUGLE ON THE TEAM’S GOALS FOR TALLADEGA:
“The bad luck we’ve had has definitely been frustrating, especially with how fast our car was in Las Vegas. That’s behind us now, though. What happened there doesn’t change how we approach this weekend at Talladega. We’re still going to prepare the best car we can to go out there and get the most amount of points we can and, hopefully, the win. Superspeedway racing is known to be a wildcard, so if you secure stage points early on, you’re in a better position. But we’re also not going to put William in a position where we’d be risking not being around at the end of the race, either. It’s a fine balance, but this style of races have been a strong point of not only William and the No. 24 team, but also Hendrick Motorsports. We’ll be ready.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 11th IN STANDINGS
BOWMAN ON THE CHARLOTTE FC SCHEME FOR THE ROVAL:
“I’m really excited about the No. 48 Ally/Charlotte FC paint scheme that we released on Tuesday. It was fun meeting Christian (Fuchs) and showing him around Hendrick Motorsports and giving him a ride in the pit practice car. I got to play a little soccer which was probably embarrassing that everyone got to see that on the “Unexpected Allies” series that was released. Having the Charlotte FC program on the car at the ROVAL is really cool and special that Ally do some cross-promoting.”

BOWMAN ON PREPARING FOR TALLADEGA THIS WEEKEND:
“I think some guys have Talladega figured out a little bit. I don’t think we have figured out the exact things we need at the track to make it to the end, but I feel like we are gaining on it. Superspeedways have been pretty rough on us this season, but hopefully we have built up some good fortune after the way Talladega and Daytona have been this year. The cars aren’t easy to drive in traffic, so it’s definitely nerve-wracking. This weekend gives us the opportunity to go out there and score a lot of points. Our Hendrick Motorsports cars are always super-fast at speedways, so I just need to go out there and do my job and stay out of the possible mess.”

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
IVES ON PAST SUCCESS AT TALLADEGA:
“We always have a fast car at Talladega and Alex seems to put himself in the right position. Whether we get wrecked leading or wrecked somewhere, we have a tendency to still have a strong day. We have to focus on going forward and strategizing ourselves to maximize points all day and you just never know what is going to happen. I think we are capable putting ourselves up front at Talladega.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 17th IN STANDINGS
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY?
“Anything can happen at Talladega Superspeedway. It’s a little bit of a coin flip, but my No. 3 team will be doing everything we can to try and win. In order to succeed at Talladega, you have to have a little bit of luck, and use momentum at the very end to take advantage of positions. Its speedway racing. Its drafting. And its chaos, but we’re up for the challenge.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 SUNNY D CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 21st IN STANDINGS
“Our superspeedway cars have either been really good and close to a win or not, but we’d like to have a good race this weekend or at least land somewhere in the middle,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr. “You never know what can happen at Talladega, but I do know my guys have prepared a fast No. 47 Sunny D Camaro ZL1 1LE. We want to go out there and try to get a win. We’ll also have Sunny D at the track with us and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 GOOD SAM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 24th IN STANDINGS
WILL YOU STILL FEEL GOOD AFTER SUNDAY’S RACE IN TALLADEGA?
“I hope so, but it is so difficult to tell. Twice this year at Talladega and Daytona we have been in the top three on the final lap before we got caught up in someone’s wreck. With just a little bit of luck we could have won both races. We will stay patient Sunday in Talladega and when it’s time to go we will have our Good Sam Chevrolet up front.”

WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING IN A MUSIC VIDEO?
“I never ever thought that would happen to me. It was a lot of fun. Pitbull is so much fun and such an amazing entertainer. We had fun. There are going to be a lot of people who have never seen NASCAR before see this video.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 US AIR FORCE: SPECIAL WARFARE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 25th IN STANDINGS
SUPERSPEEDWAY RACING IS CONSIDERED A WILD CARD. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY?
“It’s a mix of things. We were in a really great spot in the spring race at Talladega (Superspeedway). We led some laps there at the end of the race and I felt like we were where we wanted to be. We got caught up in a wreck in the tri-oval coming to the checkered flag. You feel like sometimes you’re in the right spot and it turns out that it’s not. But overall, I feel like in our superspeedway races this year, we’ve done what we’ve needed to put ourselves in a good spot. We just got caught up in some wrecks that have hurt our finishes.”

“We look at Talladega as a chance to win. I feel like our car is going to be fast enough to do it. We just have to try and get our Camaro ZL1 1LE out front in the last few laps and try to stay out of the mess.”

COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 SCHLUTER SYSTEMS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 29th IN STANDINGS
“Talladega is one that stays circled on the calendar. It gives us a chance to get in the mix and contend for a win. We had a strong car at Daytona. I learned a lot racing around the guys in the front all day. Hopefully we will have the Schluter Systems Camaro dicing it up with the leaders at the end again this weekend.”

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: 14
Poles: 5
Laps Led: 3,415
Top-five finishes: 61
Top-10 finishes: 132
Stage wins: 27 – Chase Elliott (Daytona RC, Michigan, Daytona), 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), 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: 809 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 722
Laps led to date: 240,120
Top-five finishes to date: 4,126
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,534

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,143
       Chevrolet: 809
       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: 161

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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
YELLAWOOD 500
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

RICKY STENHOUSE, JR., NO. 47 SUNNYD CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript:

TALLADEGA IS ALWAYS WILD. COULD IT BE EVEN MORE WILD BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU’RE NOT GOING TO RACE THESE CARS AGAIN?
“Yeah, that’s definitely a good point. I was in the shop yesterday talking to the guys and they’re always putting the really good details on our superspeedway cars. Brian Pattie (crew chief) is always trying to make sure they’re perfect and fast and ready to go. But I definitely think there’s a thought in the back of our heads that hey, we’re not going to need these cars anymore. We’ve been fortunate enough to make it through some of these speedways lately without major damage, but it still hasn’t been great speedway races for us. We’re either battling for the win or just kind of riding around and waiting for the race to be over. But it definitely could get a little crazy knowing that nobody needs these cars again.”

LOOKING AHEAD, ARE YOU DEFINITELY BACK AT JTG DAUGHERTY RACING NEXT YEAR?
“Yes, I’m definitely back at JTG Daugherty Racing in the No. 47 Kroger car, so I’m definitely happy about that. It’s something we have kind of been sitting on for a while just trying to get everything else in place. Obviously, there are a lot of moving parts that go along with race teams and especially transitioning to a whole brand new car and trying to make sure we have everything aligned out there. But Tad (Geschickter, co-owner) and everybody is doing a really good job of that and working on manufacturers things and stuff like that. It’s been a busy few months for our team and we’re continuing to work hard and we’re looking to finish this year off as consistent as we have been. That’s one thing that we’ve been proud of this year is our consistency is better than what it was and we’re looking to build on that the rest of the races.”

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD ABOUT YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT SEASON WITH JTG?
“I’m just looking forward to a third season with the team. I felt like this year was kind of like the first year with the organization with the way last year went and the way it was kind of thrown on us and not being able to hang-out with the guys and be in the shop and really spend time with each other. And now, I’m enjoying……we went to the Daytona test with the new car, and I felt like we had a successful test. It’s been fun going to the race shop and helping kind of design the cockpit of the car, where we want things, and just kind of make it custom to what I need and working with everybody in the shop. So, I think next year could be our best year yet, and even my best year in Cup in general. So I’m really looking forward to the opportunity that next year presents with the new car, our great partners at Kroger, and everybody at JTG Daugherty Racing.”

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AT THE NEXT GEN TEST IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AT CHARLOTTE?
“I think with it being a road course test, I feel like this car is almost a lot more set up for a road course than our current cars. I’m interested to see how that drives. Obviously, the sequential shifting, I think, will be a big plus. The brakes that are on the race car and the independent rear suspension are a lot of things that I think will help make our road course racing really good. So, I’m interested to see how that dynamic plays out and the way it handles. And also, obviously, after the Daytona test, NASCAR has been looking at trying to reduce the heat inside the race car. We’ve been taking our own measures inside the race car, of things that we can control, and the way we build our pedals and where we have our seat positioned and things like that. So, we’re looking to just continue to collect data. We collected a lot of data at Daytona. I think we ran close to the most laps just trying to not necessarily go fast, but just collect as much data as we can so we can get back to the shop and analyze and process it and continue to close those gaps and answer those questions that we need between the tests that we have coming up. I’m also excited that I get to be the one that drives the car in every single test. I don’t know if every other team and driver will be able to do that, so I think that will be an advantage for us as well.”

DO YOU ENJOY TESTING?
“That’s one thing that I used to not really care for. But now that we’re not practicing and we’re not qualifying on the weekends, I just like being in the race cars, especially Daytona tests. Daytona tests are some of those tests that you kind of dreaded going to, but I enjoyed it. I had fun. I felt like it’s a whole new race car and so many things to learn and try to get right. We’re looking forward to working really hard on that and like I said, I’m pumped that I’ll be in the race car for every single one of those tests.”

