TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 253 AT DAYTONA
DAYTONA ROAD COURSE
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
FEBRUARY 21, 2021

RACE #2 – DAYTONA ROAD COURSE
The 2021 NASCAR season is in full-swing and race #2 of the 36-race NASCAR Cup Series schedule sees the return of NASCAR’s premier series to the “World Center of Racing”, this time taking on the iconic 14-turn, 3.61-mile Daytona International Speedway Road Course. The unique high-banked tri-oval/infield road course made its debut on the NASCAR circuit in 2020, while also serving as the host for the exhibition-style Busch Clash last week to kick off the season’s action. The Florida venue will serve as the first of seven points-road course events on the newly renovated NASCAR Cup Series schedule for 2021.

The Daytona Road Course welcomes all three of NASCAR’s national series for a tripleheader race weekend, kicking off with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series under the lights, Friday, February 19th, at 7:30 p.m. ET with the BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 at Daytona Presented by O’Reilly. Day two of the race weekend will find an appearance by the NASCAR Xfinity Series with the Super Start Batteries 188 at Daytona Presented by O’Reilly on Saturday, February 20th, at 5:00 p.m. ET. The weekend is capped off with the NASCAR Cup Series’ O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona on Sunday, February 21st, at 3:00 p.m. ET.

NEXT UP: TURNING LEFT AND RIGHT
After seven Chevrolet drivers landed in the top-10 of the 63rd Running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR Cup Series teams turn their attention to the 3.61-mile Daytona International Speedway road course for the 70-lap O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona.

Chase Elliott, runner-up in the Daytona 500 on the 2.5-mile oval, won the inaugural race on the speedway’s tricky 14-turn road course that incorporates a section of the high-banked oval in August 2020, on the way to winning his first Driver Championship and 32nd for Chevrolet. Starting seventh, Elliott led a field-high 34 laps in claiming his second of five victories on the season.

ELLIOTT: KING OF THE ROAD
For the first time in NASCAR Cup Series competition, seven road course races are on the 2021 schedule – six scheduled for the regular season, including three of the final seven races, and one in the Playoffs. The previous high was four in 1964 and 1957. Buck Baker, driving a ‘57 Chevrolet, won the first road course race on August 4, 1957, on the 2.3-mile Watkins Glen International circuit.

Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports, has won the past four races on road courses (Charlotte in October 2020, Daytona in August 2020, Charlotte in September 2019, Watkins Glen in August 2019). Coming off of his victory at the Charlotte ROVAL during the 2020 Playoffs, the 25-year-old Georgia native is just the second driver in NASCAR history to win four road course races in a row. Career Chevrolet driver, Jeff Gordon, holds the record for most consecutive road course wins with six (1997-2000).

In his 12-career road course starts in NASCAR’s premier series, Elliott has collected five wins and five stage wins, the most of all active drivers. Other statistics of note include six top-five finishes, eight top-10’s and a total of 240 laps led. With an average finish of 8.92 on road course circuits, Elliott tops all active drivers and holds the sixth-best all-time average.

Elliott’s five career road course victories ties Dan Gurney, Darrell Waltrip and Tim Richmond for seventh on the all-time list. Jeff Gordon holds the record with nine road course wins (five at Sonoma Raceway and four at Watkins Glen).

DILLON TAKES POINTS LEAD TO ROUND 2
Austin Dillon leads the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings for the first time in his eight-year, full-season career. His previous high points position was third after winning the 2018 Daytona 500.

Dillion, driving the No. 3 Camaro ZL1 1LE for Richard Childress Racing, accumulated points by placing third in the first stage and fifth in the second stage, in addition to his third-place finish in the 2021 Daytona 500.

LEADING TO THE GREEN
With no practice or qualifying for this weekend’s events, the starting lineup is determined by NASCAR’s metrics system that was introduced to the series last August, which incorporates results from both individual races and season-long results. The combination includes: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race (25%); Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race (25%); Team owner points ranking (35%); and the fastest lap from the previous race (15%).

