NASCAR CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 25, 2021

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Press Conference Transcript:

LAST WEEK, DISAPPOINTING FINISH ASIDE, YOU ARE IN YOUR SECOND YEAR AND HAVE 26-LAPS LED. YOU ALSO HAVE A CAREER-HIGH IN TOP-10’S AND NOW YOU’RE IN THE POSITION TO POSSIBLY CLINCH A PLAYOFF BERTH IN YOUR SOPHMORE SEASON. WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS AT THE START OF THIS YEAR AND WHERE YOU’RE AT RIGHT NOW, DO THEY MATCH WITH WHAT YOU HOPED TO ACHIEVE AT THE START OF THE YEAR?
“I would say for the last 20 weeks or so, things have been going really well. The first six, seven races of our year got off to a really unfortunate start. They really put us behind the ball; really hurt our qualifying metric, if you will, in getting better starts. So, we had to really climb that pole and we were able to do that from about Bristol on. That was about the time that things started to turn around for us. Since that time, yeah it’s been really great to see it turn around and get better. But nonetheless, we’re in a spot now where we didn’t quite have enough points without a win to lock ourselves in come Daytona. We’re in a tough spot, but the consistency has been there to do well in the Playoffs if we do a good job this weekend, survive Daytona and make it into the Playoffs.”

“We’ve just got one more hurdle and, unfortunately, it’s a big one. One with a lot of uncertainty; not just with who’s going to be running at the end, but how much different the car is going to drive with the different horsepower and so many drivers below the cutline that are all out of options and desperate going into Daytona to do whatever it takes to win and lock themselves in, as well.”

YOU REFERENCED A LITTLE BIT THE CHANGES FOR THIS WEEKEND. HOW MUCH MIGHT THAT IMPACT THINGS?
“It’s entirely unknown. I can’t really say what it’s going to drive like. I think we’ve seen, in years past with previous generation cars, the draft being not as chaotic or unpredictable. But where we were, runs would kind of appear out of nowhere and once they would develop, they were very large runs and you could take them really far; farther than when I ran Xfinity or the Truck Series. The draft at times was not the same. There’s really nothing to go off of, I’d say. You can maybe look to the past some. But how the drivers approach these plate races, how much better the field is in its entirety has gotten in racing on superspeedways and how spotters communicate, have evolved so much that leaning back on previous races, previous experiences or digging into the files of some old races from the mid-2000’s – I don’t know that it would really be of a benefit. Those that can really learn fast in this race, whether that’s by playing it safe or being extremely aggressive. The drivers that do a lot of racing and put themselves in a lot of different situations at the beginning of the race will have a pretty good idea of what they can do and what to stay away from. Without practice, you don’t find that out until the race and there’s a lot on the line for myself and all the drivers from 17th in the points standings all the way back. A lot is going to go on the first 15-20 laps for a lot of us drivers; the whole field really.”

IN YOUR CAREER, HOW DID YOU ACCESS THE POTENTIAL OF WRECKING AT THE END OF A RACE WHEN EVERYONE IS GOING AFTER IT AND BEING COMFORTABLE WITH MAKING MOVES?
“When I’ve won at Daytona, it’s been the first race of the year and you’re just getting started. The year I won Daytona in the Truck Series, that was before stage racing for the Trucks. That was before the Playoff format, if you will, too. So, every race really mattered. But the first race of the year, you don’t really know how your year is going to shakeup, so you’re just out there racing hard.”

“The same thing at Daytona when I won with JR Motorsports. It was the first race of the year. We had kind of had a crazy day to start the thing off. Our car wasn’t even really running. So, for me in those situations, there wasn’t really anything holding back. But in the Cup Series, it’s just totally different. You have a lot of really good drivers out there that have been through the ranks and have won in other series; and have the laps and experience, know what to do and what to stay away from, and know what moves to not fall for.”

“With that being said, we’ve won races a lot harder because of that and we can all get away with a lot more. But when the moment finally happens when one mistake is made or two drivers don’t understand what the other is doing and you end up in the same place because we race so tight – a lot of chaos unfolds.”

IN REFERENCING THOSE WINS AT DAYTONA – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WIN AT DAYTONA? IF YOU WIN THIS WEEKEND, IT WOULD GIVE YOU A TRUCK, XFINITY AND CUP VICTORY AT DAYTONA.
“I haven’t kept up with it the last couple of years, but I don’t think anybody has done that before, last time I checked. I never would have thought I would have won a number of races at Daytona, let alone to get my first Truck Series win there – that was great. My first win with JR Motorsports there was great. The way I got the Xfinity win was pretty crazy in itself.”

“It was something, for a while, I was keeping an eye on. It’s still important to me. But, racing in the Cup Series, you go to Daytona twice a year and the amount you prepare for Daytona and how you prepare for Daytona has always been a little bit different than how you prepare for the intermediates, road courses and short tracks. It’s still really important for me to get done, it’s just a tough goal to totally go after with everything else that’s in the air for our team right now. We’ll go about this race a number of different ways; depending on how it starts and how it’s going for ourselves and for Austin (Dillon). And then, at the very end, once we get past the first two stages – not only do we have to keep an eye on Austin, but we have to keep an eye on pretty much half of the field.”

“It’s going to be an interesting challenge, all the meanwhile. The cars are totally different now, too. There’s a lot on our plate, but we’re ready for the challenge. I was hoping we wouldn’t be in this position going into Daytona. But getting put through an experience like this, if we can overcome this, I think it will have us really prepared for the Playoffs and we’ll be really ready to go. We’ll feel like we conquered the first big mountain and arguably the next one after it won’t be as severe. I could be totally wrong; but this is a lot of pressure on ourselves, RCR in general, and a lot of the field that isn’t locked in.”

IS IT DIFFICULT NOT TO DWELL ON WHAT HAPPENED ON SUNDAY AND THE POINTS YOU GAVE UP?
“It is a little bit, for sure. It would be very easy to immediately go right to that place and really be negative; be down and really be caught up in the mistake and the points lost. But that was something when our year started off, we had bad race after bad race – really let the downward spiral in the beginning of the year really get to us. It was nice to be able to go to the dirt race at Bristol; go in there and forget about how the year has gone. We thought we were going to do heat races and all that good stuff to set our starting position, which we didn’t. But we were able to get through that race and push to the front all day. From that point on, we kind of just forgot how the year had been up to that point. Based on how Indy went, we gave up points there; getting caught up in a wreck late. Yeah, we’ve given up a good number of points the last two weeks at the very end of these races. It would be easy to be ripping our hair out and freaking out. But the things that we’ve done up until these last few weeks and historically have been doing for months now, have all been very good.”

“So, yeah, these little things do happen and mistakes are still made. This was one of those mistakes that I made, for sure. But the good thing is we’re still plus 25-points. We’re going to Daytona, which I’ve always really enjoyed to race. I have an incredible spotter. I’ve always loved going to superspeedways with my spotter, Derek Kneeland. It would be nice to be sitting plus 50-points. But we’re not negative 25-points. We’re not totally out of it. It’s still very doable to at least cover the 25-points. It’s certainly just going to be a little more interesting than it would have been if we weren’t caught up in a crash at the end.”

