Home Blog Page 2803

CHEVY NCS AT TEXAS 2: Team Chevy Advance

By
Official Release
-

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
AUTOTRADER ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
OCTOBER 25, 2020

TEXAS: RACE #34
With just two more chances for drivers to secure their spot in the Championship Four, the Playoff battle heightens as NASCAR’S three national series head to Texas Motor Speedway for race two of three of the Playoffs’ Round of Eight. The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) 334-lap, 501-mile Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at the 1.5-mile Texas oval will be the second appearance by NASCAR’s premier series thus far this season and the 34th stop on the tour’s schedule. The weekend’s event will mark the NCS’s 40th race at Texas Motor Speedway, with Richard Childress Racing and Team Chevy’s, Austin Dillon, returning as the most recent NCS winner at the track’s July event earlier this season.

It’s a jam-packed two-day event in the Lone Star State, with three NASCAR Playoff races over two days of action. The weekend gets started with an appearance by the NASCAR Xfinity Series with the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 on Saturday, October 24th, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Day two of events consists of a rare NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader, starting with the SpeedyCash.com 400 for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series on Sunday, October 25th, at 12:00 p.m. ET. The day is capped off with the NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Fans will have the opportunity to view Sunday’s Playoff doubleheader action in-person. The July NASCAR Cup Series event at the Texas Motor Speedway was the first major league sporting event in the state of Texas to be open to spectators since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ROUND OF EIGHT: RACE TWO
Since the track’s addition into the Playoff schedule during the 2005 season, Texas Motor Speedway has been the host of the eighth race in the 10-race stretch. The 1.5-mile Texas oval is one of only two tracks that have been positioned as the eighth event, joining Phoenix Raceway (2004).

With three Team Chevy drivers in the Round of Eight fighting for a position in the Championship Four, here are where the Team Chevy drivers currently sit in the Playoff standings going into the second of three races, including key statistics at Texas Motor Speedway:

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hooters Give a Hoot Camaro ZL1 1LE – 5th in Standings (4,074 points)
Victories: 3 (Charlotte Motor Speedway, Daytona Road Course, Charlotte Road Course)
Top-Fives: 13; Top-10’s: 20; Laps Led: 858; Average Finish: 12.1
Stage Wins: 9
At Texas: Top-Five’s: 2; Top-10’s: 5; Average Finish: 11.111 (fifth-best)

Alex Bowman, No. 88 Acronis Camaro ZL1 1LE – 6th in Standings (4,055 points)
Victories: 1 (Auto Club Speedway)
Top-Fives: 5; Top-10’s: 13; Laps Led: 396; Average Finish: 15.2
Stage Wins: 4
At Texas: Top-Five’s: 1; Top-10’s: 1; Average Finish: 25.6

Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE – 8th in Standings (4,009 points)
Victories: 1 (Las Vegas Motor Speedway)
Top-Fives: 6; Top-10’s: 17; Laps Led: 142; Average Finish: 13.9
Stage Wins: 1
At Texas: Wins: 1; Top-Five’s: 3; Top-10’s: 22; Average Finish: 14.5.16

BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Victories by active Team Chevy drivers at Texas Motor Speedway include:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Designed by Noah Sweet Camaro ZL1 1LE, with 7 wins (2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 sweep and 2017)
Matt Kenseth, No. 42 McDonald’s Camaro ZL1 1LE with 2 wins (2002 and 2011)
Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1, with one win (2009)
Austin Dillon, No. 3 DOW Sullair Camaro ZL1 1LE, with one win (2020)

· Of the 173 drivers that have competed in a NASCAR Cup Series event at Texas Motor Speedway, Chip Ganassi Racing and Chevrolet Driver, Kurt Busch, leads the series in starts with 35 in his career.

· 25 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have sat on the pole at Texas Motor Speedway, with Chip Ganassi Racing and Chevrolet driver, Kurt Busch, leading the series with three (Spring 2015, Playoffs 2017, Spring 2018). His 2017 and 2018 NCS Busch Pole Awards make him just one of three drivers to win consecutive poles at the track. Of the four different manufacturers to win a pole at the 1.5-mile Texas oval, Chevrolet leads the way with 15.

· Chevrolet has made 14 trips to victory lane in NASCAR’s Premier Series at Texas Motor Speedway. Other statistics of note for the bowtie brand’s history at the 1.5-mile oval include 70 top-five’s, 165 top-10’s and 4,292 laps led.

· Chevrolet team, Hendrick Motorsports, leads the NASCAR Cup Series pole award and win categories, with seven poles and nine trips to victory lane.

· Through the 10-race NASCAR Cup Series Playoff stretch thus far, Hendrick Motorsports Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman lead the way in top-10 finishes with five each.

· Heading into his final race in his full-time NASCAR Cup Series career at Texas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet driver, Jimmie Johnson, tops the leaderboard in a variety of categories in his 34 career starts:
o Johnson leads the series in victories at Texas Motor Speedway with seven (2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 sweep, 2017).
o Johnson is one of just three NASCAR Cup Series drivers to score consecutive wins at the 1.5-mile Texas oval.
o Johnson leads the series in runner-up finishes at Texas Motor Speedway with five, top-five finishes with 16 and top-10 finishes with 22.
o Johnson leads the series in number of laps led at Texas Motor Speedway with 1,152, giving him a laps led percentage of 10.6% at the track throughout his NASCAR Cup Series career.

LOOKING TO GO BACK-TO-BACK
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the 1.5-mile Texas oval for the second time this season. Earlier this season, Team Chevy saw its fourteenth trip to victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway when Austin Dillon scored his first-career victory at the track in his No. 3 Camaro ZL1 1LE. The win was celebrated by his teammate, Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Camaro ZL1 1LE, who posted a Cup Series career-best second place finish in his series debut at the track. It was the first time since the 2011 Talladega event that Richard Childress Racing finished 1-2 in NASCAR’s premier series.

STARTING LINE-UP:
For the remainder of the 2020 NCS season, the starting lineups will be determined by a competition-based formula, combining the following metrics from the previous race event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the Owner points position.

Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters for Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500:

4th Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hooters Give a Hoot Camaro ZL1 1LE
5th Alex Bowman, No. 88 Acronis Camaro ZL1 1LE
8th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
11th William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 1LE
12th Austin Dillon, No. 3 DOW Sullair Camaro ZL1 1LE
18th Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Door Dash Camaro ZL1 1LE
19th Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Clark Pipeline Services Camaro ZL1 1LE

TUNE-IN:
NBCSN will telecast the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 50 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 25th, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage of the 501-mile, 334-lap event for race two of three for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 can also be found on the NBC Sports Gold app, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS GIVE A HOOT CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS
“Texas is just a different animal since the repave and I feel like we had some great runs there. I love going to Texas before they repaved it and just felt like I had a nice feel of the racetrack and I knew what I wanted. It was a very, kind of natural thing for me for whatever reason. I kind of lucked into that I guess, but man after the repave it’s been a struggle. I feel like it’s one of our worst tracks as a team and Texas is a bad place to struggle because if you make it to the Round of 8 it’s a track that seems like it’s always right there at the tail end of the season. It’s an important track to have a good performance at that can propel you to a potential final four run. Those types of struggles at a track like that, where it falls in the playoffs is not ideal so I hope we can get a little better out there.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 ACRONIS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 6th IN STANDINGS
“We had a good run in Kansas last weekend and captured stage points which is what we needed to do. The points don’t look good in our situation, so we really need to go to Texas and have a strong car from the start. Hendrick Motorsports’ Intermediate program is definitely strong, and I know that this No. 88 team has been working hard on our Texas Camaro. Last time Acronis was on our car we ran really well in Dover, so hopefully we can get the job done for them this weekend.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW SULLAIR CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 10th IN STANDINGS
TELL US ABOUT RACING AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY AND HOW IT DIFFERS FROM OTHER 1.5-MILE TRACKS, SUCH AS KANSAS SPEEDWAY?
“Texas Motor Speedway is a bit different from Kansas Speedway in that it has two different ends. You have one end that’s very banked and has high speeds, and then you have a hard end where you have to get turned and get back on the gas. Texas Motor Speedway just has so much grip now. It’s quite a bit different, and the banking has changed a lot from the old track to the new track. I really like Texas and am looking forward to getting there. Our cars have been strong on 1.5-mile tracks this year, and we will look to some of that speed to try and get the No. 3 DOW Sullair Chevy into Victory Lane.”

YOU WON AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN JULY. HOW DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR MINDSET GOING INTO THE RACE THIS WEEKEND?
“I think our team remains just as hungry as ever to get back to Victory Lane. My RCR team has been really strong on mile-and-a-half tracks this season, and I know that we have everything we need to try and back up our performance from July. We’re going to attack from the opening green flag.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 12th IN STANDINGS
“With both ends of Texas being different you have to find a compromise some on your handling instead of focusing on one set of turns over the other. I think in (turns) 3 and 4, speed makes the biggest difference through there. When you’re in (turns) 1 and 2 it’s more about the handling of your car but still having good speed out of 2 so you can get down the backstretch and set up your entry to turn 3 with a good pace. It’s a lot different of a race track than we’re used to and compared to how it was. Now it’s very unique and makes for an interesting challenge especially as the race progresses.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY DESIGNED BY NOAH SWEET CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 18th IN STANDINGS
“The biggest change at Texas over the years is new reconfiguration. The new asphalt has made the racing more single file. I love how supportive the market is of the racing venue – I love the Dallas, Fort Worth area, we have really good friends there and usually our stay is extended. The best memory I have is when I was able to duel with Matt Kenseth. Matt and I had nothing to gain, I knew I had a good car and so I went after it knowing Matt would race me clean and he wouldn’t make a mistake. It was certainly an exciting finish and although Matt probably didn’t like the outcome, it was one of my most memorable battles for a win.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CLARK PIPELINE SERVICES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 19th IN STANDINGS
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU TOOK AWAY FROM TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN RCR FINISHED 1-2?
“Well, the way we went about that race is now out in the open and everyone knows how we did it, so I’m not sure that strategy will work when we go back this weekend. We’ll have to come up with something a little different this time. Texas is going to be a little bit like Kansas in the way that you have to take all the track position you can get and not make mistakes. The people you pass once are going to then understand where you were better than they were, so if you have to pass them a second time around they’ll know how to defend against you. That’s what makes it so hard racing in the Cup Series. Everyone is so smart about it. We’re going to need a really solid race in our No. 8 Clark Pipeline Services Chevrolet to be able to grab a good finish this weekend.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2019): 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 (1949-2019): 31
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)

2020 STATISTICS:
Wins: 7
Poles: 3
Laps Led: 1,933
Top-five finishes: 46
Top-10 finishes: 112

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 793 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 717
Laps led to date: 236,239
Top-five finishes to date: 4,060
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,394

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

       General Motors: 1,127
       Chevrolet: 793
       Pontiac: 154
       Oldsmobile: 115
       Buick: 65

       Ford: 804                                                         
       Ford: 704
       Mercury: 96
       Lincoln: 4

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

       Toyota: 151

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

CHEVY NTT INDYCAR SERIES STREETS OF ST. PETE: Team Chevy Advance with Quotes

By
Official Release
-
#1: Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Chevrolet

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES
FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG
STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE WITH QUOTES
OCT. 24-25, 2020

‌RACE 14 AND FINAL OF 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES:

DETROIT (Oct. 23, 2020) — After almost a seven-and-a-half-month wait, the Chevrolet powered teams and drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES face the challenges of the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg temporary street circuit for the final race of the 2020 season.

Team Chevy driver and reigning series champion Josef Newgarden, No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, sits 32 points down to Scott Dixon in his pursuit of a third title. While Newgarden is facing a challenge to overcome the difference, it is not out of the realm of possibility for the Nashville native.

“Feeling good. Ready to go,” said Newgarden, who has recorded three victories. “I feel like we’re definitely prepped and ready to rock for the weekend. Just going there to try to win the race. That’s really all I can do.

“I love on the fact sheet, I saw this put out, it was like 20,000 scenarios, 1% of the scenarios means we can win the championship. You’re saying there’s a chance and that’s all we need. It’s going to be an exciting weekend. We’ll see how it shakes out. We’re just going to go into our thing, see where everything lands at the end of it.”

Newgarden has the history on the streets of St. Pete to back up his confidence. In 2019, he started second on the grid and won the race. In eight starts, he has stood on the podium twice. He has finished 86% of the possible laps, and led several times for 60 laps.

Meanwhile, Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, will clinch the INDYCAR Rookie of the Year Award by taking the green flag for the 100-lap/180-mile race. The title is the first for Ed Carpenter Racing, and only the third for Chevrolet since the award began in 1979, the previous two coming in 1990 and 1992.