Defending race winner, Chase Elliott, will lead the 40-car field to the green in his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE.

Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters:
1st Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE
3rd Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 1LE
6th Ryan Preece, No. 37 Kroger/Coca-Cola Camaro ZL1 1LE
7th Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Netflix Camaro ZL1 1LE
8th Kyle Larson, No. 5 Nations Guard Camaro ZL1 1LE
9th Ross Chastain, No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Camaro ZL1 1LE
16th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Cottonelle Camaro ZL1 1LE
17th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
20th Justin Haley, No. 77 AirMedCare Network Camaro ZL1 1LE

BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Three Chevrolet driver/crew chief combinations are among four pairings in the Cup Series with more than 100 races together: 181 for Chase Elliott and Alan Gustafson; 145 for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Brian Pattie; 119 for Alex Bowman and Greg Ives.

· Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Chip Ganassi Racing, leads active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with three earned poles on road courses (Sonoma, Watkins Glen, Charlotte).

· Both Corey LaJoie and Jamie McMurray recorded top-10 finishes in their Camaro ZL1 1LEs in the Daytona 500 for Spire Motorsports. Previously, the team had only one top-10 in a Cup Series race.

· Ross Chastain registered his second-career Cup Series top-10 and second in the Daytona 500, finishing seventh in the No. 42 Camaro ZL1 1LE for Chip Ganassi Racing.

· Chase Elliott has 97 top-10 finishes in 186 Cup races.

· Alex Bowman is 10 starts from 200 career-Cup starts.

TUNE IN
FOX will telecast the 70-lap/252.7-mile race live at 3:00 p.m. EST Sunday, February 21st. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 1st IN STANDINGS
“I can’t wait to get back down to Daytona Beach to compete at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course this weekend. We had a fun night in the Busch Clash last week. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out where we wanted to. We got thrown through the grass, so I’m going to try to keep all four tires on the track this coming weekend. The goal is to try and gain on our points. We’ve done a good job through Daytona, and let’s keep that streak going.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 4th IN STANDINGS
“Road courses have been good to us the past few trips, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to go good every time. There has not been one part of me that watched the schedule change, saw seven road courses and thought, ‘Yeah, we’ve got it now.’ That’s just not how I am. At the end of the day, you have to be good everywhere and I want to be good everywhere. We as a team want to get to the point where we can win on any given week: road course, circle track, intermediate, dirt…whatever it is, we want to be able to win at any time. The great teams and the great drivers are capable of doing that, and I think we are capable doing that. So that’s where my head’s at – trying to be good everywhere.”

RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 KROGER/COCA-COLA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 6th IN STANDINGS
“Coming off of last weekend in the Daytona 500 and earning a top-10 finish, that’s a huge momentum swing that we just didn’t have at the start of last year. Not only is it a great confidence boost for myself and everyone at JTG Daugherty Racing, but it gives us a fantastic starting spot at a road course where track position is so key. It sets you up for success in Stage 1 and to earn stage points, which is a new goal for us this year. We just want to keep gaining as many points as we can and set us up for a good summer. I have a little bit of road course experience but there’s always room to improve. A big thing we also have going is consistency with our No. 37 Kroger/Coca-Cola team. Trent (Owens, crew chief) and I continue improving every weekend that we work together and having that consistency in my second year with the No. 37 team is really helpful. Road racing is very similar to short-track racing in terms of how you brake in the corners and out-braking other drivers, and I think my experience in short-track racing can only help on a road course. I’m really confident in the setup of our No. 37 Kroger/Coca-Cola Chevrolet and the brake package that we have and think we’ll be able to keep our forward momentum going this weekend.”

COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 NETFLIX CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 12th IN STANDINGS
“We’re going to have a great starting position while carrying a really cool paint scheme this weekend at the Daytona Road Course. Netflix’s “The Crew” will be on our Chevy Camaro as we try to point the fans to watch a really cool show with our sport at center of some lighthearted humor. I’ve watched all the episodes and it’s great to have Kevin James and The Crew riding along this weekend.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 COTTONELLE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 17th IN STANDINGS
“I have not always been the greatest road course racer, but having practice on the Daytona road course last year and getting to race in the Clash this year has been key to improving. I thought our car was decent in the Clash, I just got into the turtles a little too hard and caused some damage that we needed to fix early in that race. We were able to salvage a top-10 finish in the Clash, and just having that extra seat time gives us and our No. 47 Cottonelle team a little bit of extra confidence to run a strong race on Sunday. I got in a really good groove last year in the road course race and in the Clash, and I think we have a decent enough starting spot that we can gain track position early and hold it throughout the race.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 20th IN STANDINGS
“This weekend we are hopeful for better runs than what we had in the Busch Clash. We tried quite a few things in the Clash, set-up wise, and now we’ll head back to more of what we ran at the Roval in Charlotte last Fall. That was a nice top-five finish in the Playoffs. We’ll look to gain some points back and get going in the right direction with things on our road course program here early in the year because road courses will be very important in 2021.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 26th IN STANDINGS
BYRON ON GAINING ROAD COURSE RACING KNOWLEDGE:
“I don’t have a ton of experience on road courses, but I have gotten much more comfortable with them the last couple years and I think our most recent races show that. We haven’t had a ton of track time at the Daytona Road Course but running the Clash last week helped us dial things in a bit better. Starting position is a big factor as well and, unfortunately, we won’t have the best starting spot based off the scoring metric. There are ways to make up positions on road courses, depending on the strategy you use. We’ll take the notes we have and do what we need to do to get a good finish.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CAT RENTAL STORE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 27th IN STANDINGS
YOUR TEAM HAD SPEED IN THE CLASH AT THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE DURING SPEEDWEEK. HOW DOES THAT HELP YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR RETURN TO THE ROAD COURSE THIS WEEKEND?
“We put a lot of work over the off-season at RCR to get better at road courses, so to have a solid run during the Clash does make us feel more confident about this weekend. I truly feel based on our Clash performance that we have a shot at winning this weekend. I made a couple mistakes in the Clash that I was able to learn from, but my team was also able to do a couple things with strategy while staying out on old tires and still make it to where I could drive away from guys on new tires. We had a good car at the Clash, but what is more exciting is the fact that we didn’t even take our best road course car down there. We have another car at the shop that we like even more than our Clash car. When you already have a really fast car at a track but know the No. 8 Cat Rental Store Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE we’re going to bring back this time is even better, that is a great feeling to go into the weekend with.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 36th IN STANDINGS
BOWMAN ON RETURNING TO THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE:
“Coming back to the Daytona Road Course this week will, hopefully, be good for our team since we just ran this course last week in the Clash. During the Clash, we were in contention for win a couple times. We had some speeding penalties but thankfully worked those out later in the week. There is a lot that we learned last week that we can definitely apply to Sunday’s race. Getting taken out of the 500 early last week, I think this Ally team needs some redemption on Sunday.”