DO YOU GET REALLY NERVOUS? IS THIS A TIME WHERE YOU CAN’T SLEEP OR ARE YOU A GUY TO REMAIN CALM AND IN THE MOMENT?
“I would say, this moment, definitely. But I look at other moments in the past that you could argue were pretty pressure-filled; but for me, honestly, I’m not losing a lot of sleep. When you have the most important moments of your year or of your life coming up, the last thing you should do is not be sleeping and be worrying yourself to death. The reason I’m not in that place and I don’t believe the rest of our team is in that place is because of all the things we’ve done right up until this point. Yeah, for sure, the last two weekends weren’t great for us and they make things a little more challenging. But everything up until this point has been great and we’ve been doing really, really well. The work that I’ve been putting in and my team has been putting in – this is one of those big moments in our year. We’ve been preparing and working really hard to be able to kick ass in moments like these. That’s going to be our goal going into this – just do what we’ve always been doing. This isn’t the time to freak out, panic and do something different or try to do more or whatever it might be. The things that we’ve been doing right all year long is why we’re here and it’s no time to change anything. What we’ve been doing gives us confidence for the pressure-packed Daytona race that we’re going to have on Saturday.”

GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND, HOW AGGRESSIVE DO YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO BE?
“It’s all going to depend how things are going for my teammate Austin (Dillon), honestly. We’re going to be starting around each other, for sure. It’s going to be interesting to see how aggressive he will be in trying to charge to the front at the beginning of the race. It’s going to be a constant moving target throughout the event on Saturday. We’ve got 25-points to lean on. Now, do we only want to get in by one-point over Austin? I don’t think so. But again, we just have to maintain what we have. We have 24-points to throw away if we really wanted to; but we don’t want to. It’s going to constantly move. It’s going to depend how Stage One goes for him and myself. And then, we’ll have to think about it a little bit. We have a plan in place for what’s going to happen on Saturday with him. But nonetheless, they could score zero stage points and we’ll still have to be thinking about him and all the others behind him in the points standings in that final stage as the finish creeps closer and closer. There are going to be so many drivers that have nothing to lose and everything to gain by winning that race and it’s going to make for a very chaotic finish to the regular season. As the laps wind down, drivers will get tired of being third in line on top or the bottom; it’s going to get wild at some point in the race. So, we’re going to have to try to stay ahead of it or be aware of it and keep our eyes out for it, as well. We can’t fight for the win if we’re crashed out before we get to the white flag. A lot is going to be on our plate to keep track of.”

AT WHAT POINT DOES THE TEAMMATE THING GO OUT THE WINDOW?
“It’s a difficult thing, right. We’ve worked together so much throughout this entire year to make our cars better at a lot of these racetracks; setup wise, working on our driving techniques. There’s a lot of things we’ve been working on. But when we go into Daytona, unfortunately, I can’t really help Austin (Dillon) and he can’t really help me without hurting the other’s chances of making the Playoffs. That’s just the unfortunate situation that we are presented with. Yeah, we’re going to be pretty similar on build in our racecars. Our cars, I would imagine, will work pretty good together. But yeah it’s a difficult thing. As much as we would love to work together, be upfront and control the race; it’s just not really an option for us. I can’t push him to the win and still make the Playoffs. And he can’t push me to the win and still make the Playoffs. It’s just an unfortunate spot for us to be in right now. It’s just a tough spot to be in for the whole RCR organization at the moment.”

GIVEN BOTH YOUR AND AUSTIN (DILLON)’S POSITION IN THE STANDINGS, HAS THERE BEEN A TEAM MEETING OR HAVE YOU GUYS TALKED TO EACH OTHER ABOUT HOW TO APPROACH THIS RACE AND WORKING TOGETHER?
“I mean we can’t, honestly. I’m in; he’s out. There’s a 25-point gap. Anything I do to help him, hurts me. Anything he does to help me, hurts him. So, we really can’t work together at all, unfortunately. At the end of the day, I still want an RCR car to be in the Playoffs over anybody else, obviously. And he feels the exact same way about that. But for him to do everything for his team to get into the Playoffs, he can’t be helping the 8 and I can’t be helping the 3. It’s kind of a weird spot. But, for sure, I know where he stands because I’m the same way. We want an RCR car to be in the Playoffs this year. It’s just a difficult place to be in because we’re obviously not going to go out there and screw each other over because neither one of us will make the Playoffs potentially if someone new wins. It’s just a very complex situation. That’s just kind of the way it’ll have to be Saturday night.”

About Chevrolet
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Daytona International Speedway
Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021
2.5-Mile Oval
7:00 PM ET
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (26 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 Valvoline Instant Oil Change Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

ONE DOZEN: Last Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, Kyle Larson led a race-high 70 laps and finished third in the 400-mile event – his 12th top-three finish of 2021. The driver of the No. 5 Valvoline Instant Oil Change Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has a series-high five NASCAR Cup Series victories this season with wins at Watkins Glen International, Nashville Superspeedway, Sonoma Raceway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In June, Larson scored a $1 million payday in the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway.

TOO TOUGH TO TAME SINCE DARLINGTON: Larson has finished top three in 10 of the last 14 races dating back to Darlington Raceway in May. Over that span, the 29-year-old driver has four wins, four runner-up finishes and two third-place results to move from 144 markers down in the point standings to a 28-point advantage.

FINALE NIGHT: Following Saturday night’s event at the historic Daytona International Speedway, playoff points will be awarded to the top 10 drivers in the standings with 15 markers awarded to first place, 10 to second, eight to third, seven to fourth, and so on. Larson is currently atop the standings heading into the Aug. 28 race.

FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: The last time the Cup Series competed on Aug. 28 was in 2016 at Michigan International Speedway and Larson was victorious with Chase Elliott second. In 2021, the duo, who are now Hendrick Motorsports teammates, have finished first and second in four races.

OH SO CLOSE: In 2017, Larson led the field with one lap to go in the DAYTONA 500. However, his Chevrolet ran out of fuel on the final lap and he coasted to a 12th-place finish. In 14 starts at the 2.5-mile track, Larson has five top-10 finishes, including a 10th-place result in this year’s DAYTONA 500.

WINNER AT DAYTONA: In July 2018, Larson won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway. The Elk Grove, California, native led a race-high 40 laps en route to victory.

FIVE-STAR: Through 25 of 36 Cup Series races, Larson leads the series in wins (career-best five), top-five finishes (14), top-10s (18), stage wins (12), playoff points (37), and laps led (career-best 1,566). In fact, he has paced the field 752 more times than any competitor this season and his stage wins are the most by seven.

QUICK STOP: At 13.69 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).

VALVOLINE VICTORY: In June at Nashville Superspeedway, Larson led 264 of 300 laps en route to victory driving the No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. Valvoline will make its second of three appearances as the primary sponsor of the No. 5 entry this Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the Company’s heritage spans more than 150 years, during which time it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume. To learn more, visit www.valvoline.com.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 5th

No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

REGULAR SEASON WRAP: Through the first 25 races of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, Chase Elliott has recorded some noteworthy stats and career highs. His wins at Circuit of The Americas and Road America secured his spot in the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year and he has collected two stage wins, 11 top-five finishes, 15 top-10s and 301 laps led in 25 races. Elliott is currently projected to be fourth in the playoff standings as the series heads into Saturday night’s regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.

BRINGING OUT THE BEST: Through 25 races in the Cup Series season, Elliott has delivered career bests in runner-up results (five), top-five finishes (11), top-10s (15) and his average finish (11.16). His two wins are tied for a personal best through 25 races. Elliott has spent 2,032 laps inside the top five and 3,602 laps running in the top 10.

