Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (August 28, 2020) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to media via videoconference in advance of the race at the Daytona International Speedway:

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Talk about the special scheme that you are running at Darlington next weekend.

“Yeah, this is one that has been asked for us to run for a very long time. This is a throwback to 1973 when the company was started by Fred Smith. It’s the old Federal Express car. If you look at the numbers, the font is actually from when Cale Yarborough won Darlington that year, so it’s kind of a throwback to Cale and a throwback to the company of FedEx, which has been such a great supporter of Joe Gibbs Racing and myself for the last 15 years.”

Is your mindset different heading into the Playoffs and this race this weekend?
“It’s a little bit different this year. We are going to be coming into the Playoffs with more Playoff Points than what we have ever had. I think our team is performing at the highest-level right now, so everything is really good for us. I just think that we have got all the momentum we need. We will have the Playoff Points that we need and it just up to us to go out there and hope that we can execute as well as we have for most of the season. If we do, we are going to give ourselves a chance to win the championship at the end of the year. We are just trying to win every week we go to the track. That’s our main objective and then the biggest obstacle is to go out and win the last race of the season.”

How do you look at Daytona for you?

“I don’t know exactly what my strategy will be with Daytona. I want to give myself a shot to win, and I also want to – if I can help my teammates at all and have them have a shot to win – I need to be around at the finish. I typically try to race as much as I can up towards the front. I’ll probably try to do that strategy as well. You just never know. This race in particular seems to have a little more attrition than even normal superspeedway races have.”

There is so much chatter going on. Can you say if you are trying to invest or find an investor for RPM (Richard Petty Motorsports) and is your plan to stay at Joe Gibbs Racing no matter what happens if you have any involvement in this?

“Yeah, I mean, I don’t have anything to announce or to speak about when it comes to it. I think that I’m always looking towards what I’m going to do after my driving career is over. I’ve got some great partners that support me and my decisions in what I will do for years to come. So, I don’t know. I wish I had something to announce, but I really don’t. There’s a lot of things up in the air that are still getting worked on, but I just got – I’ve got to win this weekend and next weekend, and that’s where I’ve got to focus, but certainly I believe that, no matter what, my career will be with Joe Gibbs Racing and FedEx as long as I want to drive.”

Bubba Wallace has a series of tweets last night about what’s going on in the country and what some of the other leagues are doing about it. I know he indicated that there is no talk to not race. Do you guys have discussion about this and/or is Bubba, sort of, forced to be a spokesperson on this for the whole series?

“I don’t think he’s forced to be; I think he does it willingly. I think that the industry as a whole comes together when these issues come about and figure out the best way to address it. I’m not aware of anything that will go on this weekend. I know we are all planning on racing. Bubba supports that. I certainly think that the NASCAR industry will respond in the correct way. I’m confident in that. I know that those discussions are ongoing, even today.”

Do you think that you should race?

“Yeah, I do. It’s just my personal opinion. I certainly think we need to continue our discussions about social and racial injustice, and we continue to educate ourselves. I know I certainly educated myself by going to the Civil Rights Museum and putting action behind words that we said. So, I certainly believe that we are moving the right way.”

Can you talk about the battle you have had with Kevin Harvick this season? How much fun are you having this season?

“It’s certainly raising each other’s game for sure. Every time we have the most wins for a while, he matched it and then beat it, and then we matched it and he beat it again. It’s a battle and certainly I would love to have my shot at him on Sunday on that second part of that doubleheader, but we had that loose wheel once we finally got to second, but I would have loved to see how it would have played out but he was extremely fast and going to probably be impossible to beat with the speed he had. It’s certainly a lot of fun from our stand point. I’m sure that there are 36 other guys that are not as amused by it, but certainly I think that we’re just doing everything right, right now. We’re having cars that are fast. I’m doing the best that I can to prepare and give myself the best chance I can to win by putting myself in good positions throughout the entire race and just being smarter about things. I think that’s really helped with our on-track success.”

How do you get a leg up on Kevin Harvick at this point and put yourself in the best position to win in Phoenix?

“Well, I think it’s all going to come down to – we both have to make it through the Playoffs, but if we make it to the Final Four, it’s just winner-take-all, so I just hope that we’re better than him on that day or the two other guys. We are going to have to battle to get to the Championship 4. There are three other guys racing for a championship. I agree with Harvick when I saw his comments. You can’t sleep on the competition out there. I think that this is not a two-man race. I think there are many, many people that when the Playoffs start find a way to win and move and advance on. We’ve seen it for the last, maybe, couple years, the champion that wins is one that hadn’t been strong all year. They just won the final race and so that crowned them the champion. It’s a different formula now. You just have to play by the rules, and make sure you are the best in that final race, but with no practice, and no qualifying. I’ll cross my fingers that I’ve got a fast car. That’s all I hope.”

Do you have any regrets that the championship race is now in Phoenix instead of Homestead?

“No, not really. We did dominate Homestead this year, which was good, but I think Phoenix is just as good of a race track. We dominated Phoenix’s fall race last year. It’s a different aero package so things will be different, but we have the ability to dominate any given week.”

