Toyota GAZOO Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

POCONO, Pa. (June 21, 2025) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Saturday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Progressive Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

How important is it for NASCAR from a growth standpoint to keep building and fostering relationships with athletes from other professional sports?

“There’s definitely a lot of crossover. There’s been examples of that. Promotion of the sport has always been important. There’s only so many sports fans and so many eyeballs and programs they can watch at one time, so you are fighting for those eyeballs. If you can appeal to another sports audience and show them that this is a sport too. Our drivers are athletes or whatever it might be, then you try to get some new fans in our sport.”

What’s it like being a family of five and have you gotten any sleep?

“He’s (Jameson) been great. He’s slept through the night the last three nights in a row. So it’s been really, really great.”

What has made you so good at Pocono over the years?

“Truthfully we’ve been even better than our average finish. We’ve had some tough engine breaks and other things here and there. It’s a track that no matter the car we drive or the tires or the aero package, none of that really matters. You still make speed at this racetrack the same way no matter what car you are driving. I think it’s been one of the few tracks I haven’t had to change my approach to it depending on the car that I’m driving. I think that’s why the success has been sustained.”

Watching last week’s race at home as a fan, what were your impressions of everything?

“From a broadcast standpoint I was entertained. Even when the racing wasn’t super entertaining, what I liked was the broadcast gave you another story they were talking about. Their production was fantastic and their pre and post-race show kept me engaged. There were lulls, but that’s just part of it because sometimes someone wins by 16 seconds and that’s ok. I think they (Amazon Prime) do a good job of telling the stories and getting you excited about strategy and showing how one driver may catch another and be on the lookout for it. They are doing a great job so far.”

Why do you think Amazon Prime’s coverage has resonated with race fans?

“I think they have racers in the booth. If you look at the people that they have, they know the sport inside and out. Dale Jr. hosts a podcast each week that talks about the sport. Steve Letarte is one of the best, if not the best at just keeping you constantly engaged. I just think it’s the rapport they have with each other that’s so good. They are not bound by network and having to hit commercials. I think they talked about it on (Dale) Junior’s podcast this week about being flexible when they take their breaks. I think that’s certainly important because a lot of the gripe you hear is maybe nine laps to go and it’s necessary for network to go to commercial and it’s just not the right time. Unfortunately, that’s just how network TV works.”

What is your overall opinion of the street race in Chicago as it enters the third year?

“I hate that the street race has been mired by rain. I think there was an absolutely amazing feel to the inaugural race and then it downpours and you have to force people to leave. Anytime they have to leave you don’t know if you’ll get them back or not. I think they’ve been up against it as far as conditions are concerned. The track has been good, it’s been racy and has passing zones and the scenery is fantastic as far as the backdrop we are racing in. There’s a lot of positives for the Chicago Street Race. It will probably move around in the future, but it’s in the mold in which I would like to see any street race they continue to implement in the future.”

What are your overall thoughts about the implementation of the in-season tournament?

“I’m a sports guy, so I’m going to be engaged with it. I’ll know who I will have to beat next week. I’ve told the team, we are going to try and do what we can. We are going to be up against it because we are going to tracks that aren’t very favorable to me. But we are going to try to do our best to beat that one car for the next four to five weeks.”

How are you physically feeling after getting the week off last week?

“Really good. I’m older so my body has to go through a reset every seven days. I get to where it’s pretty good by the time we get to Friday and Saturday. But then by Sunday I mess it up again. I go through that cycle all over again. It was good to have a week break. I had the same break everyone else did a month or so ago. I can tell you that the second week off is phenomenal if we can get that back.

You had it before where you’ve had to step out of the car and have time off. What’s the process of getting reacclimated when you come back?

“It wasn’t like I was sitting around hanging by the pool. I did work. When it came to the simulator and meetings, I missed all that stuff. Obviously the focus was on her and being in the hospital longer than normal. I felt like I was a little rusty this week in the sim, it took me an extra 30 minutes to get back in it, but once I did it felt good and feel like I will fire off well today.”

