Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 7, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Darlington race earlier today:

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

MARY LOU HAMLIN, mother, Denny Hamlin

How special is for you to be joined by your mom and have her support over all of these years?

DENNY HAMLIN: “It’s awesome. You definitely have to make sure you don’t take it for granted because a lot of parents don’t get to see their kids grow up and do what they always wanted to do. She’s been a supporter of mine since back in the go-kart days, chasing me across the country, running national events. She’s been on the grind with me the last 30 years or so.”

How proud are you of your son?

MARY LOU HAMLIN: “I’m so proud of him. Never did I think that he would actually get to the point to where he is now – even being a team owner. It amazes me how far he has gotten. I knew that he had the talent and all that his dad and I had wished for was that he would get to at least get to the point where he could compete with the best of the best, but for him to be one of the best of the best is very rewarding.”

DENNY HAMLIN: “I think all they ever wished for was somebody else to pay for it.”

MARY LOU HAMLIN: “That’s true.”

What’s your favorite memory you’ve shared with your mom at the track and vice versa?

DENNY HAMLIN: “For me, it probably was the Shootout win in ’06. I was in the race car, but I know at the time TV went to them and it was my mom and my dad – they were just going crazy. My dad was saying, ‘I knew it, I knew it.’ He still had doubts whether I was going to make it or not. Just then and how excited they were. Another one for me was probably Richmond, when I think I got the pole in one of my very first Richmond races and they were out on pit road with me as I was kind of waiting to see if I was going to get the pole. It was single car qualifying, so it took a while. They were right on the other side of the pit wall. I get out of the car and I’m just like, don’t jinx it , don’t jinx it, don’t talk about it, let’s just see how it goes. That’s one of my favorite memories.”

MARY LOU HAMLIN: “The Shootout for sure. I believe that his dad said that if he knew it was going to be that easy for him to do that, then he would have had more kids, more Denny Hamlins. It was very exciting. To win the first race out in the Cup car was just so exciting. I think one other memory I have was the first time he was ever on Talladega and he was practicing, and I was listening on the radio. He came on the radio and said, ‘I bet my mom is having a fit right now.’ As fast as they were going and as close as they were to one another, it was very nerve-wracking but that’s one of my memories.”

What are you driving these days?

MARY LOU HAMLIN: “I actually have a Toyota Highlander.”

DENNY HAMLIN: “You’re welcome.”

MARY LOU HAMLIN: “Which I love.”

What are your thoughts on the potential Talladega changes?

DENNY HAMLIN: “We had a meeting of sorts this week, but I think we are going to get back together in the next 7-10 days and kind of follow-up on that meeting. I think that Talladega is just not about speed. It’s the aerodynamic package as well. When we the nine-inch spoiler on the car, it made us run into each other. The faster way to go was to literally run into the person as hard as you could in front of you. Well, back in the old days of the bubble when you would get close to someone it would push them away, fans hated that, so they put a big spoiler on this thing to get us to run closer to each other, so it’s a balance. It’s not just about slowing the speed down; it’s got to do with the package as well. The package that is the safest is probably not the most exciting and vice versa, so we just have to figure out the balance of speed and danger and figure out how much we are willing to take.”

Do you think you will be able to bump draft in the Next Gen cars with the foam in the front and rear bumpers?

DENNY HAMLIN: “I’m not sure. I’m not sure how much extensive testing has been done on running those Next Gen cars together at the racetrack. I know that we hope it’s going to race better, and hope is a big word, and it is a strategy, but ultimately it comes with on-track testing and I think that will happen later this year, but we will know a little bit more at that point. I’m not really sure how those cars are going to react. The rear bumpers are a lot more rounded, so pushing someone off of center is going to be a lot different. You have to be aware of that. There’s just a lot of different elements that we don’t know about right now.”

Knowing the financial struggles your family went through supporting Denny, what was your reaction to him being a team owner?