Does the Next Gen car make it more attractive to get into team ownership?

“When I look at my career in racing, I’ve been around for 15 years in the Cup Series. I always think about what I want to do afterwards. I don’t know that ownership will be it. I don’t know what my role will be, but I know that it will probably be in NASCAR in some kind of way, shape or form. I’m always looking at avenues that would allow me to stay in the sport beyond driving. Certainly, it’s a sport that I believe in. Certainly, the financial model hopefully will get better in the next few years for the team owners, regardless if I’m in it or not. But I don’t know. My focus has got to be on driving and winning a championship for Toyota and FedEx right now. If there’s ever opportunities to prepare myself for the future, then I look to capitalize on those.”

Talk about your relationship with Michael Jordan and just how his mentality has worn off on you.

“He’s a fiery competitor and a guy that tries to win at everything he does. I appreciate my partnership with him that’s going on 10 or 11 years now. He’s just been more of a friend than a business partner to me. We’ve got that great relationship and we are performing at that type of level. It’s fun to get texts from him each week that we are winning and even when we are not winning making sure that we know that he’s tuned in that week and he always questions our questionable strategy calls, so he knows what is going on and he loves racing.”

You won the Daytona 500, but it was obviously marred by the horrific crash with Ryan Newman. Thankfully, he is fine, but how much do you want to win to hopefully have a proper celebration in victory lane?

“Yeah, that was definitely a difficult situation for everyone on the team. We were really excited, and I was definitely really excited. I didn’t know anything was going on. When I get into victory lane, it’s just very quiet. You kind of knew that something was a little bit different, and when they came to the car and told me, certainly it changed our outlook and our celebration from that point forward. Daytona Victory Lane is a place I know exactly where it is. I think we’ve won about nine times now at Daytona in different Cup races, whether that be Shootouts, or Duels, or 500s. We’ve won there a lot, it’s just a track that I love to race at. I love the technique of it, the strategy of it and what it takes to win there.”

Are there any drivers in the rookie class that you feel like have stood out to you?

“Well, they all have at certain times. They are all good. I mean, this rookie class, when I think about it, is certainly one of the strongest rookie classes that we’ve seen since probably the class that I came in with (Clint) Bowyer and (Martin) Truex in 2006. You know you have got at least one of them that are going to be a part of the Playoff picture. I would not be surprised to see if any of those other two or three, John Hunter Nemechek as well, you can’t leave him out what he’s being doing. Any of them can win this weekend and put themselves in. They are all really good, and they all have bright futures. Especially from what I’ve seen on track, I think they have been really smart and strategic. You’re not seeing them make those big rookie mistakes that typically you see rookies make.”

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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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 28, 2020

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference to discuss his outlook going into the final race of the regular season at Daytona International Speedway, what it’s like racing with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, William Byron, for a spot in the Playoffs, and more. Transcript:

CHAD (KNAUS) TALKED THE OTHER DAY THAT YOU TEXTED HIM MONDAY MORNING AND THAT YOU GUYS ALSO LATER TALKED ON THE PHONE THIS WEEK ABOUT RACING EACH OTHER AND THE WEIRDNESS OF IT. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT AND ALSO WHY IS IT WEIRD BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN RACING AGAINST EACH OTHER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IN YOUR MIND, WHY DID YOU SEND THAT TEXT ABOUT HOW WEIRD IT WAS AND THE FEELINGS IN GOING UP AGAINST CHAD FOR A PLAYOFF SPOT?
“Chad (Knaus) and I are great friends and have stayed really close through all that’s happened. Sure, it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t fun at some different points here recently, but I wish him the best. We talk often. I want the best for Chad and his family, and for Chad and his race team. To go into Dover, we could all sense and see the picture and the way it was unfolding. I knew they had a tough Saturday and the toll that it took on William and Chad both, and then they rebounded on Sunday. I’ve been there – I’ve had him coaching me along and I just know where his head is, and I know how difficult and weird it is to look at the 48 car as the guy you have to beat. And the way you go about motivating yourself to beat your competition. I’m sitting on my side going through the same thing and it’s William and Chad, and specifically Chad. Through our friendship and our relationship, I just reached out to him and we had a good laugh about it. We certainly both look at the year and know there are moments that could have kept us both from being in this position, but it is what it is and we’re going to Daytona, which makes it even more awkward. We’ll see how things play out.”

EARLIER THIS YEAR, YOU KIND OF LED THE DRIVER EFFORT IN RESPONSE TO SOCIAL JUSTICE. I’M CURIOUS IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY DISCUSSIONS THIS WEEK ABOUT ANYTHING DRIVERS WILL DO ON SATURDAY IN RESPONSE TO KENOSHA?
“Yeah, there’s been some early talks. I’m not sure where it will end up just yet, but I know the drivers have had some conversations and I know that NASCAR, as well, is in that conversation. These things seem to develop a little later, based on past experience, but I know that many, including myself, are extremely disturbed in what we saw at Kenosha. We’ll see how things develop for tomorrow’s event.”