IS YOUR CONTRACT A ONE-YEAR DEAL OR A MULTI-YEAR DEAL?
“We just added a year to what we were doing. Tad is working on the sponsorship side of things and I’m sure we’ll talk beyond that once we get everything kind of lined out and finalized where he wants. But I’m just excited to finally get in this new car. When we first signed at JTG Daugherty Racing, it was supposed to be a year in the old car and a year in the new car and I was really looking forward to that. So, I’m glad that we got to that point and focused on trying to make that car and next season as best as we can.”

YOU WILL BE THE ONLY DRIVER AT JTG NEXT YEAR. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT IS GOING TO GO, AND WHAT THAT PROCESS IS GOING TO BE LIKE WITH NOT HAVING A TEAMMATE? IS THAT GOING TO BE A NEGATIVE IN ANY WAY?
“I definitely think it could be a negative on one hand, and then a positive on the other. Obviously when you’re practicing and testing, you can have more ideas and run different things through both cars, it definitely helps kind of speed the process up. But we would also have to share the seat when it comes to testing. So, I feel like what I look for in a race car and what somebody looks for in a race car and the way they drive, is sometimes totally different. So, I feel like we’re going to be able to kind of build around me and at least the set-ups and things like that will be more around what I’m looking for in the race car, and all our focus will be on one car. I feel like that will be a positive thing. I know everybody at JTG Daugherty Racing so far has been all in on the new car and trying to speed the process along and I’m definitely looking forward to 2022.”

YOU WILL BE WEARING THE WHOOP BAND ON SUNDAY. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK THAT EXPERIENCE WILL BE LIKE FOR THE FANS TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT TALLADEGA DATA.
“Yeah, it’s always cool. I always wear a heart rate monitor in the race car and when I work out during the week. Now, to be able to see that broadcast live on the TV will be really cool. I always look at my data; download it and process it after the race and send it to my trainer and he kind of builds my workout programs based off of the way my heart rate is in the race car and we try to mimic that when we’re in the gym. So, it’ll be cool to be wearing it this weekend and I look forward to working with everybody at Whoop. I know it’s been fun watching, I haven’t watched our races with people wearing it, but I’ve watched the Xfinity Series and those guys wearing it and it’s always a cool extra data point that the fans get to see.”
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Talladega Superspeedway
Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021
2.66-Mile Oval
2:00 PM ET
Location: Talladega, Alabama
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (31 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 Cincinnati Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

TIDE CONTINUES TO ROLL: Kyle Larson has accumulated 60 playoff points – an average of two playoff points earned per event – this season through six race wins (five points per win), 15 stage victories (one point per stage win) and winning the NASCAR Cup Series regular season championship (15 points). He holds a 57-point advantage over the cutoff position entering Sunday’s Talladega Superspeedway race.

SECOND TO NONE: Through 30 of 36 Cup Series races, Larson leads the series in wins (career-best six), top-10s (career-best 22), stage wins (15), average start (6.7) and laps led (career-best 2,000) – 634 more laps led than his closest competitor. His career-best 16 top-five finishes are tied for the most in 2021.

TWO GRAND: Larson is one of only three Hendrick Motorsports drivers to lead 2,000 or more laps during a season. Jeff Gordon accomplished this feat three times (1995, 1996 and 2001) while Jimmie Johnson paced the field for more than 2,000 laps once (2009).

ONE OF TWO: Through four playoff races in 2021, two drivers have combined to win all eight stages. Denny Hamlin has secured five of those stage victories while Larson won the other three. The driver of the No. 5 Cincinnati Chevrolet ZL1 1LE has also posted top-10 results in all four races, the first Hendrick Motorsports driver to begin the playoffs with four consecutive top-10s since Johnson did so in 2013 – a season when Johnson also captured the Cup Series title.

BAKER’S DOZEN IN ‘BAMA: In 13 starts at Talladega Superspeedway, Larson has two top-10 finishes. He posted a ninth-place result in his first race at the Alabama track in 2014 while his best finish of sixth occurred in October 2016.

QUICK TIME: At 13.65 seconds, the No. 5 pit crew owns the quickest average time for four-tire pit stops in 2021. 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).

