Pocono Raceway
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 3:00 PM ET
2.5-Mile Triangle
Sunday, June 27, 2021, 3:30 PM ET
Location: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (18 and 19 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 28 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 2nd
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
THREE IN A ROW: Last Sunday in the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, Kyle Larson led 264 of 300 laps in the No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet to capture his third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series points-paying race. In the NASCAR modern era (1972 – present), eight drivers have won a record four straight races including former Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jimmie Johnson (2007) and Jeff Gordon (1998).
MOVIN’ ON UP: Following the season’s 11th race at Kansas Speedway in May, Larson ranked ninth in the driver standings, 144 markers behind the leader. In six points-paying events since, Larson has wins in the last three races along with three second-place finishes for a 1.5 average result. In that span, he has moved up seven spots to second in the standings and now trails by only 10 points.
WIN, PLACE FOR SHOW: Larson has finished first or second in eight of 17 NASCAR Cup Series races this season. He won at Nashville, Sonoma Raceway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway while posting second-place finishes at Circuit of The Americas, Dover International Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. He also won the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month.
ALMOST HALFWAY THERE: Through 17 of 36 Cup Series races, Larson leads the series in wins (four), stage wins (12); playoff points (32), top-five finishes (10) and laps led (1,426). He is tied for most pole positions (one) and is tied for second with 12 top-10s.
CAREER-HIGH ALREADY: There have been 4,591 laps completed in points races during the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season and Larson has paced the field a series-high 1,426 times (31%), a new career-high for laps led during a season for the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet. Larson’s four victories this year match his career-high total set in 2017.
IT’S TRICKY, TRICKY, TRICKY: In 12 starts at Pocono Raceway, Larson has nine finishes of 12th or better including a second-place finish in 2018. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE also holds the NASCAR qualifying record at the “Tricky Triangle” of 183.438 mph set in August 2014.
NEVER IN DOUBT: Larson has never won a Cup Series race on a 2.5-mile track, but the 28-year-old driver has marked several “nevers” off his list in 2021. In March at Las Vegas, he won his first race on a 1.5-mile track while, in early June at Sonoma Raceway, Larson scored his first road course triumph in NASCAR’s premier series.
QUICK WORK: At 13.64 seconds, the No. 5 pit crew now 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).
YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 4th
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
HITTING HALFWAY: This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series will hit the halfway mark of the 2021 season. In the first 17 races, Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, has amassed one win, four runner-up results, eight top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. In those 17 races, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has led a total of 129 laps and collected one stage win. Elliott has spent 1,552 laps inside the top five and 2,916 laps running in the top 10. His average running position for the season is 9.78 and his average finish is 11.77. Elliott currently sits fourth in the driver point standings, 94 behind leader Denny Hamlin.
POCONO PAST: Elliott has made 10 Cup Series starts at Pocono and collected three top-five finishes and seven top-10s. His lone NASCAR Xfinity Series race there came in 2018 when he started 10th and notched a runner-up finish in the 100-lap event. In his first of two ARCA Series starts at Pocono, Elliott started 32nd and went on to lead 21 laps before earning his first career ARCA win in June 2013.
ENGINE, ENGINE NO. 9: This weekend, Elliott could become the third driver to win at Pocono with the No. 9 car. The iconic number is currently tied with the Nos. 2, 18 and 24 for third for the most victories at the track with six. Elliott’s father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, garnered five of those wins and Kasey Kahne collected the most recent victory in the No. 9 in June 2008. Only the Nos. 11 (10) and 88 (seven) have more Pocono wins.
GUSTAFSON AT THE ‘TRICKY TRIANGLE’: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson has called 32 races from atop the pit box at Pocono, and he will add two more to his résumé this weekend. In his previous starts at the 2.5-mile triangle with five different drivers (Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Casey Mears and Kyle Busch), Gustafson has collected two wins (with Gordon in June 2011 and August 2012), eight top-five finishes and 18 top-10s.