A first-time addition to the Chevrolet team roster will be three-time Australian SuperCar Champion Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Shell V-Power Nitro+ Chevrolet from the Team Penske stable. After testing at Circuit of the Americas in the spring, McLaughlin was ready to make his debut much earlier in the season. But the COVID-19 pandemic forced his schedule to be substantially altered.

FAN VIEWING AND LISTENING
NBC Sports Gold livestreaming: Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice session at 10:55 a.m.ET and Firestone Fast Six qualifying at 3:05 p.m.ET will stream live on INDYCAR Pass on NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports direct-to-consumer livestreaming product. Qualifying will also broadcast tape-delayed on NBCSN at 8:00 p.m. ET

Sunday pre-race warm-up will stream live NBC Sports Gold starting at 10:40 a,m, ET.

The race will broadcast live on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Octoer 25.

Pennzoil INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, qualifying and races are broadcast live on Pennzoil INDYCAR Radio Network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, IndyCar.com and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA.

AT-TRACK SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES LOCAL)
Saturday, Oct. 24
10:55 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice #1, NBC Sports Gold
3-4:20 p.m.: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg qualifying (Three rounds of knockout qualifications), NBC Sports Gold (live); NBCSN (Tape delayed at 8 p.m.)
4:25 p.m.: NTT P1 Award Presentation (pit lane)
Sunday, Oct. 25
10:40-11:10 a.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES warm-up, NBC Sports Gold
2:27 p.m.: “Drivers, start your engines”
2:30 p.m.: NBC on air
2:32 p.m.: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps/180 miles), NBC (live)

BOWTIE BULLETS:

Chevrolet drivers have won six of the eight races held on the Streets of St. Petersburg since 2012 – Josef Newgarden won in 2019, and picked the win in tthe Indy Lights Series in 2011
Josef Newgarden is second in points, 32 points behind leader; Will Power is fourth in the standings, Pato O’Ward is fifth in points, and Simon Pagenaud is eighth in the standings
Oliver Askew will return to the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, Sebastien Bourdais will be in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet and Scott McLaughlin in the No.3 Shell V-Power Nitro+ Team Penske Chevrolet
Power is the second all-time INDYCAR pole winner with 61 (behind only Mario Andretti with 67).
Rinus VeeKay won the St. Pete Indy Lights race 2019, and Pato O’Ward won the Indy Lights race in 2018
Since returning to INDYCAR manufacturer competition in 2012, Chevrolet has amassed 88 wins in 148 races—59.4% along with six Manufacturer Championships and six driver championships. Bowtie drivers have earned 98 poles and started in the No. 1 position on the INDYCAR grid 103 times

QUOTABLE QUOTES:

ROB BUCKNER, CHEVROLET RACING ENGINEERING PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES:
“We made it to the finale. It has been an at times difficult season, but also have had some very rewarding results. We head to the Streets of St. Pete with Josef Newgarden fighting hard for another championship, and Rinus VeeKay ready to clinch the INDYCAR Rookie-of-the-Year title. I am so proud of the cooperative efforts from our technical partners and all of the Chevrolet powered teams to keep moving the ball forward through some trying moments, logistical difficulties and always following the strictest of protocols to keep everyone as safe as possible during this pandemic. We are all looking forward to the positive possibilities ahead in 2021.”

FROM THE COCKPIT:

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET:
“It really all comes down to this weekend. It’s been a year where the No. 1 Hitachi Chevrolet and our team have been through a lot, from success to dealing with mistakes to just the victim of bad timing. But none of that matters headed into this weekend. We either win the championship or we don’t. My Hitachi Chevy team has put everything they have into this season, and they plan to keep working hard through the race weekend. It’s going to certainly be a tough battle with Scott Dixon this weekend because he has been so strong and consistent all year. We can’t afford to make mistakes, so strategy and execution will be critical. We feel really good with the momentum we have right now, but you can never count out a guy like Dixon. I’m also excited that Scott McLaughlin will be joining us this weekend for his first-ever INDYCAR race. He was so fast at the spring training test at COTA earlier this year, so it’s going to be really great to see how he does in the mix for a race.”

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 SHELL V-POWER NITRO+TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET: “I’m super pumped to finally get a crack at my first INDYCAR race. Feels like it’s been years since I was part of spring training, but due to COVID-19, we had to hold off. But hey, sometimes the best things are definitely worth the wait. It’s a dream come true to be running an INDYCAR race for Team Penske and Roger (Penske), especially coming off of such a successful Supercars season. I’ve been trying to get to know my team as well as possible virtually for a few months now, so it’s been great being able to see everyone in person and work with them. I spent some time last week running in the simulator as much as I could and spent some time at the race shop, as well, to prepare for this weekend. It was a quick turnaround from Bathurst since I flew to Charlotte immediately after, so I’ve definitely been moving at a fast but really exciting pace just to get to this weekend. The Shell V-Power Nitro+ Chevy team is such a talented group, so I feel like I’m going to be a quick study and learn a lot really fast.”

CHARLIE KIMBALL, NO. 4 TRESIBA AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET:
“I’m excited for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg as we got some good preseason running at Sebring on the street circuit tire, so we have a baseline to evolve heading to Florida. To succeed, we are going to have to maximize that baseline and follow the track as it rubbers in during practice. It’s hard to pass and while qualifying is always important, it becomes critical on a street circuit. Having had experience with the car and me all year, the team at AJ Foyt Racing has been working hard to make sure we finish the year on a high note. Typically, as the first race of the year, St. Pete usually feels a bit like the first day of school, but this year it’s going to be where INDYCAR crowns a champion and be the last day of school!”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET:
“I’ve been waiting for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg for a while. It’s a venue that I really enjoy going to, not only because the track is cool but because the whole city is very enjoyable, as well. I’m really looking forward to closing out the season with a strong result. I want to thank everyone involved who made my first full season in INDYCAR an incredible one: everyone at the Arrow McLaren SP, Arrow Electronics, McLaren, INDYCAR, Chevrolet, all of our other amazing partners, and most importantly — the fans.”