MARY LOU HAMLIN: “I don’t think I had to give him any advice. I was saying earlier today when he was going to school, he wasn’t the best studier. He didn’t study, he didn’t like to study, he didn’t like to do his homework. But to see him now, he does his homework on everything. He makes good decisions. He studies things. It just amazes me that he has got this far. I’m so proud of him.”

What was it like telling your parents about the team ownership decision?

DENNY HAMLIN: “I’m not really sure how that first conversation went. I think she probably felt a lot better that I was teaming up with Michael (Jordan) versus trying to do this thing on my own. That was a big part of it. Probably the most pushback came from my dad because he probably wrote most of those checks back in the day. He’s like ‘Are you sure you can do this?’ I’m still not sure, but I’m going for it.”

What kind of spectator are you now?

MARY LOU HAMLIN: “I think I’m calmer other than Daytona and Talladega. Those make me pretty nervous. Even when he was in go-karts, I used to tape every one of his races so that he could go back after the race and watch it and learn from it, and I think that took a lot of the nervousness away at that time from when he was younger because I taped every single race of his in go-karts and local stock car races. I’ve gotten used to it.”

Do you ever think about how he started to where he is now?

MARY LOU HAMLIN: “It just amazes me. When I hear him talk to other business owners, it just amazes me the man that he has become. I’m just so proud of him.”

Is this a time for you to reflect with this race being a throwback weekend and Mother’s Day?

DENNY HAMLIN: “I think about it all of the time. It’s not just this weekend but I think about it all the time. When I think about the process of which it took to get to here, if one domino doesn’t fall in the exact order that it did – we don’t make it and I’m right now working at Chesterfield Trailer & Hitch, which is okay. I like that business. It was fun in Virginia. I think about that in the sense of who else is in that situation out there that maybe I can give an opportunity to one day. How can I find that next talent that’s not in the place where everybody sees them? I just think that I was very, very blessed to be in the situation that I was in. I had instrumental people throughout my childhood that believed in me and gave me an opportunity and kept me racing even beyond my family. My mom worked at AAA; my dad worked at Great Dane Tractor Trailers. He was a service manager there. We were just a very middle-class family, but we had small business owners that thought a lot of me and when I blew my engine or wrecked my car, they helped put it back together. That was the key. I always think about that when people ask me to help them all the time. I feel like maybe this is an opportunity to give back to them. Starting a race team, it’s an opportunity for me to give back to the community has done so well for me over my 16-year career. I don’t see the tunnel of driving ending anytime soon, but this is my runway to continue to give back to this sport well beyond my driving days. Hopefully, one day I can give that kid that came up just like me that same opportunity.”

What are the sensations you feel in a lap at Dover?

DENNY HAMLIN: “It’s the most physically demanding track for sure – simply because of the speed in the banking, the load that your body takes in the middle of corner. It’s a very, very tough track. It’s very rough. A lot of elevation changes from corner entry to the middle of the corner. It takes its toll on you. It hasn’t always been my favorite or best track during the course of my career, but honestly since being with Chris (Gabehart, crew chief) over these last few years, we’ve had some really good results there. I’m excited about it. I think we won there last year (Hamlin won the first race of the Dover doubleheader on August 22). Just winning at a track that I was struggling to run in the top-10 most of my career at always makes you enjoy it a little bit more. It is intimidating track. I would say that it is by far the most intimidating track that we go to.”

Being devout Catholic, how do you support Denny when he goes through struggles?

MARY LOU HAMLIN: “I pray a lot. My mother really believed in St. Jude, who was the saint of the impossible. I just pull out that St. Jude prayer card and I pull out her St. Jude key chain that she would carry with her all of the time. She always would say a prayer to St. Jude before Denny would race, so that sticks with me and that gets me through.”

How did you end up hanging with some of the New York Giants players?