SECOND ONE: This Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway marks the second of two races that Cincinnati Incorporated (CI) will appear as the primary sponsor on the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. Cincinnati is a U.S.-based manufacturer of metal fabrication machinery and has shipped close to 60,000 machines in its 120 years of operation. On its 80-acre campus in Harrison, Ohio, sits a 500,000-square-foot plant, which manufactures CNC laser cutters, press brakes, shears, automation, powder metal presses, and additive manufacturing equipment. Learn more at www.e-ci.com or engage on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. To see Larson’s paint scheme for this weekend, click here.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 6th

No. 9 A SHOC Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

ROUND OF 12: As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the second race of the Round of 12, Chase Elliott currently sits sixth in playoff standings, 22 points above the cutline. For the sixth consecutive season, Elliott has advanced into the second round of the playoffs. In his previous 54 playoff races, he has collected six wins, 22 top-five finishes, 31 top-10s and led 1,651 laps.

SIX TO GO: With six races remaining in the 2021 Cup season, Elliott’s eight top-two finishes are tied for the most that he has collected in a single season and is also the second-most of all drivers this year. With 30 races in the books, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has also picked up two wins, 13 top-five finishes, 18 top-10s and 525 laps led – fourth-most laps led of all drivers.

‘DEGA DOWNLOAD: On Sunday, Elliott is set to make his 12th Talladega Superspeedway start in the Cup Series. His win at the track in April 2019 was his first superspeedway win at the Cup level. In his previous 11 starts at the venue, the 25-year-old driver has earned the pole position twice – his first start in May 2016 and in October 2019. Elliott has garnered four top-five finishes and led 173 laps in his NCS career at the Alabama track. He also has three Talladega starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one top-10 finish.

TALLADEGA PLAYOFF RECAP: When the series visited Talladega during the playoffs last season, Elliott and the No. 9 team led 41 laps and raced inside the top 10 for the majority of the race before finishing fifth.

SUPERSPEEDWAY STATS: Elliott has made 23 superspeedway starts in the Cup Series. In those races at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, the driver of the No. 9 Camaro has claimed one win, six top-five finishes and led a total of 299 laps.

LAST FIVE: In the last five superspeedway races, Elliott leads all drivers with two runner-up finishes, four top-10s and an 8.2-average finish. He also is tied for the most top-fives (three) in those five events with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron.

GUSTAFSON AT TALLADEGA: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 34th Talladega Cup Series race from atop the pit box on Sunday afternoon. He collected his first superspeedway victory at the 2.66-mile track on April 28, 2019, with Elliott and the No. 9 team. In his previous 33 events calling the shots for five different drivers (Elliott, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon), Gustafson’s teams posted eight top-five finishes, 10 top-10s, 276 laps led and six pole awards.

PIT PERFORMANCE: The No. 9 team owns the third-best average time for four-tire pit stops at 13.73 seconds through 30 races. The A SHOC 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.

A SHOC IS BACK: This weekend at Talladega, A SHOC will return as a primary partner with Elliott and the No. 9 team for the final time this season. Earlier this season, the brand made its Cup Series debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July. In January, it was announced that A SHOC, the fast-growing, performance energy beverage distributed by Keurig Dr Pepper, would join Hendrick Motorsports as a sponsor of the defending Cup champion.

SEE ELLIOTT: On Sunday, Elliott will be making an appearance and participating in a Q&A session in the Talladega Garage Experience at 10:30 a.m. local time.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 9th

No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

TWO MORE CHANCES: Driving through the field to the front multiple times during Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, William Byron suffered a flat right-rear tire in the closing laps of the race which left him with an 18th-place finish. He is now sitting ninth in the driver point standings, only four points below the playoff cut line. Byron and the No. 24 team still have two more races to make up the point gap and lock himself into the Round of 8 with two of his best tracks coming up.

BEST YEAR YET: With only six races left in the 2021 Cup Series season, Byron continues to have a career-best season at the highest level of competition in the No. 24 Axalta 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), 10 top-five finishes and 17 top-10s all while leading 283 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 23-year-old driver has collected in a single season.

SUPER ON SUPERSPEEDWAYS: Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway will be Byron’s 16th superspeedway start in the Cup Series. In his previous 15 starts, Byron has scored one win (Daytona, August 2020), four top-five finishes and four top-10s with 148 laps led. In the last five superspeedway races, Byron is one of three drivers (Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin) who have scored top-five finishes in three races – the most in the series.