HOME SWEET HOME: As the Cup Series heads north for the Pocono doubleheader, there are two members of the No. 9 team who call the Keystone State home. Car chief Matt Barndt hails from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and hauler driver Heath Edler is from Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
NAPA DOES THE DOUBLE: The No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will don the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme for both races this weekend at Pocono Raceway. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for a total of 25 NASCAR Cup Series races this year.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 3rd
No. 24 Axalta ElectroLight Color of the Year Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
ALMOST HALFWAY: Almost to the halfway point in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE continue to ramp up their success. After 17 races, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has collected one win, seven top-five finishes and 13 top-10s all while leading 195 laps. Byron has spent the second-most laps in the series running inside the top 10 (3,625) and of those laps, 1,962 were in the top five, which is third-best. With the second-best average running position throughout the Cup Series field of 8.33 and an average finishing position of 10.18, Byron now is third in the point standings.
PREVIEWING POCONO: In his six Cup Series starts at the Long Pond, Pennsylvania, track, Byron has one pole award coming during the June race in 2019, as well as one top-five finish and four top-10s, leading 35 laps in two of those events. With a track-best finish of fourth during the 2019 July race at Pocono Raceway, Byron holds a 9.67 finishing average, which is the best all-time with drivers who have made more than one start. His average finish at the “Tricky Triangle” also makes it his best track where he has made more than one start in the Cup Series.
PAST POCONO WINNER: Byron isn’t a stranger to victory lane at the “Tricky Triangle,” though. After starting from the pole in 2016, Byron dominated the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, leading 44 of 60 laps before capturing the checkered flag.
PA-BOUND: While Sunday will mark crew chief Rudy Fugle’s first Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway, the Livonia, New York, native is definitely familiar with the 2.5-mile track. With seven starts at the Pennsylvania-based venue, all coming in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Fugle has visited victory lane there two previous times, going back-to-back with Byron in 2016 and Christopher Bell in 2017. In his seven previous starts, Fugle’s drivers have also racked up two pole awards, four top-five finishes and five top-10s with 71 laps led.
AXALTA’S HOMEBASE: Byron has a bit of extra motivation during this weekend’s doubleheader at Pocono Raceway, competing near primary sponsor Axalta’s backyard. With Axalta’s headquarters located less than 100 miles away from the “Tricky Triangle” in Philadelphia, the fourth-year Cup Series driver will pilot the No. 24 Axalta Color of the Year Chevy for both races this weekend. Now in its 29th year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta is the primary partner on Byron’s No. 24 Camaro for 14 races in 2021.
COLOR OF THE YEAR: ELECTROLIGHT: Earlier this year, Axalta unveiled the newest addition to the Axalta Injector at Daytona International Speedway – a newly painted No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports show car – that is on display for fans to see all year long. The show car on display combines Axalta’s new solventbourne basecoat, Cromax XP, with their 2021 Color of the Year, ElectroLight. The refreshing green-yellow hue has been formulated with mobility-technology while utilizing the easy-to-use solventborne basecoat that delivers a high-quality finish. With such positive fan feedback to the paint scheme, Axalta made the call for the Color of the Year paint scheme to hit the track for this weekend’s doubleheader at Pocono Raceway. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 Color of the Year Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE featuring Axalta’s Global Automotive Color of the Year ElectroLight, click here.
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
TWO MORE YEARS: Hendrick Motorsports and Alex Bowman announced on Friday, June 18 that Bowman had re-signed with the 13-time championship winning organization as the driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet until 2023. Since joining the organization in 2016 as the replacement driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr., he has four wins, 20 top-five results, 49 top-10s and three pole awards. Bowman has led 1,031 laps since 2015 and has secured playoff berths every season since joining Hendrick Motorsports. Just 17 races into the 2021 season, the 28-year-old driver has secured his first career multi-win season by claiming victories at Richmond Raceway and Dover International Speedway. Bowman’s new deal aligns with Ally’s contract, bringing both through the 2023 season. Read more here.