How did the process go as far as the delivery and the decision not to travel to Mexico?

“Truthfully, before Thursday I was going to go to the weekend as scheduled. The labor was tremendous and we knew would have to be there longer than normal and I just said there’s no way I could leave in the next 36 hours, which is what I needed to go there and do the job correctly. If we were racing at Darlington I would have been there on race day. It was just bad timing from a logistical standpoint. You have twelve hours of logistics just to get to Mexico and it didn’t make any sense to me knowing that those few days after can be a fragile time and I can’t just hop back in the plane and easily come home once I’m there.”

What is behind naming your son Jameson?

“I’m James, that’s James’s son, Jameson. And Drew, we wanted to keep J.D. as part of it. J.D. Gibbs was a big part of getting here to the Cup Series. James Dean was the car owner I drove for in late models that got me the equipment to win all of those races to get seen by J.D Gibbs. I’m J.D., so we are just keeping it going.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
POCONO RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
JUNE 21, 2025

 Shane van Gisbergen, driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Pocono Raceway.

Media Availability Quotes:

Two years ago, you burst onto the scene with the Chicago win. A few weeks later here at Pocono, I talked to many drivers, and a lot of them have the sentiment of, yeah, it’s cool that you won at a road course, but try the ovals. And now, two years later, you’re fully invested in NASCAR in a full-time capacity. You have another historic win, ironically, on a road course. But now, here we are. Even though your success on ovals has still been limited, and you’re still learning, what do you say to all the drivers that were like, just do it? How do you respond, I guess?

“I don’t know where to start with that one… but yeah, firstly, good morning, everyone.

Yeah, it’s been an amazing two years, that’s for sure. And it’s been great to tick off another win at a historical event for the sport again, Pretty cool to win another race like that. And it’s been an amazing week — amazing for the team and celebrating our achievement. It’s a pretty cool thing to do. But yeah, I feel like we really are getting better every week on the ovals. It was nice to have a break last week and turn right, which is good, but ready to keep trying to progress. This track will be a tough one. I struggled here, actually, last year, but also our cars weren’t that good either. I was racing my teammates near the back, so it was a tough one. But yeah, just looking forward to keep improving every week, keep learning something. And yeah, it’s not long now until we go to tracks for the second time and looking forward to getting better at them.”

With the win, how does the mindset shift for the rest of the regular season?

“Good question. I don’t think it really has. It was always our goal to win. There’s probably less pressure on road courses now. We can play with our strategy if we want to try and get playoff points now and stuff like that.

But yeah, probably less pressure. We can enjoy the road courses a bit more. But yeah, the ovals, we just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing; keep our head down, keep improving every week, and try and keep getting good results. We’ve been frustrated with top-20s the last couple of weeks, which is a huge improvement for us for how we started. Our potential is getting a lot better, and hopefully we keep getting close to that back-end of the top-10. That would be good.”

You got the opportunity last weekend with celebrating your victory with the first loser and second loser, I guess, is what some people would call it. What was it like to share a podium, since that’s not traditionally done here? I know you’ve done it both ways. Would you prefer having the focus more on the winner as opposed to sharing the second and third?

“Yeah, I guess that’s the way that I’ve grown up doing it, and the way the rest of the world does it. But I love the focus on ‘win or nothing’ here, as well. There’s so much spectacle just behind the winner, and you get all that spotlight.

But it’s damn hard to get second and third in these races, too, so I think it’s good to celebrate that, as well. I can see both sides of it, but I do love the way the winner’s circle or victory lane is here. It’s a really cool privilege to be in that, I think. I’m on the fence, really. I don’t know what’s better, but I like both ways. I like champagne, too, that’s always fun (laughs).”

I know that you’ve talked about just the boarding and the progression that you’ve had to make, and I’m sure it’s as much week by week, but to be in the stretch where there are so many road courses and there are so many really, really good opportunities for you, what does it mean to be at the stretch? Is it something that you were looking forward to, or was it something that was hard to look ahead because there was so much work to be done on everything else?