OLIVER ASKEW, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET:
“I appreciate all the support Arrow McLaren SP has given me through this difficult time. I would like to thank Dr. Billows and the INDYCAR Medical Team, as well as Dr. Collins and the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, for their advice and care, which allowed me to take the time I needed to fully recover and prepare for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES finale. I’m looking forward to a strong finish to the season in St. Pete.”
WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET:
“Indianapolis was incredible. Winning the pole and the race just brought so much good energy to the Verizon Chevy team. It’s a shame we had so much bad luck and made some mistakes earlier this season, but we’ve been getting stronger since Mid-Ohio, and I think the team has really come together. We’ve been out of contention for the championship for a few races now, so we are fully focused on just getting more race wins. St. Pete is such a technical street course, so it can be really fun to race. Actually, it will end up being the only street race we raced on in 2020. We’ve had some races this year with fans, and I’m glad we’ll have a good number of fans back at St. Pete. I’m also looking forward to Scott McLaughlin joining us to race at St. Pete. He’s been working hard preparing for the weekend while also having just won another Supercars championship in Australia. He was really fast at the COTA test, so I think he will be really strong this weekend even though it’s his first INDYCAR race. It’s really going to be a fun weekend.”

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, NO. 14 AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET:
“Quite excited for the Firestone GP here in St. Pete, as it’s always great to run in front of friends and family at home. It’s definitely a race that we’re quite a bit better prepared for than the Harvest Indy GP but still kind of keeping the expectations in check. You never know what comes around the corner. I hope what we learned about the No. 14 Chevrolet at Sebring will transfer well for the St. Pete track. We’re looking forward to a good weekend. The weather’s going to be nice, and we’ll keep learning and hope to have some good successes.”

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 U.S. AIR FORCE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET:
“It’s pretty hard to believe my first street course with Ed Carpenter Racing will be in October. It has been a decade since I last won in St. Pete in the Pro Mazda championship, which is wild to think about. Love the track, love the city, love the event. We obviously want to finish strong for the U.S. Air Force, Chevrolet and all of the incredible people that have worked so hard for us all year long. I’m very excited to get down there and get going.”

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET:
“It will be so nice to come back to St. Petersburg. We are finally returning after being there earlier this year, but we were not able to race. Hopefully, I can secure my Rookie of the Year title; it will be a very nice achievement. I am really looking forward to the race. First street course race of the season as the last race, that’s very cool. I’ve always had good races in St. Pete in the Road to Indy, and I cannot wait to hustle around there with an Indy car.”

SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 DXC TECHNOLOGY TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET:
“I cannot wait for St. Petersburg. First off, we are ecstatic to host our fans back at the racetrack and continue to give them the best racing there is. We finished on a high note in Indianapolis GP with my No. 22 Menards Chevy crew being fastest on pit lane on day one and collecting the fastest lap of Race 2. The new weekend format has been very difficult, with less practice and less chances to get the right balance on the car. I’m ready to take on the challenge again with spirit. St. Petersburg is a street course that I really enjoy, as street courses are my specialty. We will give a 100 percent and attempt to execute on the last race weekend of 2020.”

MAX CHILTON, NO. 59 GALLAGHER CARLIN CHEVROLET:
“It’s crazy to think that we’re heading back to St. Pete, where it all started, to finish out the 2020 season. I love racing on the streets of St. Petersburg, and I’m so thankful that everyone at INDYCAR and the track could work together insuch a difficult situation to bring us back for the finale. It’s a really physical track and the race itself is so demanding, but then at the end of the day, the Firestone Grand Prix is always a great one, not only for us as drivers but also for the fans watching at home and in person. We’ve made some big strides forward as a team, and I’m really hoping we can close out this season with a top-10 finish.”

Chevrolet INDYCAR Series Statistics

  • Chevrolet has recorded six NTT IndyCar Series Manufacturer Championships since returning to manufacturer competition in 2012.
  • Chevrolet earned six consecutive CART Manufacturers’ Cup championships from 1988-93.
  • Chevrolet has recorded 12 driver championships, including four in the past five years and six total since returning to INDYCAR competition in 2012 with the2.2 liter V6 twin turbocharged direct injected engine
  • Chevrolet has recorded 198 wins in Indy-style racing, including USAC, CART, Indy Racing League and IndyCar Series since 1965. The first victory for Chevy power was Bobby Unser in the 1966 Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb.
  • Chevrolet has 88 wins in 148 races(59.4%) in IndyCar Series races since returning to manufacturer competition in 2012.

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Weekend schedule for Texas

By
Angie Campbell
-
Texas Motor Speedway. Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images.

NASCAR heads to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for Race 2 in the Round of 8 as the Playoffs continue.

Among the active drivers in the Cup Series, Jimmie Johnson has seven wins while Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch have three wins each at Texas. Matt Kenseth has won twice at the 1.5-mile track. Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon each have one previous win.

Last weekend’s winners at Kansas Speedway, Logano in the Cup Series, Chase Briscoe in the Xfinity Series and Brett Moffitt in the Truck Series, have clinched a spot in the Championship 4.

All times are Eastern.

Saturday, Oct. 24

4:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (Stages 45/90/200 Laps = 300 Miles) NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Pole: Chase Briscoe

Sunday, Oct. 25

Noon: Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 400 (STAGES 35/70/147 Laps = 220.5 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Pole: Sheldon Creed

3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (Stages 105/210/334 Laps = 501 Miles) NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Pole: Kevin Harvick

Sefton Steel Partners with Jordan Anderson Racing for Texas Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
-

Statesville, N.C. (October 22, 2020) – Sefton Steel, a Houston, Texas-based A.I.S.C certified fabricator, specializing in the petrochemical, refining, power, pulp and paper, industrial, and mining industries, has partnered with Jordan Anderson Racing for this weekend’s SpeedyCash.com 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Serving as the primary sponsor on Anderson’s No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado, the Sefton Steel brand will be prominently displayed on the hood and sides for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race Sunday, October 25.

Since 1985, Sefton Steel has been committed to providing an error-free product to the industrial, commercial, and governmental construction industries all while continuing to meet or exceed the contract specifications, and the customer’s expectations on each project. From pipe racks to major structures like platforms, bulk material handling systems and cable trays, Sefton Steel has fabricated and delivered quality structural steel to virtually all points around the world.

“At Sefton Steel we are super excited to partner with Jordan Anderson again at the Texas Motor Speedway for the third straight year,” said Patrick Collier President of Sefton Steel. “As a Texas company we are proud of our Texas roots, and could not think of a better race to be the primary sponsor on Jordan’s truck. We are looking forward to seeing the Sefton Steel logo on the side of the beautiful No. 3 in our home state.”