BOWMAN AT POCONO: Since 2014, Bowman has made 10 starts at Pocono Raceway and has captured one top-five finish and two top-10s. Last year, he finished ninth after 140 laps. Bowman has completed 99.4% of the total laps at the 2.5-mile track. The driver of the No. 48 also has one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the Pennsylvania-based venue, starting and finishing 10th in 2016. He also has two starts in the ARCA Series at the track from 2012, where he finished third in both events.
STANDING IN THE HALL OF FAME: On Friday, June 25, Greg Ives will be inducted into the Norway Speedway Hall of Fame. Ives joins four other drivers and workers from the track as the track’s 2021 HOF Class. The Bark River, Michigan, native ran late models at the venue in the late 1990s and into the 2000s. The inductees will be honored on the frontstretch in a ceremony during the Vintage Modified intermission.
POCONO RACEWAY STATS: Ives has called the shots at Pocono Raceway 12 times for Hendrick Motorsports. His résumé includes three top-five finishes and four top-10s, with his best finish at the track coming in 2016 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished runner up in the 160-lap event. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team between 2006 and 2012. During that time, the team captured 11 top-10 finishes and one pole award at the track.
HOMETOWN TRACK: Jason Seitzinger, shock engineer for the No. 48 team, grew up in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania, which is located about 70 miles from Pocono Raceway. His first job was for Penske Racing Shocks in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he worked inside the parts room. Seitzinger has been with Hendrick Motorsports for 19 years.
PIT CREW POWER: After 17 races this season, the No. 48 pit crew ranks second for the fastest four-tire pit stop average in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team has an average four-tire stop time of 13.7. 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).
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Hendrick Motorsports has won five consecutive points-paying races going into this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader at Pocono Raceway. During the streak, the team has swept the top-two finishing positions four times, placed 16 of 20 entries inside the top 10 and 14 of 20 in the top five. Since May 9, Hendrick Motorsports has won all six events it has entered, including the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race, and led 90% of all laps run (1,119 of 1,246) in its five points-paying races.
SIX-SHOOTER: Hendrick Motorsports is one away from tying its own modern-era record of six consecutive points wins, which was set in 2007. In addition to 2021, the organization won five straight NASCAR Cup Series races in both 2014 and 2007 when it went on separate runs of four, five and six consecutive victories. Hendrick Motorsports is the only Cup-level team to win five or more straight races in NASCAR’s modern era (since 1972).
GOOD YEAR: Through the first 17 points races of 2021, Hendrick Motorsports has eight wins, which are its second-most ever at this point in a NASCAR Cup Series season (10 in 2007). At the 17-race mark, the team’s 14 stage wins are the most ever. Its 44 top-10 finishes and 29 top-fives are tied for the most in history by any organization at this point in a season. The 1,867 laps led by Hendrick Motorsports’ Chevrolets rank as its third-most through 17 races behind only 1995 and 1996, which both were championship-winning seasons.
POCONO PROWESS: Hendrick Motorsports holds the Pocono Raceway track record with 17 NASCAR Cup Series wins. Seven different drivers have won at the 2.5-mile triangle for car owner Rick Hendrick: Jeff Gordon (six victories), Jimmie Johnson (three), Tim Richmond (three), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Geoff Bodine, Terry Labonte and Kasey Kahne.