“I knew it was going to be a real grind from April to now. We really struggled at the start. But as I keep saying, I think we’ve gotten a lot better, and we’re really in the mix now. We’re qualifying in the mix. It’s been fun battling with these guys, and it’s been fun seeing the improvements every week. The metric here, once you’re stuck in that tail end, that’s hard to get out. You go out first in qualifying, and you’re stuck at the back. Once you break that routine, you get some momentum going, and it’s cool to see the metric come out every week and know you’re going to be in a good qualifying spot. It’s been a huge uplift, and the meetings have been a lot of fun. You really feel a lot more confidence, which is really cool.”

I want to ask you first about the Chicago Street Race. Obviously, it’s a special place for you. You got your first win there a couple of years ago. I want to go a little bit deeper into that and ask you, what is it like as an event, overall, racing in the middle of a downtown city as a street course? What’s your thoughts on that as a concept as a whole in NASCAR, and what excites you about going back in a couple of weeks?

“I think it’s really good. I think NASCAR people maybe should go to Gold Coast, as wel,l and get some ideas about that event. Gold Coast Street Race in Australia, it’s not as good as it was, but that atmosphere and party style is really, really cool. It’s sort of similar… the track’s by the water. It’s got all the buildings. It could still be better from an atmosphere, race, party kind of view. But I think for their first crack at it, it’s been really good. A little unlucky with the weather both years, but I’ve really enjoyed that race.

I think for a street race, it’s got a lot of passing zones, which is very rare for a street circuit. The race has provided, the last couple of years, it’s been an exciting race and seems like a race most people look forward to watching.”

Road courses are undoubtedly a driving strength of yours, but Pocono isn’t your typical oval. It’s the Tricky Triangle for a reason. Do you feel your road racing skills can translate here, and what are the biggest challenges for you here?

“It’s just time. I figured this year, all the tracks I’ve done in Xfinity and everything I’ve learned, I’ve had to throw in the bin basically. The cars are so much different and the way you attack the track, so I’m starting from scratch almost at all these new places. This is tough with the gear changing. I’m not really that good yet at changing down gears with my left foot, which I’ll do here today. I need to keep improving with that.

This track is going to be very difficult for me, but hopefully by the time the race starts, we’re progressing forward again.”

Shane, that win obviously last weekend locked you into the postseason. Have you given any thought at all? Have you looked at the first round of the playoffs and looked at that schedule to try to sit down with your team and figure out maybe what’s our game plan for that first round?

“Yeah, I had a look at what tracks it was, and it’s pretty daunting. Bristol’s a tough track. Gateway, I’ve never been there, but there’s two left-handers by the looks. What’s the other track? Darlington, which I’m okay at, but certainly it’s going to be a really, really tough first round. By then, hopefully, we’ve got 10 weeks to keep getting better and building it up. Looking forward to getting there; having a crack and trying to get through it.”

You mentioned 10 weeks left, wo of those races are road courses going to Chicago and then going to Sonoma the very next week. There probably would have been an emphasis on those for you anyway, even in a must-win situation for the playoffs. But now that you’re locked in, those are excellent chances for you to build playoff points. Is that going to be something you’re looking at maybe going for the win as opposed to a stage win, or a stage win as opposed to a 15th-place finish? Does that change your strategy at all, your postseason outlook?

“Yeah, that’s what happened last year in the Xfinity. We started sacrificing a little bit of track position to try and accumulate points because they’re pretty important in that first round. It may change it, but also winning races is pretty cool, too, so we’ll probably just try and keep putting ourselves in the best position to win those ones.”

Cam Waters is going to get another shot in the Truck Series. Have you talked to him since about the opportunity, and how cool is it seeing some more of your fellow Supercars drivers get more shots in NASCAR?