TALLADEGA TELL-ALL: Byron will be making his eighth Cup Series start at the 2.66-mile oval when the No. 24 team hits the track Sunday. In his previous seven starts, Byron has a track-best finish of second coming in his last appearance at the Alabama-based venue (April 2021). In fact, Byron’s last two appearances at Talladega have been his best, with his runner-up result earlier this season and a fourth-place result in October 2020. He is the only driver to have finished in the top-five in the last two Talladega races.

DIGGIN’ ‘DEGA: When the Cup Series heads to Talladega for the second time this season, it will also mark Rudy Fugle’s second race at the venue as a Cup Series crew chief. In his first Cup start, Fugle helped Byron score his track-best finish of second after leading 12 laps. Aside from that, the Livonia, New York, native has seven starts at the 2.66-mile track already under his belt, all in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In those seven races, Fugle has accumulated three top-five finishes and five top-10s. One of those previous starts was with Byron in 2016 when the duo started eighth and raced to a 10th-place result.

ALL ABOUT AXALTA: For the second race in the Round of 12, Byron will climb behind the wheel of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Sunday’s race. Now in its 29th year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta will return as primary partner on Byron’s No. 24 for 14 races in 2021. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, click here.

CLOSE TO HOME: Hailing from Pensacola, Florida, No. 24 team spotter Tab Boyd claims Talladega Superspeedway as his home track. Growing up a few hours away from the 2.66-mile superspeedway, Boyd has more than 20 years of experience in NASCAR, from various roles including a NASCAR Xfinity Series tire changer, as well as mechanical and fabrication positions before ultimately ending up in the spotter’s stand. When Boyd has time outside of the NASCAR schedule, he is usually still at the racetrack but behind the steering wheel of his Street Stock vehicle in the Street Stock Mid-Atlantic Series.

48 Alex Bowman
Age: 28 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 11th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

CAREER YEAR THUS FAR: Through 30 NASCAR Cup Series events this season, Alex Bowman is having one of his best seasons to date. The 28-year-old driver has three wins this season, which is tied for the third-most wins in the series (Richmond Raceway, Dover International Speedway, Pocono Raceway), seven top-five finishes and 14 top-10s. Bowman’s seven top-fives are tied for a season best (2019) and his 14 top-10s are just one short of his 2020 season high (15). Since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2016 as a replacement driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bowman has five wins, 23 top-five results, 55 top-10s, 1,062 laps led and three pole awards, including two in the DAYTONA 500.

TALLADEGA DAYS: Bowman has 12 starts at Talladega Superspeedway in the Cup Series. The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has one runner-up finish (2019), three top-10s and has led 45 laps total at the track. Bowman’s three top-10 finishes at the 2.66-mile venue are tied for the sixth-most since the start of 2018. Earlier this year at Talladega, the Ally Chevy was involved in an on-track incident on lap 123, concluding the team’s day after starting fifth. Last season, Bowman brought home a seventh-place finish in the spring and a 14th-place result in the fall event. In 2013, he made one start at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and finished 13th after rolling off 14th. The Arizona native also made one start in the ARCA Series at the track in 2012 and finished 32nd.

IVES IN ‘DEGA: No. 48 team crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the 14th time at Talladega on Sunday. The Bark River, Michigan, native has one win there with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015 after leading 67 laps, along with three top-five finishes and six top-10 results. His drivers have an average start of 6.2 at the 2.66-mile facility. In total, Ives’ drivers have led 180 laps in 13 Cup events. Ives’ résumé also includes one win in the Xfinity Series at the track with Regan Smith in 2013. He 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 seven top-10 finishes at Talladega.

TWO SPORTS COMING TOGETHER: On Tuesday, Ally unveiled the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro that Bowman will pilot at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL event next weekend. Ally has a partnership with the Charlotte MLS program and will feature the soccer branding on Bowman’s machine in NASCAR’s final race in the Round of 12. Bowman and Charlotte FC defender Christian Fuchs got together on the Hendrick Motorsports’ campus last month to film Ally’s “Unexpected Allies” series, with the final episode concluding Tuesday night. Members of the No. 48 team got a sneak preview of what it takes to be a professional soccer player and Bowman got to brush up on his goalie and soccer handling skills. To view the final episode of the series, click here.

WHERE’S ALEX?: Fans will have multiple opportunities to hear from Bowman this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. On Sunday, Oct. 3 the Ally driver will be out at the Chevrolet Stage at 9:25 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session. Bowman will move over to the Talladega Garage Experience at 9:45 a.m. for another Q&A with fans.