“It’s going to be an honor to carry the Sefton Steel banner on our truck for this weekend’s race in Texas.” Said driver Jordan Anderson. “Patrick and Lisa Collier, and the entire Sefton Steel family have been a part of our team from Day 1 when we decided to embark on this journey. Their belief and support in what we are doing means the world. We will forever be grateful for their friendship, and the opportunity to represent such a great company, along with all of their amazing employees and their families. Texas is a special race for them being based out of Houston, so we hope to make everyone proud and finish the season strong.”

The No. 3 Sefton Steel/ Bommarito.com Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet Silverado will take the green flag in the SpeedyCash.com 400 Texas Motor Speedway Sunday, October 25, at 12:00 p.m. ET. All the action from the mile and half speedway will be broadcast live starting at 12 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

For more information on Sefton Steel, please visit Seftonsteel.com.

About Jordan Anderson Racing
Jordan Anderson Racing is an organization competing in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Trucks Series that is focused on growing competitively and providing results-driven partnerships for it sponsors. The single-truck team was founded in 2018 by owner-driver Jordan Anderson, a hard working 29-year old that is extremely passionate about the sport of NASCAR and the history that behind it.

Anderson will pilot the No. 3 Bommarito Automotive Group Chevrolet Silverado throughout the 2020 season. In a shared building with AM Racing, the team operates out of their Statesville, N.C.-based race shop with a veteran group of racing personnel driven by their desire for progress and success.

DALLAS COWBOYS LEGEND EMMITT SMITH NAMED GRAND MARSHAL OF OCT. 24 O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 300

By
Official Release
-
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame running back partners with NASCAR Xfinity Series driver and Carrollton native Jesse Iwuji for O’Reilly Auto Parts 300
  • Smith and Jesse Iwuji unveil Notable.Live paint scheme on No. 99 B.J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet for Oct. 24 NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300

FORT WORTH, Texas (Oct. 22, 2020) – Pro Football Hall of Fame running back and Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith and NASCAR Xfinity Series driver and Carrollton, Texas, native Jesse Iwuji, unveiled the B.J. McLeod Motorsports No. 99 Notable.Live Chevrolet that Iwuji will drive in the Oct. 24 O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The three-time Super Bowl champion and NFL all-time leading rusher was also named the Grand Marshal for the fifth race of the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs at No Limits, Texas.

“It’s truly an honor for me, not only to be standing next to this man (Iwuji), who served our country for seven years to provide the freedoms that we currently enjoy,” Smith said. “This is a tremendous historic moment in NASCAR. The walls should come down to open opportunities for men, women, and people of color who want to do the hard work to get to this place. You have to have the opportunity and he door has to be open. NASCAR has opened that door for this young man and Bubba Wallace, as well.

“(Michael) Jordan has invested, many others are looking to invest in things like this and so I’m proud to say that Notable.Live has partnered in with Jesse and I look forward to have more opportunities to bring NASCAR into the room and into our heads. People can learn what it takes: I did not become Emmitt Smith overnight. It was a process and a journey and it’s never easy for anyone to be successful and nobody becomes successful by themselves. If you’re given that, you actually have to work to take advantage of the opportunity. And when you take advantage of the opportunity, you have to leave the door open for someone else.”

The Notable.Live platform, co-founded by Smith, connects notable talent, influencers and content creators with their fans and communities through positive, two-way engagement, bringing fans “in the room” with their favorite notables. The Oct. 25 event, and Inside the Game xx featuring Smith and former Washington Football Team rivals Charles Mann and Dexter Manley, begins on Notable.Live at 1:25 p.m. ET.

“I’m super excited to have this opportunity to partner with Emmitt Smith on this racing journey of mine,” said Iwuji. “It’s been a huge blessing to be able to go from Navy to NASCAR while still serving in the Navy and now have the opportunity to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Texas Motor Speedway in front of my home state family and friends. To partner with Emmitt through Notable.Live, a company he co-founded and we’re partners in together, is a dream come true. I wore No. 22 playing football in middle school because of him. He’s done some much for the community and the state of Texas so it’s an honor to be working with him on this program.

“This is all the news I can give you today but know big things are coming with all that I’m putting together to help drive change and create opportunities within the sport.”

The O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 will be Iwuji’s third NASCAR Xfinity Series start, all of which have taken place in 2020. He also has 11 starts in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, his best finish of 17th earned in the fall of 2019 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (3:30 p.m. CT on NBCSN, PRN, KFWR 95.5 The Ranch), the fifth of seven playoff races, will be run as a non-spectator event.

Tickets for the Oct. 25 NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 400 doubleheader are available starting at $48 at EventPage. Tickets for kids 12 and under are just $10. Further details can be found on the Texas Motor Speedway website.

Click for a comprehensive list of answers to frequently asked questions about the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500/SpeedyCash.com 400 doubleheader.

Tickets for Texas Motor Speedway’s 25th major event season in 2021 on are sale now at https://www.texasmotorspeedway.com/nascar-indycar-tickets/.

Keep track of all of Texas Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Keep up with all the latest news and information on the speedway website and TMS mobile app.

Go Fas Racing to Transition to Part Time Schedule in 2021

By
Official Release
-

After seven seasons of full-time racing with the No.32 car, Go Fas Racing will cut back to a part time schedule in 2021.

Below is a statement from team owner Archie St. Hilaire:

“It has been a lot of fun over the years but with the evolution of life, your priorities change. With my son [and GM of Go Fas] Mason moving on to start his own business in a different industry and myself getting ready to spend time with my daughter having my first grandchild, I feel its time to reevaluate the next chapter of my life. It definitely has been great working with Ford and all of our great marketing partners over the last 10 years and we look forward to continuing with them on a smaller scale going forward.

I can’t say enough about how NASCAR has built and maintained their business model during the current pandemic and how exciting the schedule looks for 2021! We will keep 4-5 cars and anticipate running 5-6 races in 2021 at tracks we enjoy and make financial sense.

Joe Falk of Circle Sport will continue to own half of the charter we currently run and we will be transferring our ownership in our half of the charter at the end of the season to Joe’s new partner, who will be announced in the coming days. We will continue our partnership with the Wood Brothers Racing team on our other charter moving forward into the future. We look forward to the 2021 season. Driver update will come forward after the remaining full time teams announce their 2021 driver line-ups!”