UNIFIRST IS BACK: On Saturday, UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF), a North American leader in providing customized work uniform programs, corporate attire and facility service products, will serve as the primary sponsor on the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. This will be the final race (Phoenix Raceway, Kansas Speedway and Daytona) that UniFirst will be the primary partner and have its newly revamped green corporate logo adorning the No. 9 Chevrolet. In 2016, Unifirst and Hendrick Motorsports announced an eight-year partnership. UniFirst will continue to serve as the Official Workwear Provider of Hendrick Motorsports, supplying work clothing and uniforms to the team and sister company Hendrick Automotive Group, the largest privately held retail automotive organization in the United States.

STREAKING INTO DAYTONA: Elliott currently has the second longest active top-five streak at Daytona International Speedway (two), behind only Denny Hamlin, who has three consecutive top-five results. He also currently holds the second longest active top-10 finish streak this season (three) behind teammate Kyle Larson (four).

SUPERSPEEDWAY STATS: Elliott will make his 23rd superspeedway start in the Cup Series on Saturday at Daytona. In the driver of the No. 9’s previous 22 races, he has started on the front row seven times, including five from the pole position. Elliott has garnered six top-five finishes, seven top-10s and led 263 laps. In April 2019, Elliott earned his first superspeedway victory at Talladega Superspeedway. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet also has two Duel qualifying race wins at Daytona (2017 and 2018) and was in position to win the 2017 DAYTONA 500 before running out of fuel from the lead on lap 198 of 200. Elliott has also made 12 superspeedway starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, winning the Daytona season opener in 2016.

FLORIDA NATIVE: On Saturday, No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson will return home to the “Birthplace of Speed.” He hails from Ormond Beach, Florida, just down the road from Daytona International Speedway. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, he enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering. Gustafson returns to Daytona in his 17th full-time season as a crew chief and his sixth year with Elliott.

GUSTAFSON AT DAYTONA: Gustafson would like to add a Daytona oval win to his name. Last August, he captured his first points win at the DAYTONA Road Course. The 46-year-old crew chief has collected two Duel qualifying race wins (2017 and 2018) at the track with Elliott. He has four runner-up finishes on the 2.5-mile oval with drivers Elliott (2020 and 2021) and Kyle Busch (2006 and 2007). The 2007 result with Busch and winner Jamie McMurray remains the closest margin of victory ever in the summer race at Daytona (0.005 seconds). Gustafson also has won the pole award at Daytona five times with three drivers: Elliott (three), Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin. He is tied with Leonard Wood and Waddell Wilson for the most DAYTONA 500 pole awards for a crew chief with four.

‘CHASE’: On Wednesday, NBC’s Peacock released a new documentary titled “CHASE” showcasing Elliott. The one-hour show takes viewers to the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion’s hometown of Dawsonville, Georgia, for a personal walk through his rise in the sport. Hosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr., fans will get a glimpse into Elliott’s roots, passions and love for racing with his parents, friends and colleagues. “CHASE” premiered on Peacock Wednesday and will also air Saturday, Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 4th

No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

BEST YEAR YET: After 25 races in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron is continuing to have a career-best season at the highest level of competition in the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. So far, Byron has collected one win (Homestead-Miami Speedway), two pole awards (Road America and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – most by a driver this season), nine top-five finishes and 16 top-10s (tied for the third-most by a driver this season) all while leading 264 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 year.

ONE MORE CHANCE: Heading to the final race of the 2021 Cup Series regular season, Byron has one more chance to add to his already impressive stats this year. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has spent 4,296 laps running in the top 10 and 2,318 laps in the top five – the third-most in both categories throughout the field. Byron holds the third-best average running position in the Cup Series of 8.92 and an average finishing position of 12.12, placing him in the fourth position in the driver points standings. Byron already locked into this year’s playoffs from his Homestead win.

SUPER ON SUPERSPEEDWAYS: While superspeedway racing brings a lot of uncertainty, Byron seems to take to that style of racing well. In the past four superspeedway races, Byron has three top-10 finishes, including one win, which is tied for the most in the field with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin.

YOUR DEFENDING WINNER: For the second year in a row, the Cup Series regular season will end at the high banks of Daytona International Speedway. Last year, Byron locked himself into the 2020 playoffs after racing his way to his first Cup Series career win under the lights at the summer event. While Byron is already in this year’s playoffs, he heads to Florida looking to repeat.

BACK AT THE BEACH: During his time in the Cup Series, Byron has seven starts at Daytona. In that time, he has collected one win, two top-five finishes, two top-10s and led 80 laps. However, his stats don’t accurately depict Byron’s success at the 2.5-mile oval. Not only is this the venue where he collected his first pole award (2019 DAYTONA 500) and his first Cup Series win, but he also won the Duel qualifying race in 2019 and was in position to capture the win during the summer race in 2019 before weather ended the event early, leaving Byron with a runner-up finish. Byron’s success at Daytona doesn’t end there. During his 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship campaign, Byron qualified third in the July race and led 29 laps to score the victory, becoming the youngest driver with a Xfinity Series win at Daytona at 19 years, 7 months and 1 day.

RUDY RETURNS: Saturday’s race at Daytona will mark the second track this season that Rudy Fugle will be making a return trip to as a Cup Series crew chief. Earlier this year, Fugle called the shots for Byron for the DAYTONA 500 where they qualified second and scored a 26th-place finish after being collected in an early on-track incident. Aside from that one Cup start, the Livonia, New York, native has seven other starts at DIS, all coming in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Fugle has one runner-up result, one top-five finish and two top-10s across those seven races. Of those Truck Series starts, one of them was with Byron where the duo qualified and finished 13th.

LIBERTY U IS BACK: Byron will climb behind the wheel of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE this weekend when the Cup Series takes on Daytona International Speedway Saturday night. Redesigned for the 2021 season, the new paint scheme features a white base with navy flames and red accents, the Liberty University No. 24 will be sure to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in communications, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s new Liberty University paint scheme, click here.

BEACH BUMS: Heading back to Daytona Beach, Florida, for the third time this season, three crew members on the No. 24 team will be making their way back home. Longtime Hendrick Motorsports rear tire changer Johnny Roberts hails from Titusville, Florida, just down the coast from Daytona Beach, where he spent most of his time surfing before making his way to North Carolina and eventually trying out with Hendrick Motorsports in 2010. Engineer Brandon McSwain grew up approximately 100 miles from the “World Center of Racing” in Auburndale. Just a few miles down the road from where McSwain grew up, engine tuner Ben Proctor calls Lakeland home.

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

REGULAR SEASON FINALE: Saturday’s event at Daytona International Speedway will mark the final event in the 2021 regular season. Alex Bowman has captured the second-most wins this season with three (Richmond Raceway, Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway), six top-five finishes and 12 top-10s, which are tied for the 10th most this season among active drivers. The 28-year-old driver has had a career-best season in wins, top-five finishes and top-10s after 25 events. He has won two of the last eight oval events and has six top-10 results in that span. Bowman’s six top-five finishes also are tied for the 10th most this season among active drivers. The Ally driver has both the 11th-best average running position (12.68) and finishing position (14.4) this season. He has run 1,364 laps inside the top five and 2,786 laps inside the top 10, which ranks 11th overall this year. Bowman sits sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings with one event to go before the first playoff event at Darlington Raceway next Sunday.