DENNY HAMLIN: “I didn’t know anyone personally from that group. We had a couple mutual friends. Daniel Jones and a couple of those guys were in Charlotte working out for the last few months. One of my mutual friends asked, ‘Hey, they would like to play basketball, do you mind if they play at your place?’ I didn’t mind, of course, but unfortunately, they were short bodies, so I had to lace them up. I really didn’t want too, to be honest with you. That’s how I met them. Fun guys. I was downstairs. They had come in, and my friend was giving them a tour of the house. I was wondering where they were at and my buddies said that they couldn’t get them off of the racing simulator. One of them was where could they get a ride-along. They want to go race a car now, and where can they get a simulator. That was the biggest issue we had – was getting those guys off of my racing simulator.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
GOODYEAR 400
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
MAY 9, 2021

RACE #12 – DARLINGTON RACEWAY
All three NASCAR National Series will be in action at Darlington Raceway as part of NASCAR’s annual Throwback Weekend.

Chevrolet drivers will seek to corral the 42nd NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) victory for the Bowtie Brand in the 120th race on the 1.366-mile oval in the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, May 9. Austin Dillon’s runner-up finish in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 1LE led four Team Chevy drivers in the top-10 in the 293-lap race in September 2020.

Chevrolet, with five wins this season, sits atop the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Manufacturer Standings heading into the Steakhouse Elite 200 on Saturday, May 8. Jeb Burton, who won the Series’ last race at Talladega Superspeedway in the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS, is fourth in the Driver Standings. Reigning NXS champion Justin Haley is fifth. Haley will also compete in the Goodyear 400 in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1 1LE.

Chevrolet drivers will compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) LiftKits4Less.com 200 on Friday, May 7. Ross Chastain was runner-up last week at Kansas Speedway in the No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevy Silverado. Heading into the Series’ eighth race on the 2021 schedule, reigning champion Sheldon Creed sits fourth in the Driver Standings.

BYRON SETS CUP RECORD
At just 23-years-old, Hendrick Motorsports and Team Chevy driver William Byron became the youngest driver in NCS history to record nine consecutive top-10 finishes with his ninth place at Kansas Speedway. Byron’s streak started with his win at Homestead-Miami Speedway in February.

Byron advanced one position to third in the Driver Standings. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate, reigning NCS Champion Chase Elliott, also moved up one spot to seventh. Kyle Larson, who led a field-high 132 laps at Kansas Speedway, remained ninth in points.

MOVING UP
Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick gained four spots in the Driver Standings to 18th with his seventh-place finish at Kanas Speedway. Reddick has four top-10’s in the past five races. Teammate Austin Dillon has posted three consecutive top-10 finishes.

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

Team Chevy’s Top-20 Starters:
5th William Byron, No. 24 Valvoline Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE
6th Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hooters Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE
9th Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Camaro ZL1 1LE
10th Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Joe Nichols/Quartz Hill Records Camaro ZL1 1LE
14th Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE
15th Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Camping World Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE
17th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
18th Ross Chastain, No. 42 McDonald’s Camaro ZL1 1LE
19th Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE

BOWTIE BULLETS
· Chevrolet has 798 NASCAR Cup Series wins to lead all manufacturers.

· Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 47 top-10 finishes this season.

· In addition to its manufacturer-leading 41 wins at Darlington Raceway, Chevrolet has amassed 190 top-five and 399 top-10 finishes.

· Kyle Larson has an average finish of 6.7 in six starts at Darlington Raceway, which tops all active drivers.

· Kurt Busch earned the first of his 28 NCS career poles at Darlington in September 2001.

· Kurt Busch is tied for most starts at Darlington among active drivers with 26.

· Austin Dillon leads NCS drivers with 99.93% of laps completed (3,050 of 3,052).

· Hendrick Motorsports leads all teams with 14 wins at Darlington.

· Chase Elliott (Daytona Road Course), William Byron (Homestead-Miami Speedway) and Kyle Larson (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway 2, Kansas Speedway) have stage wins.

TUNE IN
FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday, May 9. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200 at 1 p.m. ET Saturday, May 8. FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series LiftKits4Less.com 200 at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday, May 7.