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
IVES ON USING THE CLASH AS A ROAD COURSE BLUEPRINT:
“We are fortunate to have the experience of running the Clash. We know we have a good road-course car and can fine tune some details to get it better for Alex. The Clash really gave us a better understanding of what we are needing to do to improve the car. I am dreading seeing what calculation decides where we will start, since our DAYTONA 500 finish was not where we needed to finish. All in all, we have a good car and we have to be smart.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 PETTY’S GARAGE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 37th IN STANDINGS
HOW BENEFICIAL WAS IT TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME LAPS ON THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE DURING THE CLASH TO PREPARE FOR THIS WEEKEND?
“I think it (the DAYTONA Road Course) was really important for our team. It is a new team for me, and we had not really worked together at all to that point. Just getting out there and at least getting some track time, other than being at the Daytona International Speedway, was really important – being able to get the car better moving forward, and working on stuff. Every driver wants something a little bit different and for me, it was important to get comfortable in the No. 43 Petty’s Garage Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE and be able to make some changes before we go back; I think is going to be pretty valuable. Hopefully, we can make the right changes and be successful when we go back.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 77 AIRMEDCARE NETWORK CAMARO ZL1 1LE
“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to drive in the NASCAR Cup Series again for Spire Motorsports this weekend at Daytona. To partner with AirMedCare Network for this weekend’s race at the Daytona Road Course is so exciting. As a driver who loves road racing, I hope to continue Spire’s early- season success with a great run on Sunday. “

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)

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

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

2021 STATISTICS:
Wins: 0
Poles: 1
Laps Led: 22
Top-five finishes: 2
Top-10 finishes: 7

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 795 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 718
Laps led to date: 236,727
Top-five finishes to date: 4,067
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,409

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

       General Motors: 1,129
       Chevrolet: 795
       Pontiac: 154
       Oldsmobile: 115
       Buick: 65

       Ford: 805                                                         
       Ford: 705
       Mercury: 96
       Lincoln: 4

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

       Toyota: 152

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.

Richard Childress Racing at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course… With the inaugural event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course taking place last August, Richard Childress Racing has four NASCAR Cup Series and one NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 14-turn, 3.61-mile circuit. Kaz Grala, who substituted for Austin Dillon after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in 2020, earned a top-10 finish in the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. Dillon and Tyler Reddick both competed on the road course last week during the Busch Clash, where the No. 8 team posted a fourth-place result.

Richard Childress at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course… Richard Childress competed at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course as a driver in 1969 when he drove his 1968 Camaro to a 13th-place finish in the Citrus 250. Childress went on to compete on the Florida road course a total of five times, racing in the NASCAR Grand Touring Division and NASCAR Grand American Series. He finished in the top-10 in three out of the five races, with a best result of eighth in 1970.

Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Super Start Batteries 188 at Daytona Presented by O’Reilly will be televised live Saturday, February 20, beginning at 5 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

The NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona will be televised live Sunday, February 21, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow MobilityScience™ Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course… Dillon missed the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course last year due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, but has already been in two races on the course in 2021. In the Busch Clash, Dillon started 11th and battled in the top-five before being punted and shuffled to the back of the field on a late-race restart, ultimately finishing 19th. He also competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona in January, finishing 10th overall and fourth in the LMP2 class.

Points Leader… Dillon enters this weekend’s race the Daytona International Speedway Road Course race as the NASCAR Cup Series points leader. Last week at Daytona, Dillon earned 10 points by winning his Duel, followed by 14 Stage Points and 34 points for finishing third in the DAYTONA 500.

Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team… Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by recreating in the lab one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack. After eight years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sports and follow us on Twitter @DowSports & @DowNewsroom.

Welcome, Dow MobilityScience™… Dow’s MobilityScience™ platform is designed to enhance the customer experience by tailoring technologies, products, and services from across Dow businesses to the transportation industry. The platform is pursuing accelerated growth by addressing Mobility mega-trends – where lighter weight, longer range, greater comfort, enhanced safety, and lower carbon footprint are the ultimate objectives. That is where Dow science, innovation, and people step in – working closely with customers to create the materials that bring the possibilities to life.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts heading into the Daytona International Speedway Road Course race this weekend?
“I can’t wait to get back down to Daytona Beach to compete at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course this weekend. We had a fun night in the Busch Clash last week. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out where we wanted to. We got thrown through the grass, so I’m going to try to keep all four tires on the track this coming weekend. The goal is to try and gain on our points. We’ve done a good job through the DAYTONA 500. Let’s keep that streak going.”