DAYTONA HISTORY: Bowman will be making his 11th start in the Cup Series at the Florida-based superspeedway this weekend. The Tucson, Arizona, native has two poles, three second-place starting spots and two top-10s at Daytona. Bowman captured the DAYTONA 500 pole position in 2018 and earlier this season after posting a top speed of 191.26 mph. Bowman has two starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the 2.5-mile superspeedway from 2013. He completed 100% of the laps in those two events and brought home his best finish of third in the spring event. In 2012, Bowman piloted a car in the ARCA Menards Series at the superspeedway and came home 30th after 83 laps.

LOOKING TOWARD THE PLAYOFFS: The seventh-year Cup Series driver will be making his fourth appearance in the playoffs following his three wins this season. Bowman has raced his way into the Round of 12 the last three years and this is the third season where he has clinched a spot in the playoffs based on a victory. In 2019, the team clinched a playoff position after capturing the victory at Chicagoland Speedway and in 2020 following his win at Auto Club Speedway. Bowman has claimed a spot in the NCS playoffs all four years that he has been with Hendrick Motorsports.

IVES SUPERSPEEDWAY RÉSUMÉ: Crew chief Greg Ives will make his 14th Cup Series start this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. In his 13 previous starts, Ives has one win (Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015), two top-five finishes and four top-10s. In 2015, Earnhardt led 96 out of 161 laps en route to the win during the summer event at the track. Ives has put a car in the pole position four times at Daytona since 2015 and has had a driver start on the front row eight times since the 2015 DAYTONA 500. In 2013, Ives called the shots for Regan Smith in the Xfinity Series and led him to a win at Talladega after 110 laps. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer on the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. During that time, he was part of one win (2006), one pole award (2008) and one runner-up finish (2009) at Daytona International Speedway.

PIT ROAD STATS: Going into the final event in the regular season, the No. 48 pit crew continues to sit fifth on the chart for the fastest four-tire pit stop average in the Cup Series with a time of 13.92 seconds. The team had the fastest single stop at Dover International Speedway (12.18 seconds) on May 16 and had the third-fastest stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway (12.25 seconds) on July 11. The No. 48 pit crew includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback, and tire changers Scott Brzozowski (front) and Devin DelRicco (rear).

CLEAR THE SHELTERS: On Monday, Aug. 23, the “Clear the Shelters” nationwide initiative through NBC/Telemundo launched in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area. WCNC, the local Charlotte NBC station, teamed up with Bowman and No. 48 partner Ally for the 2021 campaign to get as many pets adopted from local shelters. The “Clear the Shelters” initiative runs through Sept. 18, which is the date of the playoff night race at Bristol Motor Speedway. On Sept. 18, all adoption fees will either be waived or discounted with the goal to clear out the 10 shelters that are participating in the Charlotte area. Learn more here.

DAYTONA RECORDS: Going into Saturday night’s race on the historic Daytona International Speedway oval, Hendrick Motorsports holds the track records for NASCAR Cup Series wins (15; tied with Wood Brothers Racing), pole positions (21), top-five finishes (59), top-10s (103) and laps led (2,164).

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: Seven different drivers have won for Hendrick Motorsports on the 2.5-mile Daytona oval: Jeff Gordon (six wins), Jimmie Johnson (three), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Geoff Bodine, Tim Richmond, Darrell Waltrip and William Byron.

ALL-IN WINS: Hendrick Motorsports has 43 combined NASCAR victories at the sprawling Daytona International Speedway facility. The team has finished first in 15 points-paying Cup Series races on the oval, including eight prestigious DAYTONA 500s. It has won 16 DAYTONA 500 Duel qualifying races, seven of the Clash at DAYTONA non-points exhibitions and four times in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Hendrick Motorsports has also won one Cup race on the track’s road course.

SUPER CARS: No team has more NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway wins than Hendrick Motorsports. The organization has won points-paying races at the big tracks of Daytona and Talladega a combined 28 times with 11 different drivers. Wood Brothers Racing is second with 20 all-time superspeedway victories.

TALKIN’ PLAYOFFS: For the record-tying fourth time, all four Hendrick Motorsports teams have earned berths in the 10-race NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, which will kick off Sept. 5 at Darlington Raceway. It marks the record-extending 16th consecutive season that at least two of the organization’s drivers have competed in the post-season and the record 14th time at least three of its teams have qualified.

NASCAR NEXT: Hendrick Motorsports has a combined 70 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victories at the next six tracks on the 2021 schedule: 15 at Daytona, 14 at Darlington, 11 at Richmond, 11 at Bristol, six at Las Vegas and 13 at Talladega.

LUCKY 13: Over the last 13 NASCAR Cup Series points races, Hendrick Motorsports has won eight times and is the only organization to go to victory lane more than once. In that span, the team has scored seven runner-up results, finished 1-2 on five occasions (most), won 11 of 27 stages (most), and led 1,534 of 2,516 laps raced (61%). With 52 total entries across the most recent 13 events, the team has scored 25 top-five finishes (most) and 34 top-10s (most).

THROUGH 25: After 25 of 36 points-paying races in 2021, the four-car Hendrick Motorsports stable has won 11 times, which is tied for its most ever at this time of the year. Its 17 stage wins are tied for the most in history by any organization going into the 26th points race. Hendrick Motorsports has its most top-five finishes (40) and posted its fourth-most laps led (2,282) at the 25-event mark. The team’s 61 top-10s in 2021 represent the second-most by anyone ever at this point in a season.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at Daytona this weekend: “With a playoff spot still available, I’m sure it’s going to be intense. (Second place in standings) Denny (Hamlin) runs well at Daytona, so I am glad we have a bit of a cushion in the points. But that lead can be gone in an instant, so I hope to avoid all the craziness and have a good solid finish.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on calling a race Daytona: “Track position is important at Daytona, which is odd to say. We’ve seen over the last handful of years that cars that are able to get out front and be in the top five if single-file or in the top 10 if mixing it up can control the race inside that top group. What I mean is if you play your strategy wrong and are stuck back in 20th with a handful of laps left, it could be difficult to get back up to the front. We need to do our part right to hopefully have our car up front when it needs to be there. There are things we can control, but a lot is out of our hands.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on Daytona: “Yes, Daytona is the cutoff race, but it has always been on the schedule before the playoffs. Whether it is at the beginning of the year or last race before the playoffs, you are either in it or you’re not. You have 25 other races to solidify your spot before then. It’s nice to go into the weekend and be locked in because anything can happen at Daytona.”

Elliott on if the No. 9 team is already in playoff mode: “Honestly, we are just kind of taking it a week at a time. I haven’t looked ahead to the playoffs just yet or have anything circled on the calendar. We just take it a week at a time. We try to do our best every week. Things change, the cars are evolving and competition is evolving. We just try to take what we have at any given moment and give it our best. Our focus right now is on this weekend’s race at Daytona.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the whole 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.”