About Our Team

About Go Fas Racing:
Go Fas Racing (GFR) currently fields Ford Mustangs in the NASCAR Cup Series for driver Corey LaJoie. Located in Mooresville, North Carolina, GFR has competed in the NASCAR’s premier series since 2014; fielding cars for some of NASCAR’s top drivers, including past champions. To find out more information about our team please visit www.GoFasRacing.com.

Jeep Wheels Shopping Guide | New Video

By
Official Release
-

ExtremeTerrain Helps Wrangler Owners Get Rolling

PAOLI, Pa. (October 21st, 2020) – Off-road aftermarket parts retailer, ExtremeTerrain (XT) releases a how-to video to support Jeep Wrangler owners on the hunt for new wheels and tires. Hosted by XT’s Sara Riordan, the goal of the video is to help customers sift through all the options to find their ideal setup. The video covers how to choose the correct wheels, how to choose the right size tires for the suspension and any additional parts that may be needed.

XT offers a free mount and balance on a large selection of wheels with corresponding tire purchase. To begin the search, customers can head to the dedicated wheels and tires pages on XT’s website. The filters will narrow down the options based on things like size, offset, style, finish, brand, etc. From there, customers can navigate to the product pages and view images of specific tire setups giving them a better sense of the end result. Advice is also available when it comes to lift kits, modifications, effects on the speedometer, tread-type, and more. Finally, XT’s dedicated customer service team is on hand to lend their expertise on wheel fitment for every generation.

With the release of this new video, XT hopes to help customers narrow down the wheel and tire setup that’s right for them. With all the information available on their website, XT hopes to provide a one-stop shopping experience for Jeep Wrangler owners and enthusiasts. Customers are also encouraged to check out XT’s build pages for hundreds of Jeep images sent in by customers across the country along with the exact mods used on each.

View it here: https://www.extremeterrain.com/wrangler-jeep-wheels.html

___________________________________________________________________________________________

About ExtremeTerrain

ExtremeTerrain.com is a leader in aftermarket Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator, Toyota Tacoma and Tundra parts and accessories. Located just outside Philadelphia, PA, ExtremeTerrain provides Wrangler, Tacoma, and Tundra owners with fast shipping and enthusiast-level, award winning service, while also ensuring the conservation and protection of off-road trails. Visit http://www.extremeterrain.com.  

Toyota Racing – NCS Texas Quotes – Daniel Suarez – 10.22.20

By
Official Release
-

Toyota Racing – Daniel Suárez

NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

FORT WORTH (October 22, 2020) – Gaunt Brothers Racing driver Daniel Suárez was made available to media via videoconference in advance of the race at the Texas Motor Speedway:

DANIEL SUÁREZ, No. 96 The NASCAR Foundation Toyota Camry, Gaunt Brothers Racing

Can you talk about your paint scheme for this weekend?

“Every time you get to support the foundation, it has a special value because I believe that foundations are there to help others and, in this case, helping kids. I’m very happy to be helping kids have special experiences and special help because children are the future of our sport, they are the future of our country and the world. I’m very, very happy to have the support, and I’m really looking forward to have a good-looking car at one of my favorite races in Texas.”

This year has been so strange. How do you look at the whole year?

“I’m trying to be positive every day, every weekend. I can’t lie to you. It’s difficult to go to the racetrack knowing that your car will not be as good as some of the others. That’s extremely difficult, but this year has been extremely difficult for a lot of people and I’m very fortunate, very lucky, I have the ability to keep doing what I love to do. We have to be grateful. We have to feel fortunate that we have all of the means to go to a racetrack and race put on a show for a lot of people, fans, sponsors, and NASCAR. It’s been a roller coaster for everyone. This has probably been one of the most difficult years of my life, as well. But at the same time, they say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I truly believe that. I’m much better mentally and physically than I was in the middle of the year. I feel like I can’t really wait till the start of 2021. A lot of people are going to be a part of the new project that I’m going to do, Trackhouse Racing. In a way, it’s a new team, but it’s not. We are going to see that, next year and I’m really looking forward to being able to compete and to be able to show what I can do on the racetrack again.”

You have a very low crash rate this season. Have you made a conscious effort to drive more conservatively because of the inventory of cars at Gaunt Brothers Racing?

“It’s a combination, and I’m saying it’s a combination of things because in the first half of the season they told me, if you wreck a racecar, we are going to get behind on everything that we are trying to do. So, yeah, in the first half of the season, I was probably driving at about 95%, because I knew if I hit a wall, I was going to be two or three steps behind for the whole year, trying to rebuild the car. Who knows if we were going to be able to rebuild because the cars, we have today are quite a bit older than the rest of the competition. It’s extremely difficult when you are competing like this on the daily. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, but this is the situation I ended up with. There’s nothing we can do about it. That probably sounds a little mean, but when you are running slower, you are racing less people. You have less chances to wreck. When I’m running in the front, when I’m running 10th or fifth, that’s kind of what I’m used to, you are running around a lot of people. You have to be super aggressive and you have to make aggressive moves and you take more chances. When your car is running 28th or 30th, you push as hard as you can, and you are still running 28th or 30th, you have to be a little bit smart and understand that no matter what you do the car is going to run 28th.”

Are the lessons you learned driving for a smaller team something you can take to Trackhouse?

“This year has made me stronger personally and mentally. The reason that is it’s been very difficult especially the way my career been taking place the last couple of years. I don’t wish that on anyone. It’s extremely difficult to be in this position, to be in this position when you know you can drive racecars. You know that you are doing the right thing. It’s all about the people. Unfortunate for me, I haven’t found that yet, I think I just did, but we will find out next year.”

With all of the craziness from this season, what does your offseason look like?

“This offseason is going to be a little bit different. Right now, we are not even done yet and I’m already working with my new engineers and I’m already doing a few things here and there to prepare and to start making some ground for next year. I truly believe that you are as good as your last race, so I truly want to finish this year as strong as possible. But I’m already working with the new team, the new people to try to make some ground. I haven’t seen my family since Christmas of last year, they haven’t been able to come here and I haven’t been able to go there, so somehow in December I really want to go to Mexico at least for a week or two to see my family, hug them and say hi and hang out with them and then come back here, because for the whole pandemic situation, it’s been difficult. My family is in a tough position. They can’t really come here if it’s not business related. I can’t go there, and my girlfriend can’t travel for the business situation, so I’m in a box, but it’s very difficult, but I will find a way to try to recharge myself and come back to the U.S. to continue the work and continue the plans that we have for 2021.”