“Yeah, I haven’t spoke to him about the truck race, but he was trying to do Chicago in the Cup Series. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. He’s probably the favorite to win next week now, so it’ll be really cool to see how he goes and how that race is. I guess it’s a new track. But I wish he was doing the Chicago race, too. It would have been cool to have him in there. I think he’s one of the best talents in V8, so hopefully he can get over here. Let’s go to the left side over here.”

Obviously track position is important, but typically everybody tends to undercut. But now that you guys were able to get that win, do you think that we’re going to start seeing more teams maybe staying out at the end of Stage Two, trying to get to stage points and still being in the track position?

“Yeah, it’s something that we talk about often, as well… that kind of strategy with one less pit stop. But I think at that stage (in Mexico City), the weather was quite threatening, so we were trying to get to the window for that rather than extending the stage. But yeah, it kind of was a surprise on me. I burnt my stuff up trying to get to Ty and get past him. And when I was told we were staying out, I was a bit worried at the time because I didn’t have much tire left, but thankfully, they re-fired okay. It would have been really interesting to see, if that race went green, where Ty would have come out and if he could have caught us. So yeah, it would have been fun to see, but unfortunately we didn’t get to find out.”

Looking at your short time here, at least in the Cup Series, just from the road course perspective, how much has the game changed in terms of maybe strategy or your approach going into each race from when you started at Xfinity to now in the Cup Series?

“I think when I first started, there was no stage breaks, so that’s kind of changed. I think in 2023, there weren’t stages, which was actually better I thought. But yeah, it kind of locks you in on your strategy and everyone kind of just does the same thing now. So yeah, I prefer no stage breaks in the road courses, but it is what it is.

But yeah, the racing is the same. I feel like it’s definitely tougher on the tracks that you go to like Watkins Glen and Sonoma, where everyone’s been going to them for years. I’m a bit of a catch up there, but obviously on the fresh tracks when everyone’s green to it, that’s where I can do a bit better. So yeah, but with more experience, I’m going to get better and better at these road courses.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
POCONO RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
JUNE 21, 2025

 Carson Hocevar, driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Pocono Raceway.

Media Availability Quotes:

This is now the seventh time you guys have seen this left-rear tire package. You guys made some growth at Texas, starting up in front and had the great run, as well, at Nashville. Has there been any difficulty for you kind of adapting to it? And also this week as well, a different right side than you guys saw at Indy last year. So how different do you expect this race to be as compared to your first or last year?

“Yeah, I’m not really sure how different it’s going to be. But, you know, we’ve had our, I don’t know, best races on this left-side tire. So, you know, Texas and Charlotte, I think has it… Nashville, Michigan, kind of all those places. Yeah, we’ve been really fast, so hopefully they don’t change it anytime soon so that we can keep taking advantage of it.

I thought this race was pretty good last year or puts on a decent show, so hopefully it’s not too different. But if it’s going to be, you know, it’s for the positive side of it.”

Any conversations with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. this week or this weekend?

“No, unfortunately. I’m not sure what I could what I would say, right? You know, there’s nothing that really would change it, right? We’ve already had that conversation.

I feel like we have a good relationship or, you know, had one. I was just running behind him, just kind of logging laps and, you know, just locked up in a very dumb spot. And it was just so dumb, really. Just a mistake that didn’t need to happen and didn’t want it to happen. But there’s nothing that I could do or say. You know, I can’t buy him a Hallmark card and, you know, really make things better. So, it sucks. It sucks for me because he’s the only NASCAR driver that owns a sprint car team, and I love sprint cars. So it sucks because I want to go talk to him about sprint cars. So, yeah, hopefully everything can be set, but I know that the scorecard has me ahead right now, unfortunately.”

There’s been a lot of conversation about you, about stuff outside the racetrack, whether it’s the incidents that happened on the racetrack that you carried off or your comments that you made on Twitch. From your perspective, is it getting to a point where it feels like those around you are kind of getting frustrated a little bit, like — hey, let’s just try to focus on what we’re doing instead of the extracurricular stuff?