Gustafson on atmosphere at Hendrick Motorsports with all four teams being locked into the playoffs: “It’s a big accomplishment to get all four teams locked in. It’s a really good thing – all four cars have won races, so we’re excited and ready to go. It’s a long, long battle. Ten weeks is a long time, so a lot of opportunities there. We’re just focused on getting ready to go and getting to Phoenix.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the stress of locking into the playoffs last year versus this year: “Last year was stressful for most of the race. It was one of those Game 7-type moments that you go into knowing it’s do or die. I actually really like that sensation. You know exactly what you need to do to get the job done instead of trying to count points. It was interesting how that race played out, though. With things that happened on track with other guys, I was in a position that I could make it in on points as long as I finished. So, during that red flag, it was really a mindset change for me of, ‘Okay we don’t need to win, but if we can, we will to seal the deal.’ It’s nice to not be in that bubble situation this year. Now I can watch and see how it plays out. We’re still in a similar situation of going into this race with a clear objective – secure playoff points and a win to set us up better moving forward.”

Byron on how his driving style has changed throughout the years on superspeedways: “I think I’ve learned a lot behind the wheel on these types of tracks. My driving style is really more dynamic now. With the stages, you have time to go really hard and then have times to relax and let the car find its way through traffic. Stage points are critical, though, in superspeedway racing. If you can get stage points you need to, but you don’t want to push it to get to that point and wreck right before the stage ends and wind up with 40th-place points. It’s a really tricky balance. I feel like for us, we’re going to try race for at least one of the stage wins to get the extra playoff point but also keeping strategy in mind to put us in position up front in the end. It’s up to me, though, on knowing when to push it, and I think I have a good idea of when those moments are.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on Daytona being the final race of the season: “I think going to Daytona for the cutoff race to start the playoffs is interesting. You have guys kind of throwing everything they got at one race if they aren’t locked in. At a place like Daytona, that can cause a lot of things to happen. Hopefully, we can stay out of the mess because I am sure that there will be one and be there at the end. Going into this race with a spot already in the playoffs, there probably isn’t as much pressure as there could be, but we are definitely going there with the goal of capitalizing on stage points, stage wins and the overall race win. It would be really cool to win at Daytona, there’s so much history there. Regardless of what race it is, they’re all really special and it would be great to get a win.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on his mindset heading to Daytona: “Ultimately, we need to go into Saturday’s race thinking about getting as many stage points and stage wins as we can. We need to try to get more playoff points with the overall win, which is kind of our goal. Obviously, we want to learn as much as we can since Talladega is going to be a key factor in order to move to the next round. We are trying to learn as much as we can and put Alex in situations where we have to learn what the new package is. There is a lot of learning that we have to continue to do and run as many competitive laps as we can. Hoping to come out of Daytona with a strong finish for the Ally 48 and get us a win before we head to Darlington.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 25, 2021

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript Highlights:

CAN YOU LOOK BACK TO DAYTONA A YEAR AGO AND TELL US WHAT YOU HAD TO DO THEN TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS VERSUS THIS YEAR IN TRYING TO WIN?
“Yeah, I think the pressure throughout the week is a lot easier. I’m definitely not as tensed-up or thinking about the moment and what I’m going to do to execute a good race. I’m just kind of going in there just to have fun. Obviously, you try to have fun every week but, it’s a lot more stressful each week. This week is kind of easier on me. I feel like the speedway races, we’ve been good on. I feel like my plate racing, my queue has gone up. But for me, there’s not a lot of pressure involved. I don’t envy the position of the other guys that are in that position to try to either they have to win or they’re right there on the bubble for the points. It’s a tough position to be in.”

WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT CHASE ELLIOTT DID IN THE PLAYOFFS LAST YEAR, IS EVERYTHING ALMOST FOCUSED ON THAT LAST ROUND IN PHOENIX?
“It is. I think the regular season has a feel of its own because you’re constantly trying to win to get more bonus points. Everyone it trying to chase the bonus points because it’s such a big deal and that’s the big factor in the regular season. But in the grand scheme of things, the difference of five points in the Playoffs is important, but you’ve just got to go out there and execute. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about each race in that first round. I feel like at Darlington we ran well. Richmond, we ran well. Obviously, we don’t have an idea on Bristol yet. But I think we can improve just a little bit on both of those tracks that we ran already and try to put ourselves in a good position in that first round. Like you said, it’s kind of all about the Playoffs at this point.”

DOES KNOWING YOU ARE IN A DIFFERENT POINT SITUATION THAN YOU WERE LAST YEAR CHANGE WHERE YOU TRY TO RACE IN THE PACK? DOES THAT CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT WHERE YOU RACE?
“It does. I think for me I’d love to get the Stage wins. But realistically, our goal is to get to the end and have a shot to win. That’s really the big goal is trying to get the five bonus points for the Playoffs, and also to get a good starting spot for Darlington. Those two things are first and foremost. But in the grand scheme of things, Rudy (Fugle, crew chief) and I talked about it, it’s not a huge deal either way. So, for us it’s about having fun and trying to go out there and get another win and continue to learn some things and build some things for Talladega. Obviously, the package is different. Less horsepower than we’ve had. So, I think we’re going to be going quite a bit slower. And that’s going to play a role too in trying to learn the draft and the aero package for the next race in the Playoffs. So, I’m just trying to take the temperature on the draft and what’s a safe position to be in. If I can be up front the whole race, then great. But if I get shuffled back and it feels too dicey, then I’ll try to make it to the end.”

HOW DO YOU BALANCE TRYING TO GO ALL-OUT AND TRYING TO GET AS MANY PLAYOFF POINTS AS YOU CAN, KNOWING THOSE COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ADVANCING ON OR BEING ELIMINATED POST-SEASON?
“It’s definitely on our minds. I felt like we and Kyle (Larson) have been close, the last three races. I think we had that unfortunate thing at Indy with the curb and that hurt us in the points. So, we’re probably five points, I think, behind him and it would be really nice to get that position. Kyle is a good plate racer. He’s gotten better and better every time and closer to a win. He’s going to be tough to beat. So, we’ve just got to keep tabs on him and try race as hard as we can, and hopefully we can finish the race third in points. I think there is only one point between me and him, third versus fourth, but still, it would be a good one to have.”

LAST WEEK, ROSS CHASTAIN MADE AN INTERESTING COMMENT ABOUT HOW HE USED TO BE FEARFUL GOING INTO SUPERSPEEDWAY RACES JUST BECAUSE THERE’S GOING TO BE THE BIG ONE AT THE END OF THE RACE. HOW DO YOU CALM YOURSELF TO FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND KNOWING THAT COULD COME AT THE END OF THE RACE?
“That’s a good question. I think I’ve grown more at peace with it as my skill has kind of improved on those tracks. There’s a lot out of your control at those places. But I do feel like, as I’ve improved and led more laps and been in more positions to win or finish in the top 5, it’s made the end of the race easier. It’s made the end of the race more about how can I make the right move and less about how can I avoid a wreck? I do think the first handful of superspeedway races I wasn’t really comfortable with it, and didn’t really like the end of the race because I knew a wreck was coming. And I wasn’t really willing to take those risks or didn’t really know how to take the right risk. So yeah, I think your mindset changes as you improve, and you focus more on trying to win.”

YOU MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF EXECUTION IN THE PLAYOFFS. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON ALL SEASON TO POSITION YOURSELVES AS CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS?
“We started the year really strong with the win in the third race. After that we were in the top 10, it felt like every week, for a while. That came down to just execution and having the balance of the car close. Those were all race tracks that Rudy and I had been to together. So, we were just using the notebook of Chad (Knaus) and the other crew chiefs to figure out what to do. And then we went through the summer, and I thought we had speed, but we didn’t execute. We kind of left that behind. Some of it was on my end and some of it was on the team. We just kind of needed to clean it up. I feel like after the summer break, we’ve really been a top 5 team every week. I think we are really capable right now of executing well. We’ve gotten back to our roots in that and made our race cars just a little bit better, I think. So, I feel like we just have to continue to execute. It sounds simple but it is really hard. We’re just trying to keep that going like we did in the early part of the season and hopefully the wins will come.”