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on Pocono: “I’ve always enjoyed Pocono because of its uniqueness – every corner is different. I don’t know what to expect with this doubleheader weekend. I’ve done Xfinity and Cup races on the same weekend before, so I don’t think it will be much different. Physically, I won’t prepare differently. We’ll do a lot of preparation looking at data in advance of the first one, then I’m sure there will be a lot of discussion in the debrief Saturday of what went right and what went wrong as we prepare for Sunday’s race.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the strategy with three unique corners: “We’ve tried different approaches in the past, even picking a specific corner to optimize. The problem with that is it can really hurt you somewhere else. We’re really studying up on what would be the best blend in all areas. If you look at the races last year, the (No.) 4 and 11 teams certainly accomplished that. They weren’t bad in one corner and good in another – they were just overall good. That’s our target this year and hopefully we can hit it.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on strategy for doubleheader at Pocono: “Pocono is such a unique track and I have really enjoyed racing there in the past. It’s always a challenge to get your car balanced in all three corners and then you have to be spot on with your strategy because track position usually plays a big factor. Even though it’s a doubleheader, our approach doesn’t really change from other weekends. We always want to finish toward the front, and we will have our work cut out for us starting near the back on Saturday. I’m looking forward to this weekend and seeing what we can do.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the challenges of a Pocono doubleheader: “The doubleheader at Pocono is a bit of a challenge with a lot of variables. You want to have a strong run on Saturday and perform well, while also making sure you take care of all your equipment. Even if it goes as planned, there will still have to be parts and pieces that have to be changed after the first race. It’s important that you go over everything on the car before Sunday. We learned last year that there isn’t a lot of time so you have to adapt pretty quickly and make the adjustments necessary to improve.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the doubleheader at Pocono: “I feel the doubleheader last year allowed us to learn a lot in that first race that we could then apply to the second one. I feel like Pocono is a track that we are good at and on track to be successful every time we show up, we just need to get a little bit better to close the gap on the top guys. It’s honestly a track that both Rudy (Fugle) and I have a lot of success at together and over our careers. I’m not too worried about it though. I feel like having two races there may be a great opportunity for us.”
Byron on if you can be good in all three corners at Pocono: “I think with modern-day NASCAR, you have to be good in all three corners now. Before, it was always you had to pick and choose which corner to be good in and give up in the others. With the engineering we have now, it kind of throws that old thought process out the window. For us, we’re trying to focus on being really good in turn three and then carry that consistency through the other two corners. The hope is to be consistently balanced throughout all three, but I know I want my drive off of turn three to really carry me down the front straightaway and set me up for turn one with momentum into turn two.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the No. 24 team’s continued success heading to Pocono: “I know the No. 24 team won early in the year and have ran well since then, but I think that the last couple weeks have shown that this team is continuing to build and become a consistent contender to win every time we get on track. The organization as whole is a threat to win every week right now, but we’re trying to make sure that the No. 24 is constantly in contention. My goal this year was to build from a top-10 team to a top-five team and ultimately to a championship-contending team. I think we’re almost to that point. We’re heading to some of our best racetracks which definitely helps as well. We’ll be starting front row for the first of two races at Pocono and that’s one of this team’s best tracks already. This could be a big weekend for the No. 24 team, I can feel it.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on his two-year contract extension: “It’s really cool to know that Ally has faith in me and Mr. (Rick) Hendrick has faith in me. I think matching the length of my contract up to Ally’s was kind of the goal all around, and what was kind of expected and normal. The way the industry is today, there aren’t five-year contracts out there like there used to be. I’m not going to complain too much. I’m driving the 48 for Hendrick Motorsports – it’s not so bad.”
Bowman on the logistics of Pocono Raceway: “Pocono is a fun but tricky track. All three corners are completely different, which makes the track extremely technical. The track is also tough to pass at because of how the groove is and how it doesn’t widen out as much. We are typically really fast here and everyone back at the shop is building fast cars right now.”
Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on his strategy for the doubleheader: “The goal is to come out of that first race with a win. The only thing we would have to do is clean up the confetti to get the car ready for race No. 2. I don’t think that you can get into a race and play it conservatively. These drivers are the best around, so they know what their limits are and who they are racing. You have the mindset of playing it safe, but it’s not on the forefront of your mind. You just do what it takes to get a win.”