“Well, I mean, there’s two ways to look at it. Number one, you know, I think everybody in my inner circle wants the best for me and our group. Number two, I feel like I put myself out there a lot more, right? The issue wasn’t for the team having their kind of frustrations that I’m giving my opinion and putting it out there. It’s just the fact that, you know, my opinion wasn’t my opinion. It was just based off everything else, you know, that I’ve heard or seen, right? I didn’t go do my own homework and voice my own opinion. You know, I didn’t give it a shot. I didn’t give it a chance. I didn’t go walk around. I didn’t go see it. When I did, you know, then hindsight’s 20/20, then I have my own opinion. But I’ve already put it out there. So I think that was the biggest thing was like — I wasn’t doing what I pride myself of doing. I was just having my own opinion, putting it out there and being me. You know, I just didn’t give it a fair shot, so I think that’s where it all stems from.”

Your name’s been out there for a couple of weeks in a row now… some good, like Michigan, despite the result, then obviously the Nashville and Mexico City stuff now. How do you put that behind you and keep your perspective and focus on the job at hand when you have to get behind the wheel?

“Yeah, I mean, number one, we’re here at a race track, so we just go racing, right? So, you know, I mean, the scorecard has it that I I’m getting something from the 47 at some point, right? And I think my team and everybody kind of knows that. But at the same time, it’s ideally just the 47, right? It’s not an open hunting season on the 77 because of these incidents. You know, it’s kind of oscillated to, you know, when the 47 has a moment that he wants to take at us or take a shot. It’s just like — OK, you know, that’s probably fair. But with everybody else, my team has reassured me that this isn’t open hunting season. We are going to race like we’ve raced, let’s just not create more enemies that we start getting shots back at us. But, you know, we’re still just going to go race, be aggressive and defend ourselves when we need to. But this is kind of, unfortunately, now a ‘two to nothing’ scorecard. I’ve been a fan of the sport for a long time. You know the game; you’ve seen it and everything. But we just go race.”

When you talk about the scorecard with the No. 47, does that mean if he does something in a race, that’s part of it and that’s, I don’t know if the word is ‘acceptable’ in this situation…

“Well, I’m hoping — I mean, we’re really fast here, so I’m hoping he’s artistic about it that I don’t hit anything. But yeah, I mean, just ultimately — like it could be tomorrow or it could be six months from now, right? It would be very hypocritical for me to then lose my mind and be frustrated. I’ve been a fan for a very long time. You’ve seen these stories before. It’s not, by no means, the first time. So, hopefully, for my sake, it doesn’t happen and we can race, and if I need to, you know, we can point it by whatever. But I know how frustrated I was that I brought this back up because I thought we were good. And I let him go because I was a lap down or whatever, and I was just riding behind him and then I locked up. You live in the world you make for yourself, and this is the world I’ve made.”

You reference that just you live in the world that you make. In the last year, you’ve had some great finishes and performances, but you’ve also drew $100,000 in fines for separate incidents, upset some drivers, which, you know, in some cases, that’s not always a bad thing… I understand that. How do you look at what you need to do moving forward to be, whether it’s a better you or a better driver, or if you feel like, hey, I’m doing the right things and I’m just kind of being misunderstood in some situations?

“Well, I mean, I think there’s a bigger thing or maybe the perception that, you know, you make these mistakes, and for me, like that I don’t care… like, I’m just like, oh, cool. You know, whatever. You know, what’s a fine or what’s this or what’s this? You know, I’ll never get anything back. It’s good. But I’m very hard on myself. When I qualified second, I’m just cussing myself out, basically. So when I do something really dumb or hit somebody, right, like, people just don’t see that because you just go to your hotel room and bang your head against the wall, basically. But, you know, just because I do something in the heat of the moment or maybe, you know, you do it two or three times, doesn’t mean I’m not hard on myself for those mistakes because they are mistakes. You know, it’s just trying not to make that a pattern. But when you’re constantly making aggressive moves like we’re doing, it’s balancing that fine line of, you know, you make a thousand moves a day. Just unfortunately, what people remember isn’t always the good ones. You always remember the negative ones. So that’s just trying to limit the negative ones a lot more.”