QUOTABLE QUOTES
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 3rd IN STANDINGS
BYRON ON THE DIFFICULTIES OF RACING AT DARLINGTON:
“Darlington is a track that is known for its old, worn-out surface and how hard it is on tires. You’re always elbows up at that place, but you also have to know when to press forward and when to manage your equipment so you’re not over taxing your tires. I’ve tried to manage that as best as I can, but that’s what makes Darlington such a tough track. It’s not an easy task while, at the same time, it’s easy to lose focus for a moment and that’s all it takes to end your day. Hopefully, this weekend we’ll have the setup we need, and then it’s up to me to get the most I can out of the Valvoline Chevy while making sure we’re around in the end of it.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 7th IN STANDINGS
ELLIOTT ON DARLINGTON:
“I enjoy Darlington. I am a performance guy so if it goes well, I probably liked it that trip and if it didn’t, then I probably don’t. Last year, I feel like we had a solid run and had a shot at it there at the end. Martin (Truex Jr.) and I ended up wrecking coming to the closing 10 laps for the lead. I was definitely playing defense; he was on me and was making a good run. So, there’s room for improvement, obviously. You want to be fast enough where that guy behind you is nowhere close. That’s where I want to be and that’s how you want to position yourself at the end of those races, if you can. We can definitely be better, but I was pleased with our speed last year. We had some really good runs and were certainly solid, so we have something good to build off of.”

ELLIOTT ON COMING TO DARLINGTON FOR THROWBACK WEEKEND:
“I think it’s such a great event. I’ve enjoyed the vibe around it and the throwback schemes are all pretty cool. We are looking forward to running the Alan Kulwicki Hooters paint scheme this year. I know Hooters has been excited to do this scheme for a while so it’s great to see it come to life.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 9th IN STANDINGS
LARSON ON HIS DARLINGTON THROWBACK SCHEME:
“Every year when the throwback race comes around, you try to think of past NASCAR paint schemes, so it was really cool that Hendrick Motorsports and Mr. H (Rick Hendrick) allowed me to throwback to my first go-kart. My dad picked out the paint scheme when I was racing and, as a kid, I always wanted something different. Now as I have gotten older, I appreciate that he kept our cars looking consistent with the orange and the white until we got new sponsors. So, it’s cool to have the orange and white with the faded blues for Darlington.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE
DANIELS ON THE RULES PACKAGE FOR DARLINGTON:
“There’s some notes from last year we’re going to try to pull from, but it’s so different with the aero and horsepower package. All three races last year were the high drag, high downforce and low horsepower package. Coming back this weekend with no practice and the low downforce-high horsepower package is a completely different ballgame. There’s a fine balance between the drivability and turn you look for at Darlington that we’re hoping to achieve. We’ve dug into some historical notes and the trends from 2018, which is the last time we raced there with this aero and power package. It’s such a long race that we’ll just have to tune on the car as we progress through it.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 11th IN STANDINGS
HOW DOES DARLINGTON SUIT YOUR RACING STYLE?
“I think long races in the past have fit my racing style. There is plenty of time to make the car better during a long race, and all of our wins have come in races 500 miles or more. So, I think that bodes well for Darlington. We like the long-distance races and it’s a place that falls off. RCR has always been known for a long run speed. Short run speed is something that we’ve struggled with, but we’re trying to change. It’s nice that we’re going to place that long run speed matters a bit.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 14th IN STANDINGS
“Ally being open to doing whatever throwback I wanted to do this year was really cool. Being able to honor Greg (Ives) this weekend in Darlington is going to be really special. It was really fun being able to surprise him a few weeks ago and to have his family from back home involved was the icing on top. The seafoam Chevrolet will look good on track and even better up front on Sunday.”

“Darlington is one of those tracks where you can’t get caught up in racing the other guys. This is a place where you have to race the track and adjust your car to what you need on track. We ran well there last year and I think we have a good notebook to carry on to this weekend’s race. Tire management is key in Darlington and will be something to look after on Sunday.”