IN LOOKING BACK TO LAST YEAR’S DAYTONA RACE, WHAT DID YOU DO RIGHT?
“I think every speedway race that you win or do well, there’s a little bit of both. I think there’s always a little bit of luck and there’s always a little bit of skill. I don’t think aby of the plate races, the guys who win them, are pretty much the guys who should win them, especially lately. In that race, we were a good car but our car needed tires to handle well enough to make the aggressive moves. So, I think we were running about fifth or sixth before we pitted. We kind of knew we weren’t going to have the ability to go up there and get the lead with the way our car was handling. So, we put tires on and restarted in the back. We were stuck for a couple of laps, but I knew with our tire advantage, once we got a lane to run in and could make drafting moves, I felt fine about it. We were really fortunate to miss the one big wreck. The move with the No. 22 and the No. 43 was really about the way that we were handling and the confidence I had to split the gap. There was enough of a gap there to squeeze in and put it four-wide and that was definitely the race-winning move. I think a lot of it had to do with knowing our race car, being confident in the moves I could make, and then getting lucky that a tire didn’t go down when I kind of split the gap.”

WHAT GOALS DID YOU HAVE STARTING THIS SEASON AND DO YOU THINK YOUR RESULTS SO FAR HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT WITH THOSE GOALS? HOW MUCH HAS BEING TEAMMATES WITH CHASE ELLIOTT AND KYLE LARSON PUSHED YOU TO ACHIEVE WHAT YOU’VE DONE SO FAR THIS YEAR?
“We’ve performed better in some ways than I thought we would. Probably less in the laps led category. I think we still have some room to go there to lead more consistently in races. But we have led in a lot of different races, so that’s been good. It shows we have speed. As far as the teammates go, we started the year knowing that Kyle and Chase were going to be really good. And that Alex (Bowman) was going to be really good. He’s won a race each year in his Cup Series career with Hendrick. So, we knew our teammates were going to keep us really honest. It is just kind of all about us clicking well. And we were able to win that race early and kind of battle with our teammates for that one. And that was a big confidence boost. Ever since then it’s just been all about trying to execute and put ourselves in good positions and I feel like we’ve been close to a number of wins.”
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.

Kaz Grala to Drive the No. 16 Goettl Air Conditioning Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Daytona

LEXINGTON, N.C. (August 25, 2021) – Following the team’s first NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kaulig Racing is pleased to welcome Goettl (gEHt-uhl) Air Conditioning onboard the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

No stranger to the NASCAR Cup Series, Goettl will be the primary partner on Kaulig Racing’s part-time No. 16 entry piloted by Kaz Grala. Grala recently earned Kaulig Racing a sixth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this year in the team’s third start of the 2021 NCS season.

“We are super excited to have Goettl join us at Daytona and couldn’t think of a better time to join us than right after our first NASCAR Cup Series win as a team!” Said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “The last time Kaz drove for us, he was close to a top-five finish, so we are hoping to build on that this weekend at the World Center of Racing.”

Goetll, a pioneer in the air conditioning and plumbing industry, has been one of the superior heating and cooling installation, repair and preventative services for over 80 years. From small repairs to full system overhauls, Goettl promises its customers quality and reliability.

“We made the final decision to partner with Kaulig Racing and Kaz Grala when my dog, Sadie, gave them ‘the wheaten greetin’ approval,” said Ken Goodrich, CEO of GOETTL Air Conditioning & Plumbing. “Kaulig Racing does things ‘the right way, not the easy way’ just like the perfectionists at Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing!”

The annual Coke Zero Sugar 400 will take place on Saturday, August 28 at 7PM ET on NBC.

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and made the Championship 4 round for the first time in 2020. Kaulig Racing fields three, full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Jeb Burton, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by AJ Allmendinger. With multiple wins Kaulig Racing has come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. The team has made multiple starts in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) in 2021, including the Daytona 500 with Kaz Grala. In the team’s seventh-ever NCS start, AJ Allmendinger won at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.The team has acquired two charters for the 2022 season, with plans to begin full-time competition in the NCS. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.


About Goettl Air Conditioning
Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing is an industry pioneer. We continue a legacy started in 1939, when Gust and Adam Goettl developed the Phoenix area’s first evaporative cooler and refrigerated AC unit to battle the severe desert temperatures. Ken Goodrich, our CEO leads the company after working on Goettl units his whole life. We take pride in doing the job right the first time around. Our highly skilled and continuously trained technicians provide a high standard of service you won’t find anywhere else. Our technicians are “Sadie Certified”. If Sadie doesn’t like them, we won’t send them to your house.

LANDON CASSILL
Daytona Advance
No. 96 Carnomaly Toyota Camry

Event Overview
● Event: Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Round 26 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 28
● Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway
● Layout: 2.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 160 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 50 laps / Stage 2: 50 laps / Final Stage: 60 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● When NASCAR Cup Series veteran Landon Cassill straps into the cockpit of the No. 96 Carnomaly Toyota Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing (GBR) on Saturday night in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, it will be his milestone 500th career start across NASCAR’s top-three series.

● Saturday night’s 400-mile race on the 2.5-mile Daytona oval will be the 325th of Cassill’s Cup Series career dating back to his debut on June 13, 2010 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. It will be his first Cup Series start since the 2019 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 32-year-old from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will be just 24 hours removed from his 167th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start dating back to 2007. His 499th career NASCAR start comes Friday night in the Xfinity Series race at Daytona, which will be his 23rd start of the season as a fulltime competitor for JD Motorsports. Cassill also raced in eight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events in 2008 and 2010.

● Carnomaly, the world’s leading automotive crypto company with an eye on revolutionizing the future of the automotive industry, will serve as the primary partner for Cassill and the No. 96 GBR Toyota both Saturday night at Daytona and for the Oct. 3 YellaWood 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Carnomaly’s fleet of tech solutions is designed to bring digital innovation to the automotive industry through the power of blockchain and crypto technology. Through the company’s innovation, Carnomaly is on a path to change the way consumers buy, sell, shop, report and finance new or used vehicles. The Coke Zero 400 will be its first appearance as a primary team partner in NASCAR.

● The No. 96 Carnomaly Toyota Camry will be making GBR’s 79th start since joining the Cup Series as a part-time team in 2017 and its sixth start of 2021.Team owner Marty Gaunt’s almost two-decades-long relationship with Toyota dates back to his ownership of Toyota-powered Clean Line Racing in the Truck Series, which became Red Horse Racing, as well as his executive role in the formation of Red Bull’s nascent Toyota-powered Cup Series team. Gaunt’s Toyota ties strengthened after the 2008 season, when he purchased Triad Racing Development, which leased Toyota engines across NASCAR’s Cup, Xfinity and Truck series and continues to be NASCAR’s exclusive distributor of Toyota parts as Triad Racing. Gaunt founded GBR in 2010, with his eponymous team starting out in the Canada-based NASCAR Pinty’s Series and the U.S.-based NASCAR K&N Pro Series. Its first driver, Jason Bowles, scored GBR’s maiden victory in the 2011 Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway, with the precursor to that win being the pole position in track-record time at the 2011 Streets of Toronto 100. After seven years competing in NASCAR’s development divisions, Gaunt stepped up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017.