What are your goals for the final three races? What have you seen at Trackhouse that makes you think the results will be better there?

“I don’t even know how to slow down. I’m the guy who made this team have competition gains. I’m the guy that’s pushing every single week to make this team better. There’s a lot of things that people will never find out, but the people who know, know how I work. It’s funny that you mentioned that, because last week, I noticed a few people on the team looking down, but I told them I’m not done yet, I know I’m not going to be here next year, but I’m still here. So, if you guys want to be in a good position for next year, you better put yourself together and get to work. In my opinion, you are as good as your last race. If we do good job in Phoenix, who knows, maybe that can help everyone for next year.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the 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.

Berry to compete with JR Motorsports on a part-time Xfinity basis in 2021

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Ted Seminara for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Fresh off this year’s NASCAR Weekly Series championship, Josh Berry will be competing as a part-time competitor in JR Motorsports’ No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for the first half of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, spanning approximately 12 races.

The news was revealed by team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Thursday and it also comes as Berry achieved the 2020 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly National title in a season where he earned 24 victories, 33 top-five results and 36 top-10 results in 37 starts.

“I’m honestly speechless,” Berry said. “That’s the last thing I would have expected. Gosh, that’s amazing. I can’t wait to prepare for that and get going. [It’s] truly unbelievable. I just can’t thank everybody enough for believing in me and giving me these opportunities. For a short track guy, it’s just amazing to see these opportunities come about.”

The 29-year-old competitor from Hendersonville, Tennessee, is no stranger in achieving past success in racing nor with JR Motorsports. Having raced in JRM’s late model program for 10 years, Berry is also the 2017 CARS Tour Late Model Stock champion and the 2019 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 winner. He has also achieved the 2016 CARS owners’ title and track championships at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway and at Virginia’s Motor Mile Speedway.

Berry has also made limited starts across NASCAR’s top three national touring series. In August 2014, Berry made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut with JR Motorsports at Iowa Speedway. Driving the No. 5 Tackle Grab Powered by Earnhardt Outdoors Chevrolet Camaro, Berry started 10th and finished 12th in his series debut.

From 2014 to 2017, Berry has made seven career starts in the Xfinity Series, all except one occurring with JR Motorsports, and has earned two top-10 results. His lone start outside of JRM was at Darlington Raceway in September 2016 with Obaika Racing. His best result in the series was a seventh-place result at Richmond Raceway in September 2015 while driving JRM’s No. 88 Speedco Truck Lube & Tires Chevrolet Camaro. He has also made one career start in the NASCAR Truck Series, which occurred at Chicagoland Speedway in September 2016. Driving the No. 71 American Club/RaceTrac Chevrolet Silverado for Contreras Motorsports, Berry started 22nd and finished 13th.

Berry joins Sam Mayer, the 2020 ARCA Menards Series East champion, as two competitors who are scheduled to share the seat of the No. 8 JRM Chevrolet Camaro for next year’s Xfinity Series season, with Mayer graduating to a full-time role with the team in 2022.

Further details regarding Berry’s schedule and JRM’s No. 8 team will be announced at a later date.

CHEVY NCS AT TEXAS 2: Chase Elliott Teleconference Transcript

By
Official Release
-

NASCAR CUP SERIES
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
AUTOTRADER ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 22, 2020

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS GIVE A HOOT CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference to discuss his outlook going into the second race of the Playoffs’ Round of Eight at Texas Motor Speedway, the preparation that goes into the Playoff races, what he’s taken away from the 2020 season, and more. Transcript:

CHASE, YOU START FOURTH IN THE HOOTERS GIVE A HOOT CHEVROLET, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD START. YOU’RE FIFTH IN POINTS; DOWN EIGHT FROM THE CUT-OFF LINE OF FOUR. HOW ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE WEEKEND?
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Texas is a challenge, for sure. It’s nice to have a good starting spot, which is certainly helpful, and hopefully we can try to keep our track position. That’s a very tough place to pass and make a lot of ground since they re-configured it. Yeah, I think that will be nice. Hopefully, we can keep the track position and move forward.”

DO YOU GIVE A HOOT ABOUT THE EIGHT POINTS BELOW THE CUT-OFF LINE? DO YOU GIVE A HOOT ABOUT THAT OR IS IT JUST POINTS, YOU’VE GOT TO GO WIN AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO KIND OF THING?
“Yeah, I mean to be honest, I feel like I’ve really worried about the points situation less this year than I ever have before. It matters, don’t get me wrong – it’s not that I don’t care. It does matter, but I just think the more that you understand that winning is paramount and that’s the only guarantee that moves you on. And also, realizing that if you make the Final Four, you’re going to have to go win that last race. So, I’m just really a big believer in feeling comfortable in that moment and just trying to thrive in the situation of having to win, and I think that’s how we need to treat these last two races in this Round. Ultimately, if you’re not winning races at this level, you’re not going to win the championship anyways. So, that’s how we have to approach it and I feel good about that.”

THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL, IF NOT THE MOST UNUSUAL, SEASON IN NASCAR HISTORY. YOU GUYS HAVE GOTTEN SO MUCH DONE, SO MUCH GOOD DONE. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU’LL TAKE AWAY FROM THIS 2020 CAMPAIGN AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE ASPECT THAT WORKS BEST?
“There’s a lot of things, I think, this year. I don’t want to take up too much of your time, but yeah, I think there’s a lot of things that we’ve learned as an industry. The amount of time we’re spending at race tracks I feel like is maximized for the drivers and teams, and we’re still putting on the same great race on Sunday. So, that to me is the biggest thing that this bad situation, obviously with all that’s going on in the world, led to a simplified version, I guess, of what we had with really no negative effect of the actual product on Sunday. I do think there was a complexity that had gotten so complex through greed and money. Just like money drives everything, so over the years, things just kind of got carried away and carried away to the point where I’m not sure it could sustain and I think we learned lessons this year that can really help this deal not only last for a very long time, but I think grow in the right direction that racing should.”