You were able to get some experience on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course by competing in the Rolex 24 this year. Did anything jump out at you about the track?
“It’s not so much of a technical track like some of the tracks that we go to that are road courses. It’s pretty self-explanatory. I like the fact that the tires seem to wear quite a bit at the track. I enjoyed it and I think the experience I got in the 24 was great. We’ll see how it all plays out in the end.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Cat Rental Store Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course… Reddick has two NASCAR Cup Series starts on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, with his best finish of fourth coming during last week’s Clash event.

About Caterpillar… Since 1925, Caterpillar Inc. has been helping our customers build a better world – making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2020 sales and revenues of $41.7 billion, Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. Services offered throughout the product life cycle, cutting-edge technology and decades of product expertise set Caterpillar apart, providing exceptional value to help our customers succeed. The company principally operates through three primary segments – Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation – and provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment.

About Cat Rental Store… A combined global network of more than 1,300 dealer-owned locations makes The Cat® Rental Store a convenient source for the largest construction equipment rental fleet in the world. From our well-known Cat earthmoving machines, excavators, skid steer loaders, backhoes, pavers and compactors, work tools and power generators to equipment from more than 70 other top-tier brands including aerial work platforms, compressors, concrete equipment, HVAC and dumpers, we have the equipment customers need to get the job done. Since 1997 the team knows how hard customers work, and they are always ready to prove they will work just as hard. At every store, customers have access to an extensive offer of short-term rentals, leasing options, technology, training and a complete team of equipment experts committed to their success. For more information visit: CatRentalStore.com.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:
Your team had speed in the Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course during Speedweek. How does that help you prepare for your return to the road course this weekend?
“We put in a lot of work over the off-season at RCR to get better at road courses, so to have a solid run during the Clash does make us feel more confident about this weekend. I truly feel based on our Clash performance that we have a shot at winning this weekend. I made a couple mistakes in the Clash that I was able to learn from, but my team was also able to do a couple things with strategy while staying out on old tires and still make it to where I could drive away from guys on new tires. We had a good car at the Clash, but what is more exciting is the fact that we didn’t even take our best road course car down there. We have another car at the shop that we like even more than our Clash car. When you already have a really fast car at a track but know the No. 8 Cat Rental Store Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE we’re going to bring back is even better, that is a great feeling to go into the weekend with.”

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course… Snider has one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. In his first start at the Florida road course last season, Snider gained 17 positions to post a top-10 finish.

About TaxSlayer… TaxSlayer makes online tax filing accessible for millions of Americans, with an easy-to-use platform and unlimited support at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Trusted for over 50 years, the Augusta-based tech company successfully completed more than 10 million federal and state e-filed tax returns in 2020 and processed $15 billion in refunds. TaxSlayer achieved a 4.5/5 TrustScore on consumer review site Trustpilot, with 87% of its customers rating the tax filing platform Great or Excellent. For more information, visit www.TaxSlayer.com.

MYATT SNIDER QUOTES:
What is your expectation for the first road course race of 2021?
“I think our TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro is going to be really fast this weekend on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Andy Street (crew chief) and our No. 2 team have been working really hard over the offseason to improve our road course cars and I’ve been working really hard to improve my driving abilities on a road course. I feel like I did well overall on all of the road course events last season, especially the Daytona Road Course, so we should do really well this Saturday. Also, starting up towards the front after our solid start to the season last week, will definitely help our chances at a good showing.”

What have you done to prepare for this Saturday’s race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course?
“Earlier this week, Andy and I sat down to watch some film from the last Daytona race. Being able to watch the race again is a good way to prepare, so you can see what worked last season and what didn’t. Since we didn’t work together during this race last year, I was able to tell him some things from my perspective, he was able to tell me his perspective, and then we were able to compare and brainstorm some ideas together. I also have spent some time on the simulator to prepare and make sure we are running our best.”