● Saturday night’s race will be the seventh on the Daytona oval for GBR. D.J. Kennington drove it to a best finish of 13th in the July 2018 race, and Parker Kligerman drove it to 15th in the 2019 Daytona 500. A year ago this weekend, Daniel Suárez drove the No. 96 GBR Toyota to the lead midway through the race and led 19 laps before an accident on the next-to-last scheduled lap of the race ended his bid. In this past February’s Duel qualifying races for the Daytona 500, veteran driver Ty Dillon finished a solid sixth in the No. 96 Toyota but was nipped at the finish line by .04 of a second in his bid to qualify for The Great American Race. It marked the highest Duel finish ever by a team that did not qualify for the Daytona 500.

Landon Cassill, Driver of the No. 96 Carnomaly Toyota Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing

Your first career start in the Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota will be the milestone 500th of your career across NASCAR’s top-three series. Does that make Saturday night’s race that much more special for you?

“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s been an interesting couple of years with COVID and running fulltime in Xfinity. You know, I’ve made a vast majority of my career starts in the Cup Series, but it’s really exciting to be making my 500th NASCAR start. I guess I have a lot of experience (laughs). It’s kind of humbling and emotional, honestly, to think about making that many starts. That’s a career, not just getting in by luck or by chance. It’s a lot of work and sacrifice from my family and support from my family and teams and sponsors over the years that have given me opportunities time and again. It’s pretty incredible.”

One of the things that you’re known for is taking care of equipment and being there at the end of the race. How important will that be for you Saturday night at Daytona?

“That’s what it’s about. You want to be fast and you want to show your speed, but the most important thing is to see the white flag because that’s the only way to give yourself a chance at these places. For me, the first 50 laps are going to be where I want to feel the car and understand my spotter and really try to get an idea of what this team is going to be like. We don’t have any practice or qualifying, so I really want to use the first part of the race to get comfortable and communicate with my crew chief and maybe get through a pit stop cycle before I really start getting aggressive.”

Do you feel having raced in Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race will help you get up to speed more quickly Saturday night?

“With the car just on another level in the Cup Series, I don’t think technically it’ll help me. But I think fundamentally I’ll be in the mindset, I’ll be fresh off a race, I will have done things right, I’ll have things that I’ll want to improve from the night before, so I think it’s definitely helpful that I’ll have myself in the right mindset going into Saturday.”

Everyone says you can’t succeed at the superspeedway events without the help of friends. You’ll be one of seven Toyota drivers out there Saturday night. How does that bode for you and the No. 96 team?

“It’s definitely good equipment, it’s definitely good company to be in. Gaunt Brothers has a relationship with those teams that they’ve earned and built, so I’m just looking forward to getting in the car and doing the best service that I can for everyone.”

You and team owner Marty Gaunt have talked about racing together over the years, and now you finally get your chance. How far back does your relationship go?

“When I first worked with Marty, I ran his engines at BK Racing back in 2012. We haven’t really worked together since then, but we’ve both been in the sport and we’re both very deep into the business and we’ve known each other well. We talk pretty consistently, always have stayed in touch, and we just have really good conversations.”

How special is it for you to bring Carnomaly to an actual NASCAR Cup Series race after partnering with the company in esports?

“Carnomaly is really cool, and it’s really exciting for me to bring them in because it’s the blend of my love for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology and automotive. Carnomaly is really breaking new ground in the cryptocurrency space by creating an automotive-focused platform that’s all on their blockchain, and it’s a really incredible technology that’s going to have a lot of cool use cases in the automotive world. So, as a kid who grew up in car dealerships and racecars, and now my recent dealings with cryptocurrency, it’s a really good partnership. That’s really where it came from almost a year ago when I first started talking with Carnomaly and got them involved on the esports side.”

How long have you been active in cryptocurrency and how were you able to bring companies like Carnomaly into NASCAR?

“I got into cryptocurrency back in 2013 and it’s something that’s delivered a great yield for me, personally. But I really decided a couple of years ago that I wanted to bring it into my professional career and I started networking in the space and meeting people. Networking in the cryptospace is how I developed relationships with Carnomaly, and with Voyager, my partner on the Xfinity Series side. Voyager is the first fulltime primary sponsorship that’s paid for entirely in cryptocurrency. It’s my marquee partner sponsoring my No. 4 car at JD Motorsports all season long in the Xfinity Series. It’s helped break new ground with partnerships like Carnomaly, which is more proof that NASCAR is a great place for these new companies and new networks and new communities to be to get their name out there and show their use cases. For Carnomaly, it’s exciting to get them to the Cup Series, get them to a couple of tracks where we could have a shot at winning the race, especially with a car like the No. 96 at Gaunt Brothers. They’ve got just really good equipment and stuff that’s capable of running really well.”

CHASE BRISCOE
Daytona Advance
No. 14 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview
● Event: Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Round 26 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 28
● Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway
● Layout: 2.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 160 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 50 laps / Stage 2: 50 laps / Final Stage: 60 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Chase Briscoe’s No. 14 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will sport a new look this weekend with Mobil 1, the Official Motor Oil of NASCAR since 2003, serving as the primary partner at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for the first time this season. Mobil 1 products are used throughout the racecar and they extend beyond just engine oil. Power steering fluid, transmission fluid, gear oil and driveline lubricants from Mobil 1 give Briscoe and team a technical advantage over their counterparts by reducing friction, heat and rolling resistance.

● The bold new livery features the Mobil 1 brand’s iconic Pegasus and Mobil1Thousand.com on the TV panel. Mobil 1 Thousand is a weekly contest guaranteeing that if Mobil 1 wins, fans win. Through the remainder of the season, one fan will win $1,000 or more if a NASCAR Cup Series driver who uses Mobil 1 scores the victory. The sweepstakes remains open through the NASCAR postseason, with even higher prize totals for the playoffs and special bonuses for cutoff races. Fans can sign up at Mobil1Thousand.com for a chance to win.

● Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona marks the end of the regular season for the Cup Series drivers and Briscoe’s last chance to earn a spot in the 16-driver playoff field. Though his rookie season was slow to start, the No. 14 team has shown more speed and consistency over the last three races. Briscoe earned his third top-10 of the season at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International before heading home to compete on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. At Indy, he qualified on the front row, led a total of 12 laps and was contending for the win before a last-lap run-in with leader Denny Hamlin left him one-lap down in 26th. In the Cup Series’ most recent outing at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn last Sunday, Briscoe struggled in the early stages of the race before advancing as high as fifth with five laps remaining. Kurt Busch’s car snapped loose in front of Briscoe, causing damage to the nose of the No. 14 Ford and costing Briscoe positions, but he held on for an 11th-place finish.

● Briscoe made his Cup Series debut in this year’s Daytona 500 and finished 19th after sustaining damage early in the race when the car in front of him had a tire go down and made contact with the No. 14. Outside of the Cup Series, Briscoe has made six starts at Daytona – four in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one apiece in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series. His best finish is third, earned twice – August 2020 in the Xfinity Series and February 2017 in the Truck Series.