PIT PERFORMANCE: After 30 Cup Series events this season, the No. 48 pit crew sits fifth on the charts for the fastest average four-tire stop time of 13.89. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.

TALLADEGA HEIGHTS: Hendrick Motorsports holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for the most Talladega Superspeedway wins by a single organization with 13. It has sent seven different drivers to victory lane there: Jeff Gordon (six wins), Jimmie Johnson (two), Chase Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brian Vickers, Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader.

SUPER STATS: Going into Sunday’s race at Talladega, Hendrick Motorsports owns more combined superspeedway wins than any team in Cup Series history. At the big tracks of Daytona and Talladega, it has posted a record 28 victories with 11 different drivers.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on how he prepares for Talladega: “I’ve never really challenged for a superspeedway victory. It’s a different kind of race where you are in the middle of a draft for most of the race. I’ll look at past races and see what drivers did at the end of the stages or at the end of the races to see what might work or what I could possibly do different.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on strategy at Talladega: “Talladega is a wildcard, for sure. We’re going to maximize points as best we can during the stages and we want to be there at the end. We’re going to have to call a smart race and work with our teammates. Hopefully we’re there at the end battling for the win.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on heading to Talladega: “Talladega is such a toss up with how crazy that place can be. I’m not sure you can ever really feel good about heading into Talladega. Maybe if we would’ve won at Las Vegas, I’d feel good about heading into the weekend. The next couple weeks are going to be wild. We are looking forward to it.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the No. 9 team: “We believe in each other and support each other. When it gets tough, that’s what matters. It’s kind of easy to get along when things are going well. It’s hard when it’s tough. This team has been together long enough. We’ve been through a lot of tough times, so we can navigate through different things and different scenarios. It’s a great team; a great group, and we all believe in each other and what we are trying to do. That can become a powerful thing.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on focusing on racing at Talladega: “We’ll be aware of the point situation this weekend but we can’t focus on it since it’s not the final race of the round. It would have been nice going into Talladega above the cut line and with more of a cushion but that’s part of the playoffs. Talladega and the (Charlotte Motor Speedway) ROVAL are two of our best tracks, though. Both superspeedways and road courses can be unpredictable, but they are tracks that we have had some of the most success at. My first Cup Series win came on a superspeedway. I know Rudy (Fugle) and the guys will bring a fast Axalta Chevy – it will just be about execution and getting as many points as we can. That’s what our goal has always been.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the team’s goals for Talladega: “The bad luck we’ve had has definitely been frustrating, especially with how fast our car was in Las Vegas. That’s behind us now, though. What happened there doesn’t change how we approach this weekend at Talladega. We’re still going to prepare the best car we can to go out there and get the most amount of points we can and, hopefully, the win. Superspeedway racing is known to be a wildcard, so if you secure stage points early on, you’re in a better position. But we’re also not going to put William in a position where we’d be risking not being around at the end of the race, either. It’s a fine balance, but this style of races have been a strong point of not only William and the No. 24 team, but also Hendrick Motorsports. We’ll be ready.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the Charlotte FC scheme for the ROVAL: “I’m really excited about the No. 48 Ally/Charlotte FC paint scheme that we released on Tuesday. It was fun meeting Christian (Fuchs) and showing him around Hendrick Motorsports and giving him a ride in the pit practice car. I got to play a little soccer which was probably embarrassing that everyone got to see that on the “Unexpected Allies” series that was released. Having the Charlotte FC program on the car at the ROVAL is really cool and special that Ally do some cross-promoting.”

Bowman on preparing for Talladega this weekend: “I think some guys have Talladega figured out a little bit. I don’t think we have figured out the exact things we need at the track to make it to the end, but I feel like we are gaining on it. Superspeedways have been pretty rough on us this season, but hopefully we have built up some good fortune after the way Talladega and Daytona have been this year. The cars aren’t easy to drive in traffic, so it’s definitely nerve-wracking. This weekend gives us the opportunity to go out there and score a lot of points. Our Hendrick Motorsports cars are always super-fast at speedways, so I just need to go out there and do my job and stay out of the possible mess.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on past success at Talladega: “We always have a fast car at Talladega and Alex seems to put himself in the right position. Whether we get wrecked leading or wrecked somewhere, we have a tendency to still have a strong day. We have to focus on going forward and strategizing ourselves to maximize points all day and you just never know what is going to happen. I think we are capable putting ourselves up front at Talladega.”