What do you like and dislike about the Daytona International Speedway Road Course?
“I like the fact that it’s a really high wear race track on the inside. I don’t think the infield has been repaved since the 70s, so to me that is really cool. It makes tire wear a huge factor, so you have to be mindful about where you are pushing, where you are not pushing as a driver, and how you will make sure your car is there for the end of the race. To me, it’s one of the most fun, technical road courses that we go to.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA ROAD COURSE
O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 253 AT DAYTONA
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 18, 2021

COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 NETFLIX CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Press Conference Transcript:

GIVE US A RECAP OF BRINGING HOME A TOP-10 FINISH IN THE DAYTONA 500
“It was a busy week with a bunch of stuff going on down there at Daytona. And then a new team, new procedures with (crew chief) Ryan Sparks still leading our unit; to have two cars down there in the Top 10 after it was all said and done with Spire Motorsports means a lot. I think it means a lot to (co-owners) TJ. Puchyr and Jeff Dickerson, too. Financially, obviously the Daytona 500 is a big one. It certainly started us off on the right foot. And I think it builds some momentum. We have a great starting position this weekend. We’re starting seventh. So, I’ll have at least six people in front of me to slow me down before I get to Turn 1. I’m certainly not a road course ringer. I have a little work to do on that. But it would be good to learn from the guys in front of me and to see what we can do this weekend.”

IN THE LAST FIVE DAYTONA 500 RACES, ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF THE FIELD HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH. FIVE YEARS BEFORE THAT, IT WAS ABOUT 45 PERCENT. AT WHAT POINT DOES A TREND BECOME TROUBLING AND IS THERE A SOLUTION TO THIS? OR THE CARS ARE BUILT TO PROTECT THE DRIVERS AND THIS SHOULDN’T’ BE A WORRY?
“That’s a good question. I think it’s a product of a couple of different things. One, all the drivers are starting to study speedway racing and actually take it a little more serious. It’s kind of the same way as road course racing where people are like we’re going to Watkins Glen or Sonoma so I’m not going to really concentrate on it because it’s only two races. Well now that you have a chance to win a speedway race and qualify your way into the Playoffs, guys really study it and figure out where to put their cars. So you’ll see guys making runs or throwing blocks because they know, to protect their track position, they’ve got to be aggressive with those blocks. I think that’s where some of the speedway racing, the product of it has changed over the past couple of years just because the cars are tighter, the drivers are being a little more aggressive. And, that’s a heck of a lot more wrecks, though, when you look at the last five years compared to the others. I’m not sure what you can blame it on. I think obviously you can point to some of the packets that keep the cars closer together with the two tandem stops that we got away from and then the high-downforce stuff that we have right now. It certainly keeps the cars closer together and you have to be aggressive to keep your track position.”

AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU CAN MAKE THE DECISION WHETHER YOU RACE OR NOT; AND OBVIOUSLY YOU CONTINUE TO RACE. AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS HAD SUCCESS, BUT WHO ALSO WENT THROUGH THAT BIG CRASH LAST YEAR, HOW DO YOU MANAGE THAT WITH WHAT CAN HAPPEN? OR YOU’RE A DRIVER AND YOU’RE SUPERHUMAN AND THAT CAN’T BE A PART OF YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS?
“It’s certainly in there. I know that I definitely tug on the belts a little bit harder at Daytona and Talladega more so than I do at Martinsville. I can promise you that. It’s just part of the deal, man. It’s part of the job. That’s why we make good money because we are risking our lives each and every week for entertainment. But on the flip side of that, I know John Patalak just from working with him through the development with some of Dad’s seats over at the R&D Center. He is one of the sharpest guys that I know. And he’s trying to make these race cars as safe as possible and we’re looking forward to the Next Gen car which is considerably more safe than what we have now. So, when you get in, you know that NASCAR is doing everything they can to keep the cars as safe as possible. But at the end of the day, you’ve just got to get in and put the helmet on and forget about it.”