Do you feel like you’ve created a pattern for the garage or (inaudible)…

“I already have that image, right? Like it’ll never go away. I could go three years from now and it’s just like – oh, I’m back, per se. I think I’ve already made that image before I got in this garage, and I think it’s just trying to balance one thing of owning it and trying to change the narrative while still being like, yeah, I get it. Like I’m aware of this and knowing that.”

I hate to bring up another sore subject, but have you taken a look at the replay from the restart in yesterday’s truck race? What were your initial reactions, and what are your reactions now?

“Yeah… I mean, I looked at it, for sure. We all did. I know my team was on it. We were all on it. You know, obviously, I think we all — this instance kind of came up at the brickyard, right? We were in the race and studied it, so we instantly knew the No. 34 is the control car. I’m not sure he knew that or their team knew that, so it started slowing the field down a lot. I wish I just at least waited to the second line. But with me starting to get pushed and having Michigan truck restarts in my head, I just decided to go and see what they would have called considering the pace was a lot slower, and they called us. So, you know, I felt like I did the best to try to at least give ourselves a fighting shot, where if I kept backing the field down because he was kind of waiting on me to go, that we probably would have gotten spun anyways and the race is over. So, you know, I tried, what I thought in the moment, was try to keep our truck rolling and fight for another lap, and we just never got a yellow.”

Is there something that can be done to fix that confusion as to who the control truck is in the future?

“I mean, I’m sure. I thought NASCAR did a pretty good job, honestly, with it all. I mean, things just happen so fast. So, yeah, everything can always be better and avoided. And, you know, the circumstances are very unique. So now that it’s happened, you know, the second time around, everybody’s going to have it kind of figured out.”

And then you mentioned you’ve seen these scenarios play out before just as a fan. With everything going on for you on the track with good finishes, but also some off-track stuff making some guys in the garage maybe a little unhappy, do you see it as an example of a young driver kind of taking your legs as you try to grow and mature?

“Yeah, maybe so. I think the biggest thing for me, you know, I’ve just been a fan forever, right? And you always saw the rookie get pushed around and, you know, just kind of have to pay their dues. And I was just like — man, if I’m ever in that spot, I’m never going to get pushed around. That’s how you lose opportunities of races. You never know how long you’re going to be in the garage, for one. None of us have a shot clock waiting on us.

You never know. So for me, I want to take advantage of every opportunity I have out there and have no regrets of the effort I’ve put in. And maybe at times, instead of just not letting myself get pushed over, I’m trying to push other people over, and that was the wrong mindset or wrong decision at times.

But the biggest thing for me was just I didn’t want to leave anything on the racetrack that, you know, looking back long after, I could have won here, or I could have ran really good here. Maybe my career would have been differently if I, you know, came out of the gate as good as we did because I lost the opportunity. And, you know, who knows. But as long as I was just putting 100%, I wouldn’t have any regrets on how anything turned out. Just sometimes when you’re going 110%, that’s sometimes where you’re like — oh, I didn’t really need to do that part.”

You sit 60 points below the playoff cut line, and we’ve had three new winners in the last four races. Are you feeling more stressed to win a race and lock yourself in or do you think you can still point your way in?

“Yeah, I mean, I think by the third DNF, I think our mulligan was over for pointing in. We had already kind of been pointed in. That’s kind of why, you know, when we ran second at Nashville, we were frustrated. Even Atlanta, I was disappointed to run second because our stage points, I think were seventh or eighth highest stage points, but we were like 32nd in finish points. There’s just been a lot of, you know, freak issues or certain circumstances that took us out of races that we’d be in a lot better spot. But you’re just giving up points nonstop. We could find those 60 points really easily between like two or three races, unfortunately, But yeah, it’s not shell shock that we’re sitting here in a must-win kind of situation.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
POCONO RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
JUNE 21, 2025

 Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet and the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, met with the media in advance of running double duty in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series at Pocono Raceway.