● Briscoe will also compete in Friday night’s Wawa 250 Xfinity Series race piloting the No. 99 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for BJ McLeod Motorsports. It’s his second Xfinity Series start of the season, the last coming at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, where he finished sixth.

● With 25 races complete in the Cup Series season, Briscoe is 22nd in the driver championship standings and leads the Rookie of the Year battle by 213 points over Anthony Alfredo.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You’re running double duty. How does that help at a track like Daytona, where success is really about staying out of trouble?

“I’ve really enjoyed the last couple of years running Daytona in the Xfinity Series. There were only two Fords in the field and we had to work so hard to run well against everyone else when all the manufacturers and multicar teams work together. It was more rewarding to come out of those races with a good finish and you felt like you really did something when you were at a deficit in terms of numbers. It’ll be fun to do that and help the other Fords in the field and add to those numbers. Superspeedway racing is a completely different game. Running on Friday will just give me a chance to go in with nothing to lose and get a feel for that type of racing coming off of all the road-course races. Michigan gave us a little taste of it with the way the draft works there, but there’s nothing like Daytona, so the extra track time will be nice.”

It’s the last chance to get in the playoffs. What is the strategy for the No. 14 team?

“I think it’s what my strategy has always been at Daytona and that’s to stay aggressive all day long. I don’t like to run in the back and wait it out. One conversation with Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. years ago really changed my thinking on how to race Daytona and Talladega. Every time I’ve followed his advice of just going for it from the start and staying aggressive, I’ve run well. You still have to stay out of trouble, but if you’re just hanging out in the back you don’t know what your balance is in the pack and what you need your car to do when you finally do get up there, so we’ll just try to get up front from the beginning and stay there.”

You finished 19th in the Daytona 500, but is there really any comparison between where the team was then and where you are now?

“No, not at all. I was a totally different driver then. It was my first race as a Cup driver and there were so many things I was still trying to learn during the race, not to mention trying to see how the other drivers race. The Cup car and Xfinity cars are so different on the superspeedways with how they race. It was pretty eye opening, but now I’ve raced Daytona and Talladega, so I think that will help. In general, we’re a different team than we were and, if we can do what we’ve done the last few weeks, execute all day and last until the end, I think we’ll have a shot at the win and the playoffs.”

No. 14 Mobil 1 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

Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway offers Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy team one last chance to be among the 16 team that will participate in the 2021 Cup Series Playoffs.

DiBenedetto and the Menards/Dutch Boy team enter the regular season finale 16th in the Cup Series standings, but because two teams behind them in the standings have a race victory this season, the No. 21 team will need a win on Saturday night to return to the Playoffs.

DiBenedetto, who will start Saturday night’s 400-miler from ninth place, said he and the Menards/Dutch Boy team are optimistic that they will be able to earn that final Playoff spot.

“We have really fast Mustangs on the speedways, and our team is on a roll,” he said, adding that he and the crew, including spotter Doug Campbell, will be making plans to best respond to the different scenarios that races at Daytona produce.

“Doug and I study like crazy for these races,” he said. “We have an entire day set aside to study together and be fully prepared for what I call a chess match of a race.”

DiBenedetto and the Menards/Dutch Boy team have reasons to be hopeful for a victory.

They enter the race riding a string of six consecutive finishes of 11th or better, including top-six finishes in the past two races.

And Fords have been fast at Daytona and its sister track, Talladega Superspeedway. Ford drivers have won 10 of the past 12 Cup races at Talladega and have six wins in the past 14 Cup races on the oval at Daytona, including the most recent race there.

“Obviously the hope is to get this Menards/Dutch Boy Mustang in the Playoffs because we have a ton of strength and momentum as a team,” DiBenedetto said.

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is set to get the green flag just after 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, with TV coverage on NBC.

Stage breaks are set for Laps 50 and 100 of the 160-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.

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Daytona

The 2021 regular season comes to a close Saturday night at ‘The World Center of Racing’ as both Ryan Newman and Chris Buescher will be part of the group battling for the last spot in the 2021 NASCAR Playoffs. Odds have been in favor of the RFR Fords as Jack Roush has 11 wins overall at Daytona, five of which came in the summer race.

Coke Zero Sugar 400
Saturday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. ET
NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

• Ryan Newman, No. 6 Coke Zero Sugar Ford Mustang
• Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang

Michigan Recap, Daytona Preview

· Buescher survived much of the late chaos in Sunday’s 400-mile race at Michigan to bring home a 15th place finish in the Castrol Ford.

· Newman had his eyes set on a top-10 late before a multi-car pileup collected the ITsavvy Mustang, ultimately relegating him to a 24th-place finish.

· Fifth Third Bank – who was on the car for Roush’s last win at Daytona – returns to Buescher’s No. 17 this weekend.

· Newman will carry the new look of Coke Zero Sugar on his Ford Mustang as part of the brand’s rollout of its new flavor and packaging.

Confidence? No Problem
It is no secret that the Superspeedway program Jimmy Fennig and Roush Fenway have built is stellar. Go back to the 2017 campaign which saw Ricky Stenhouse Jr. win twice on Superspeedways, and Jack Roush’s Fords have been in the hunt in nearly every race since. At Daytona alone, Roush has four top-10s in the past five races, including two each from Ryan Newman and Chris Buescher.

Early crashes caught both RFR Fords in the 2021 Daytona 500, and the 2020 summer race ended similarly for Newman, while Buescher finished that chaotic event in ninth. The 2020 version of the Daytona 500 has been well documented, a horrific ending that saw Buescher finish third, but was most notable for Newman ending the event on his roof only to walk out of a Florida hospital two days later.

Take the same time frame at Talladega and Roush has five top-10s, including a very close second-place finish by Newman in the 2019 fall event. Buescher and Newman finished sixth in the spring and fall 2020 events, respectively, and overall an RFR Ford has led laps in five straight Talladega races.

Shining Bright in the ‘Sunshine State’
In 216 NCS starts at Daytona, Roush Fenway has recorded seven wins, 41 top-fives, 78 top-10s and has led 832 laps. Stenhouse earned the win in this race three years ago, the organizations most recent win overall. RFR also has five poles in the Cup series at Daytona, with the most recent coming in 2016 with Greg Biffle.

Two Trips to Victory Lane in 2017
Just two years after earning his first ever NASCAR win, Ryan Reed survived a wild kickoff to the 2017 season. He survived multiple on-track incidents after starting on the outside of the front row and led only nine laps, but the final two, en route to the win over a host of Cup regulars.

Then, in July of 2017, Stenhouse found himself in victory lane for the second time after leading 17 laps in his Fifth Third Ford. Stenhouse first led at lap 86, and from there survived a total of 14 cautions for 51 laps in what was his second win of the season.

Born in the USA

Roush Fenway has recorded five victories in the July event at Daytona, including the organization’s first at the high-banked oval with former driver Jeff Burton in 2000. Former Roush Fenway drivers Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray and David Ragan earned victories in 2003, 2007 and 2011, respectively. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. earned the fifth in 2017.

Roush Fenway Daytona Wins

2000-2 Burton Cup

2003-2 Biffle Cup

2004 Edwards Truck

2006 Martin Truck

2007-2 McMurray Cup

2009-1 Kenseth Cup

2011-2 Ragan Cup

2012-1 Kenseth Cup

2015-1 Reed NXS

2017-1 Reed NXS

2017-2 Stenhouse Jr. Cup