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE
“Going to 400 miles for this race at Darlington doesn’t really change any strategy. It maybe just changes how many laps are in the stage and how many laps you are going to run on tires. It is definitely grueling on the drivers as well with the heat that is expected down there in Darlington. It is definitely a fun racetrack and I don’t know many drivers that don’t like racing down there. You end up racing the racetrack instead of racing the drivers at that place. Green flag passes are going to be difficult with just how hard the racing is there. We are looking to getting down there with our throwback scheme. I know Alex (Bowman), Ally and everyone on the team is looking forward to Darlington.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 JOE NICHOLS/QUARTZ HILL RECORDS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 18th IN STANDINGS
WE RAN MULTIPLE RACES AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY LAST YEAR, BUT THIS YEAR WE’LL BE GOING BACK WITH THE LOW-DOWNFORCE PACKAGE. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?
“I love the change in the aero package for this race at Darlington Raceway. I really enjoy races where we’re in the gas, sliding around and up by the fence, so I’m excited about this Sunday. Anytime I watch highlights of Cup racing from 2017 or 2018 at any 1.5-mile track, I see the drivers lifting and getting sideways, and it looks so fun. I just love these low downforce races on these fast tracks. They’re a lot of fun. I’m really excited to see what that means for us and our team, considering the momentum we’re coming into the weekend with after four top-10 finishes in the last five races.”

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR THROWBACK PAINT SCHEME FOR SUNDAY’S RACE?
“I really enjoy Darlington’s Throwback weekend and have had a lot of fun with the schemes I’ve ran in the past. This one we’re running in honor of Marty Robbins’ 1972-1973 pink and yellow machine was one that came together quickly, but I think it’s a really cool way to celebrate the crossover between country music and NASCAR, which is a pretty big one. Marty Robbins was quite literally an intersection between the two, winning three GRAMMY awards but also running 35 NASCAR Cup races. It’s cool to be able honor his legacy while also continuing to promote the country music NASCAR fans love so much with Quartz Hill Records and Joe Nichols’ new single, ‘Home Run.’”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 CAMPING WORLD THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 22nd IN STANDINGS
WITH SUNDAY BEING MOTHER’S DAY, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MOM (ROSALINDA) GROWING UP?
“She’s the cool mom. When you’re in elementary or middle school, you always have a couple of friends that you know as a group you can go to their house and hang out. She was that mom. Everybody was welcome and she liked having a bunch of us at the house for parties and things like that.”

HOW SUPPORTIVE HAS YOUR MOM BEEN DURING YOUR CAREER?
“She’s very supportive of my career. She doesn’t come from racing, so when I first started racing go-karts and things like that, she wasn’t that into it, but now she likes it because she knows that I love it. She’s been there for me during the good and bad days. Even though she can’t really speak English, when she comes to races here in the United States, people can still always tell that she’s a very sweet person and that she’s supportive of me.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THROWBACK WEEKEND AT DARLINGTON?
“I love the weekend. I love taking about racing and the history of racing. Seeing the old paint schemes is really cool. I think it is great to celebrate NASCAR’s history.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 STP CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 27th IN STANDINGS
THOUGHTS GOING INTO DARLINGTON AS A PAST WINNER AT THE TRACK?
“Darlington (Raceway) is high on my list of favorites. I would have always said that Bristol (Motor Speedway) was my favorite track, but I think as far as the way we have run at places throughout my career, I think Darlington has been the best track for me. I always look forward to it. The tires really fall off there and over the long runs, you can save your stuff at the beginning and make some ground as the run moves forward. I enjoy that part of the race a lot.

“The history of that track too – it is always fun going there. It still has such an old-school feel when you go to that track. It’s always fun to go there and get to race.”

COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 IN MEMORY OF ALAN KULWICKI CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 30th IN STANDINGS
“I’m really excited to get to Darlington Raceway this weekend with our Zerex Chevy Camaro and honor Alan Kulwicki. Darlington is one of the staples on our schedule. It’s really cool to go back there on Mother’s Day for the throwback weekend. We’re going there with a low-downforce, high-horsepower package so we’ll be slipping and sliding around like we did back in 2017. We should put on a good show for the fans. I’m excited to continue showing what we’re capable of. Hopefully, we can start putting some results on the board for Spire Motorsports. We’ve run a lot better than our results show and we’ll continue building on that at Darlington this weekend.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2020): 39
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

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

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020

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

2021 STATISTICS:
Wins: 3
Poles: 1
Laps Led: 916
Top-five finishes: 18
Top-10 finishes: 47

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 798 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 718
Laps led to date: 237,621
Top-five finishes to date: 4,083
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,449
Stage wins: 5 Chase Elliott (Daytona RC), William Byron (Homestead), Kyle Larson (Las Vegas Motor Speedway), Kyle Larson (Atlanta x2, Kansas)

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

       General Motors: 1,132
       Chevrolet: 798
       Pontiac: 154
       Oldsmobile: 115
       Buick: 65

       Ford: 808                                                         
       Ford: 708
       Mercury: 96
       Lincoln: 4

       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
       Dodge: 217
       Plymouth: 191
       Chrysler: 59

       Toyota: 156

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 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. 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 www.chevrolet.com.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – On the eve of Bass Pro Shops’ 50th Anniversary, Bass Pro Shops and Richard Childress Racing announced that driver Austin Dillon will celebrate the legendary roots of Bass Pro Shops and Bass TRACKER, as well as pay tribute to NASCAR pioneer Fireball Roberts, with his No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series throwback race on Sunday, May 9, at Darlington Raceway.

Dillon’s ride will sport a retro paint scheme that reflects one driven by 33-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner and Hall of Fame inductee Fireball Roberts, emblazoned with the original Bass Pro Shops and Bass TRACKER logos from the 1970s. The iconic throwback logos on Dillon’s No. 3 car harken back to Bass Pro Shops’ founding nearly 50 years ago in 1972, when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling fishing tackle on eight-square-feet of space in the back of his father’s Brown Derby liquor store in Springfield, Mo.

In the early days of Bass Pro Shops, the now-famous logo featured a leaping bass wearing a brown derby hat, an agreement between Johnny and his father, John A. Morris, to highlight both Bass Pro Shops and its Brown Derby liquor store. Six years later in 1978, Johnny Morris revolutionized the boating industry by introducing Bass TRACKER, the original factory direct boat, motor and trailer package. Although the Bass Pro Shops and Bass TRACKER logos have evolved through the years, the companies’ shared reputation for superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service remain. Though the logos have evolved, both brands remain highly regarded as leaders in the outdoors.

The original Bass Pro Shops logo (left) when Johnny Morris founded Bass Pro Shops in the back of his father’s Brown Derby liquor store in 1972, and the original Bass TRACKER logo (right) when the company began selling the first-ever factory direct boat, motor and trailer package in 1978.

“NASCAR’s Throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway has produced some of my favorite paint schemes over the years and this weekend’s race is no different,” said Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Bass TRACKER Chevrolet. “It’s an honor to work with Johnny Morris to pay tribute to his legendary outdoor brands while saluting Fireball Roberts. We’re going to do our best to channel the Fireball spirit and win this won for Johnny and all the Bass Pro Shops and Tracker team members.”

“Seeing the original Bass Pro Shops and Bass TRACKER logos on Austin’s No. 3 Chevrolet reminds me of how far we’ve come, the friends we’ve made, and the positive impact we have all had on conservation,” said noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, an avid racing fan. “I’m thankful to Austin and Richard for their continued support of conservation and our company, as well as our years of friendship. We are looking forward to making another great memory this weekend in Darlington.”

Fans can watch Dillon and the throwback No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats car in action by tuning in to the Goodyear 400 this Sunday, May 9, at 2:30 p.m. CT on FOX Sports 1.

About Bass Pro Shops®
Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”