Media Availability Quotes:

“We would like to take some positive things that we had a year ago to this weekend. That would be great. So, we will just keep chipping away, and I thought we were doing some good things so we just have to do some of the things we are doing well and add some more to it.”

WILLIAM (BYRON) AND KYLE (LARSON) ARE 1-2 IN POINTS, LED A LOT OF LAPS AND WON RACES. YOU ARE NOT TOO FAR BEHIND THEM, BUT WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO DO TO LEAD MORE AND GET INTO VICTORY LANE?

“I think there are a lot of things that go into that. It’s a little bit of everything truthfully, but I think probably the biggest one, is qualifying. You know I think the qualifying thing is so important and an area that I have struggled in. No doubt. So, when I look at some of the races…I look at Michigan, I think Michigan is a good example. We got ourselves up front and when that happened, I thought we were super competitive. It was like night and day from running around 10th to 20th and just a lot of traffic, and starting runs in traffic and it can just really dictate what your car drives like. So, I think being up front, having a really good pit stall, keeping yourself up there, it can change the complexion of your day in such a large way that it can really be overlooked. So, I think that would be really top of mind for me as I look at what is one thing that we can do to help ourselves, and I think that is probably it.”

WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT TO RUN THE XFINITY RACE THIS WEEKEND?

“Well, I mean it’s an opportunity for me to get better. I don’t do a ton of Xfinity races or Truck races or whatever, so for me, it’s mainly the Cup thing. So, it’s an opportunity to race and I only had one on my schedule this year and when they talked about adding another one I was super open to it and wanted to get involved. Had a lot of fun in Darlington, thought we were really competitive and right in the mix. So, I think the car is in a really good spot and everybody on the Xfinity side of the shop has done a really good job of getting this thing really where it needs to be. So, yeah, it’s been fun to be a part of that process a little bit and hopefully we can keep it rolling and have some fun and also get some reps here today and kind of get myself up to speed. I hope that it will help us a little bit on the Cup side and just start the day off quick, get a good qualifying effort over there, and help us for tomorrow.”

YOU HAD THE UNIQUE POSITION OF BEING ON A PODIUM LAST WEEK. ARE YOU FOR THAT IN FUTURE RACES?

“Yeah, I am not really for it or against it. I am fine with it. I have no problem in giving Shane (Van Gisbergen) his congratulations and making sure he is celebrated properly. He won the race, and he deserved the right to that. Me being the second loser, I can get in there and make sure that I appreciate the job that he did. I guess that is what you are getting at, there is no doubt. Would I have rather that been me? Yeah, no question. It’s not normal for us, so I am okay with it, I am okay with doing it, I am okay with not doing it. If that is going to be a new thing, then it’s totally fine and we can start a new tradition. But that has not historically been us, so I just want to make sure our focus is being us, being NASCAR and that is okay. We are our own form of motorsports and we can stand on our own two feet and we can do our own thing. So, as long as we are not doing it to be like everyone else, I am fine. But if that is the case, I am also good not doing it.”

WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE SO FAR, HAS THIS BEEN A GOOD SEASON FOR YOU?

“That is a good question. Good? Sure, but it’s not where I want to be no doubt. I think for us there have been some high spots and to be honest, there have been weeks where we have run well where we have had a good finish, and there have been weeks where we have not had a good finish and I can go home and be like, ‘man, we were in the mix, and we had good pace today’. And those are the weeks where you just want to feel like you are in the ball game as it pertains to pace, doing the right things, and getting up in there and giving yourself a shot. Those days I can go home and have something to be proud of. It’s the days and weekends where we are just not even relevant that I think are the most frustrating to me. We have had more of those than I would want to have and that we would want to have as a team. So, I think it’s been good but not satisfactory for myself or to our team, but there is still a lot of racing left in the season and I think we have ourselves in a position to make a mediocre day alright. We can build from it, and we still have a chance.”