YOU SAID THIS WEEK THAT THE EQUIPMENT IS BETTER THAN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE HEADING INTO THE SEASON WITH CHIP GANASSI RACING CHASSIS AND HENDRICK MOTORS. CONSIDERING THERE IS GOING TO BE MORE 750 HP RACES THIS YEAR, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT’S A BETTER CHANCE TO SHOW YOUR ABILITY BEHIND THE WHEEL?
“I think every week is going to be a better opportunity for me to show what I’m capable of doing behind the wheel just because we have some up-to-date, current cars; and our motor package is on the same platform as some of the other guys. I want to get through the road course unscathed. A goal of mine is a Top 20 on all the road courses because I think I only have four or five road courses under my belt in my whole life. I’m trying to mitigate the losses there but I’m excited to get to Vegas, Homestead, Phoenix, and Martinsville; and some other places that I’m familiar with and really see how we stack up because I think that with all that we learned last year working with Ryan Sparks, he kind of knows what to look for in these race cars, We can add it to a lighter car; make some more downforce with some better motors, and I think we’re going to be a force to reckon with.”

WITH RYAN SPARKS ON THE PIT BOX, HOW CRITICAL WAS IT THAT HE CAME WITH YOU TO SPIRE MOTORSPORTS? WHAT CAN HE BRING IN TERMS OF SUCCESS TO THE TEAM THIS YEAR?
“We didn’t come as a package per se. I jumped on with Spire and they were like man, who do you want to crew chief? And I knew, with working with Ryan and the work ethic he has and how motivated he is. There were some guys that they interviewed but Ryan was certainly the most qualified guy. And the fact that we worked together was just an added bonus. I’m excited to have him back because he’s got some more tools to work with the simulation seat from Ganassi. He’s got a Hawk-Eye over there at Spire Motorsports. So he’s been working really hard to maximize every angle of our car and I think that’s what showed at Daytona with both Spire’s cars running the two fastest laps of the weekend.”

JEFF DICKERSON PUT OUT A STATEMENT AFTER THE DAYTONA 500. DID IT FEEL LIKE A WIN? DID YOU SENSE THAT THEY THOUGHT THE PERFORMANCE WAS LIKE A WIN?
“He might have. Obviously, he was excited enough to put out a release on Instagram. You know, I had more people reach out to me about that than I expected just that people were realizing Jeff’s character and the people in the relationship got him to where they are as a race team. Somebody texted me about that this morning and I was like man, that’s why Jeff is one of my favorite people. I had to re-phrase the text back and I’m like Jeff was one of my favorite people before I started driving for him. So, the fact that I get to drive for one of the guys I’ve looked up to in the garage for the past couple of years is really neat.”

YOU ARE ONLY ONE RACE IN, BUT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE A WINNING TEAM?
“Short answer: no. Not at the moment, But the people and the tools that are in place continue to build toward that and obviously Spire is really hedging their bets toward this Next Gen car. The goal is always to go to the race track and run the best way possible. But to try to win this year wasn’t necessarily the goal because still, the bottom of the well is infinite with the way the cars are now. The Next Gen car with a single source manufacturer, if we can get a couple more partners in the fold where we can have a comfortable racing budget with some of the teams like Hendrick and Stewart Haas, I really do think that we can compete for some races, short tracks, maybe every week. I think I have a little bit of things to learn just to learn the tricks the Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, what those guys do to close races out I’ll have to learn that stuff when time comes. But I’d like to think that if I’m in a Top 10 car I can make that thing just get up there and contend for wins one day.”