YOU MENTIONED THE RE-CONFIGURATION AT TEXAS BEING A PROBLEM. I’M ASSUMING YOU’RE REFERRING TO TURNS ONE AND TWO, NOW BEING 20 DEGREES AS COMPARED TO THE THREE AND FOUR OF 24 DEGREES. IS THAT THE PART OF THE TRACK THAT GIVES YOU THE BIGGEST PROBLEM?
“To be honest, I feel like I’ve had my struggles on both ends of the race track. I don’t know that it has as much to do with the banking re-configurations. Maybe, just the fresh asphalt. I don’t really know exactly what it is. One and two has certainly been a struggle, but we’ve had our problems at the other end of the race track, too. So, I guess the combination between that and the track surface being new, Goodyear having to bring a really hard tire – something in that whole realm of change has not suited me well in the past, unfortunately. I think for me, just focused on trying to look forward and not bring those bad vibes to Texas this weekend I think is a big piece of improving. Just having a better mindset and looking forward to another opportunity there.”

WANTED TO LOOK AHEAD A WEEK – MARTINSVILLE. YOU’VE RAN WELL THERE, THE ORGANIZATION HAS RAN WELL THERE. JUST DESCRIBE THE IDEA OF HAVING AN OLD-SCHOOL, SHORT TRACK BE KIND OF A DECIDING FACTOR OF WHO MAKES THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR AND WHO DOESN’T.
“Yeah, it does. I think Martinsville is certainly a place that deserves to be on the schedule and I think it deserves to have an important place on the schedule. Where it’s been placed in this final 10 races over the last – it’s been right there towards the end of the season for a long time. It’s been a deciding factor of who makes the Final Four every year since this format was implemented, if I’m not mistaken. So, it’s always been important and I think rightfully so.”

YOU TALKED LAST WEEK ABOUT TEXAS, SINCE THE RE-PAVE, HAS KIND OF BEEN A STRUGGLE FOR YOU. WHEN YOU SEE THE PLAYOFF FORMAT COME OUT AND THE ROUND THREE CUT-OFF RACE BE MARTINSVILLE, DOES THAT GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF CONFIDENCE FOR THE FACT THAT – HEY, IF I GO THERE AND I HAVE TO HIT A HOME RUN, I KNOW I’M CAPABLE OF THAT?
“Yeah, I think we’re capable of running good everywhere. So, that’s really where my mindset is. I hate to just say – OK, yeah we’ve had good runs at Martinsville, so we’re just going to count on that one. That’s not how you have to go about this. And also, as great as it is to know that we’ve had some good runs at certain race tracks, past success doesn’t equal future success. It never has and I don’t think it ever will. You can still go to a place that has been good to you and struggle. We can go to Martinsville next week and be terrible. That’s just racing and that’s just the way it is. So, I think for us, just to look at an event because we’ve had a couple of decent runs there in the past and put all our eggs in that basket is not wise.”

YOU’VE ALSO BEEN THERE WHERE CERTAIN THINGS HAPPEN DURING THE RACE BECAUSE SO MUCH WAS ON THE LINE. WITH EVERYBODY BEING SORT OF PACKED IN AND AROUND THAT CUT-OFF LINE, DOES JOEY LOGANO WINNING LAST WEEK AND KIND OF LEAP-FROGGING, IT MAKE PACK A BUNCH OF GUYS INTO A VERY, VERY SMALL BASKET GOING INTO THAT RACE.
“Yeah, I mean it certainly can. We don’t know what the points situation is going to look like until we get through Texas. Yeah, I’m sure no matter what it looks like, there’s going to be guys that have to win just like there always is and guys who are flirting around the line. So, that’s just a product of three-race rounds, a product of the reset and a product of how this format is. Regardless of whatever happens this weekend, I’m sure it will be an exciting event to watch.”

WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE IN THE PLAYOFF RACES, HAVE YOU CHANGED AT ALL PREPARATION-WISE? WITH NO PRACTICE, TOO, ARE YOU STUDYING ANYMORE NOTES, WATCHING ANYMORE FILM OR DOING ANY MORE MEETINGS?
“Honestly, our approach has been the same as its always been when we had a bunch of practice. And I think for us, I feel like we are just trying not to re-invent the wheel and just do our thing, which I think there’s something to that. Something to be said for that and not trying to out-smart ourselves. Say we have our meeting on Monday, right, and on Wednesday, I have a thought or I have an idea, Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) has an idea, or one of our team members has an idea – we all reach out to each other and get on another call and discuss it. But if we feel good about our meeting on Monday and feel like we’re ready to go, I’ll go through my regular prep for the event, they will as well, and I’ll see them on Sunday morning.”

HOW MUCH TIME IS THAT PREP? ARE YOU SPENDING ONE OR TWO HOURS A DAY? IS IT FOUR OR FIVE HOURS A DAY? IS IT EIGHT HOURS A DAY?
“That’s tough – I think it’s hard to put a number on it. I’m the kind of guy where I might watch certain things at certain time. But also, I feel like I might be riding down the road and have a thought pop in my head and I’ll start down a rabbit hole of thinking – what I think caused this or what I think we need to do better and why. So, it’s hard for me to put a timeframe on that because I feel like my mind is always kind of thinking about it and when you have those good ideas or something that makes sense in your head, something that you can explain easily, I try to pass those things along. And it’s really just kind of an open dialogue all the time, I guess, is kind of how we approach it. So, it’s hard to put an exact number on that.”

WHEN YOU GUYS GO TO MARTINSVILLE NEXT WEEKEND, THERE’S GOING TO BE LIMITED FANS THERE. THERE WEREN’T FANS WHEN THE CUP SERIES WAS THERE EARLIER THIS YEAR. AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS SEASON, WHAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF HAVING FANS AND NO FANS, EVEN THOUGH THERE’S GOING TO BE LIMITED FANS?
“Having people back at a smaller number, I think, is better than no one being there, for sure. So, ultimately, I think it’s all a step in the right direction and a direction we need to get back in, in my opinion. I don’t know how long we can sustain going to race tracks and nobody being there. This is an entertainment industry, ultimately, for TV broadcasters, ticket sales and everything else. We’re lucky that TV has become what it has over the years – how easily accessible it is to everybody’s phones now. If we want to watch a sporting event, it’s going to be on somewhere, right? So, we’re very lucky to have that because otherwise, I’m not sure we would still be doing what we’re doing. Whenever the tracks, the sanctioning body and all the higher-ups that make those decision feel like it’s a good time to bring people back, I’m sure they will in full capacity. And until then, we’ll enjoy the crowds of whatever they let in.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

1...2,8022,8032,804...6,781Page 2,803 of 6,781