ARE YOU APPROACHING THESE NEXT FIVE RACES AS GETTING THE WIN, OR POINTS OR CASE BY CASE BASIS?

“I think it’s a little bit case by case and a lot of it comes back to my speed comments. It’s do you really have a legit shot at winning that day. I mean just based on your pace and so on and so forth. Its super circumstantial is the best way to answer that. The biggest circumstance that is going to dictate what you do in those moments is what kind of pace you have, and what kind of real shot you have to win the race when you just kind of sit back and look at the day so far and compare it to the guys that have had good air and are out front. I have a pretty good idea when that is the case and when that is not the case, but certainly Alan and everybody on the box on the team, they are the ones that are watching that much closer than I am able to. So, we will see, and I hope that we are fast, and I am down with giving up Stage points to give ourselves a shot to win, all day long for sure. But if you are struggling and you are not super-fast, then some days those points might be worth the risk to try and get them and put yourself in a deficit the next stage.”

HOW WILL YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH THE HIGHER WINDS, AND WHERE WILL IT AFFECT YOU THE MOST?

“It’s definitely been windy in general, I feel like across the country. It seems like….especially this late in the year. But I do think the wind died down yesterday and I don’t feel like its going to be as big of a deal today and tomorrow from what I saw. But, it just depends on what direction it’s blowing and which direction the wind is pushing you, and where it’s working. The wind can work against you, but it can also work with you, for car handling too. Having a head wind is a good thing, right? So, you have to kind of think about it both ways and making a lap, you are going to see all different directions of the wind. And it just depends on which way its going and which corner it’s going to help you and which one it’s going to hurt you. You have to think about that a little bit.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR DESIGN TO DRIVE INITIATIVE?

“Yeah, for those that don’t know, it’s been our foundation’s initiative over the last nine years. It’s just all in support of children’s health care of Atlanta. We have typically done something around the Atlanta race every year and it’s been a lot of fun to be a part of it and watch it grow. It started as a shoe initiative where we were designing shoes, and we were auctioning those off. Then NAPA got involved and really when NAPA got involved it kind of took it to the next step, because they have given up one of their races to let this happen. A young girl named Raylen has designed my car, my helmet, and all the things for next weekend in Atlanta. I am super excited to meet her and have her family out at the track and hopefully spread some joy with her and her family and also to help a good cause. They are a fantastic network of hospitals, and I have some close friends of mine that have gone through there and it’s an amazing place if you do have to do anything. And no one wants that, right? But an amazing place, amazing atmosphere, great doctors, so we are just really proud and it’s an honor for me to partner with them. I am sure it’s not as much help as a lot of people do, but we have tried to help where we can and to grow this deal and it’s been a really fun thing to be a part of. So, I am looking forward to it next weekend as well.”

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS GOING TO YOUR HOME TRACK?

“I would like to go win. Pretty simple.”

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN TAKE, EVEN WITHOUT WINNING, THAT YOU AND THE TEAM CAN TAKE FROM THE CONSISTENCY SO FAR INTO THE LATTER HALF OF THE SEASON?

“The consistency has been good, but this deal really rewards winning. It’s way more important to win and to get those Playoff points in fives than to have to wait till the end of the regular season and maybe get eight or ten, depending on where you finish in the points. So, you need to have some wins, and you need to finish good in the points and then kind of double down on that to get yourself in a really good spot. The consistency is nice, no question. I think our team has done a really good job taking some of those days where we were not having a good day, and digging in, and finding a way to just get something halfway decent out of it. Sometimes that can be a really hard thing to do, and I am really proud of them for that. Because it’s easy to throw in the towel on those days, just lose it and be done and go try again next week. But we as a whole, we don’t know any better and we just keep trying, keep pushing, and make the most out of whatever the day has brought us.”

About General Motors

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