HAVE YOU SPENT ANY TIME WITH STEVE LETARTE? HAS HE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT COMING FROM A CHAMPIONSHIP ORGANIZATION LIKE HENDRICK AND WHAT YOU GUYS CAN DO IN THE SHORT TERM TO AIM TOWARD THAT GOAL?
“Steve has been way more involved than I expected him to be. He actually might be involved more than he expected to be, too. He’s in there almost every day of the week, really. He was sending me motivational text messages before the race and he actually sent me a really nice and supportive one after the race at 2 o’clock in the morning or whatever it was. He stayed up and listened to our radio communications and just reiterated that I’m the guy for the job and that he was impressed by me. Coming from a multi time Cup winning crew chief like Steve Letarte and to have him in our camp means a lot. For him, he’s obviously worked with a lot of great drivers, so for him to tell me that meant a lot. So, I’m going to certainly lean on him for some leadership qualities and things like that I haven’t been around in the past that I can continue to lean on off-the-track stuff with our team, I think that’s going to be just as important as what I can do on the race track.”

OTHER THAN SUPERSPEEDWAYS, WHERE DO YOU FEEL YOU DO HAVE YOUR BEST SHOT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND TO SHOW PEOPLE WHAT YOU’RE CAPABLE OF DOING?
“I always have Daytona and Talladega circled because I’ve run fairly well there. But Martinsville is a place I’m really looking forward to. We’ve run really well there with a 2006 Roush car in the past. I’m looking forward to driving a car that was built in this decade to see what we can do. I really think we can run a Top 10 at Martinsville; and if we don’t, I’d be a little bit upset. And I think Ryan Sparks has that race circled as well at Martinsville as well to see how we stack up.”

SEEING SPIRE MOTORSPORTS GET THE TOP TWO FASTEST LAPS IN THE RACE, OBVIOUSLY IT’S A SUPERSPEEDWAY. BUT WHAT CAN THIS SHOW FOR THE CARS AND ENGINES HEADING INTO THE MEAT AND POTATOES OF THE SEASON?
“You’re making me hungry with the meat and potatoes now (laughs). I forgot where it was; whether it was the first media Zoom here before the 500 and people asked if they could take Spire seriously. And I was like check back in here in six months and we’ll see if they’re taking us seriously. We’re one weekend into the year and I would say that people should start taking us seriously. And I get that Daytona is Daytona. With certain circumstances you can pop off a fast lap like we did there. But you don’t luck into two Top 10 finishes in the 500 just because you’re out there riding around. So, like I said, I’m ready to get to Phoenix and Vegas and some intermediates too just to see where we stack-up speed wise and figure out those groups of four or five cars that we can race consistently and figure out how to beat them. I’m looking at cars like even RCR or JTG I feel like we can compete with those guys each and every week. And wherever that stacks up in points, we should be somewhere between 19th and 22nd. I feel like that’s where we should be running and getting better each and every week.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU IN SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE INVESTING RECENTLY IN THIS SPORT FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ANGLES?
“Yeah, that’s a great question. When you have a guy like Pitbull come in as a co-owner for Trackhouse Racing and you obviously you have Denny Hamlin and the Michael Jordan team. And they are, from what I understand, four or five more heavily backed owners looking to try to get a charter to come into this sport. I think that just shows the level of excitement people have. And also, the business model that NASCAR is trying to push toward makes some financial sense for somebody to get into the fold with this Next Gen and be able to compete right off the bat. So, I think the trajectory of NASCAR is certainly looking up. We can talk about the Daytona 500 TV numbers all day, but you’ve got to take into consideration all the variables that they’ve dealt with. I think there’s more excitement behind NASCAR since the late ‘90’s, just with all the personalities coming in and stuff we’re doing off the race track as well as on the race track now and going into the future.”

LOOKING AT THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE THIS WEEKEND, WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
“Everything. The whole turn left, turn right, stop, go, all of that is fairly hard. You’ve got guys that have been doing it for a while with more road course experience than others and I’m probably at the bottom end of that experience line. So, I’m going to certainly learn as much as I can from those guys at the front of the pack this weekend with my seventh starting position, and just try to keep all four on the black stuff instead of the green stuff and try not to make any mistakes. I think keeping the brakes on this low downforce package will be important to be there at the end because it’ll be a lot longer than the Clash was.”
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.