YOUR CAREER IS OBVIOUSLY DEFINED ALREADY – SEVEN CHAMPIONSHIPS, HALL OF FAMER, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. BUT WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO GET THE GAME-WINNING BASE HIT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH TO GET YOURSELF INTO THE PLAYOFFS THIS TIME AROUND, CONSIDERING ALL THE ADVERSITY – THE LOSE OF POINTS AT CHARLOTTE, MISSING THE INDIANAPOLIS RACE. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY TO GET OVER THE HUMP AND GET IN? WOULD IT BE EVEN SWEETER TO GET IN WITH YOUR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS TEAMMATE?
“Yeah, of course we want all four cars in the Playoffs and to go through the rounds in the Playoffs. So, that would be the sweet thing. For me, I feel like I’m racing more for my team. On top of that and an extension of that would be for the fans. I know where I am in my heart and I know that I’m still very, very competitive, can get the job done, win races and be a threat for the championship. There’s just more variables to the reality of that than I think even I realized. I’ve had it so good with all those variables in place and was able to win five championships in a row, win all those races and seven championships in total. But I’m a better driver today than I was then and I firmly believe that. Watching my team develop, grow and end up where we are today led by Cliff Daniels, it’s been a tough three years – there’s no way around it. But we are coming and this team is on track. I do feel like we can get that base hit and I do feel that we can go rounds. And I do feel like we can get hot and be a championship threat. Yes, that will mean a lot to me, but for my team – they’re my motivation right now. Watching these guys give everything that they have week in and week out and they really are my motivation right now to go in addition to my competitive nature and what I want to accomplish. We’ll see how it all plays out. It could be a storybook ending for us, which would be amazing and I know the fans would really appreciate that and enjoy it. But all I can do is give 100 percent – that’s something that I’ve learned over these last three years that our performance on Sunday is more than just my will, my desire and how good I want to do. It’s really more of a team sport than I’ve ever imagined.”

WITH WHAT’S ON THE LINE TOMORROW, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE THIS WEEK TO KIND OF KEEP YOUR MIND AWAY FROM RACING?
“I’ve been training pretty hard – that’s always been a great escape for me. With restrictor plate racing, there’s only so much you can do to prepare and get ready for it. The rules are locked in, we don’t have practice, we don’t have qualifying. To burn off nervous energy for me has always be training, so I’ve been on the mountain bike quite a bit this week.”

IT’S DAYTONA AND THIS COULD BE YOUR LAST RACE AT DAYTONA. WHAT’S YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THAT THINKING ABOUT YOUR LAST RACE AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY AND ON A SUPERSPEEDWAY?
“Honestly, just lay it all out on the line. We have a lot at stake and, again, it could be a great storybook ending for my last full-time race or race on an oval at Daytona. We all understand the storylines. I’m excited, I’m ready to go. I’m not one to spend too much time getting overly sentimental. I’m more excited about the opportunity to go racing and drive that 48 car. So, I’m just excited to get there and get to work.”

AFTER DOVER, YOU SORT OF MENTIONED JUST LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEXT RACE AND NOT REALLY BEING TOO REFLECTIVE. I’M WONDERING, OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEK, HAVE YOU TAKEN ANY MORE MOMENTS TO REFLECT OR HAVE YOU SORT OF CHANGED HOW YOU’RE THINKING GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND?
“My mindset has really just been competition focused – trying to win races, trying to gather points. That’s so stressful that I believe it’s helped me not focus too much on the sentimental stuff and the emotions that come with that. I think I’m just wired that way and I believe a lot of competitors are – that you don’t want to stop and really reflect. I know at some point that I won’t have a choice and that will be in the forefront of my mind, but the longer I can defer that, I think the more that it allows me to focus on my job and to do my job. We’ll see how things go after the Playoffs. Hopefully we make the Playoffs and I can stay focused in the right areas on competition, and require to and have to. If we don’t make the Playoffs, maybe that shifts things a little bit. But again, I want to win a race so bad that that’s way more important to me than any type of reflection. I have years to reflect back – I don’t plan on being away from our sport. I might not be there week in and week out, but this is a sport that has given me so much that I plan to be around and I feel like there will be plenty of moments in the future to reflect, and this year is much more about performance.”

YOU’RE GOING UP AGAINST A HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS TEAMMATE IN WILLIAM BYRON AND A GUY THAT’S COME UP THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION – SOMEONE WHO’S RISE YOU’VE WATCHED OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS. WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT A DRIVER LIKE WILLIAM BYRON AND WHERE HAS HE IMPROVED SINCE ENTERING INTO THE CUP SERIES A COUPLE YEARS BACK?
“He’s a true student of the sport and his life is dedicated to racing. With his interest in sim racing, he can literally day in and day out learn tracks, drive cars, think about racing, think about setups, interact with his team on that level. During my generation, we could go test quite a bit and we did a lot of that. But still, I think he can get more reps in today’s world than the world that I grew up in and it’s been really interesting to watch him grow in his path. I think he probably has the fastest path to a NASCAR Cup car in the history of our sport. Hats off to him – he’s doing a great job and I know he’s going to be a tough competitor at Daytona.”

I KNOW YOU SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE YOUR FINAL SEASON, BUT I’M SURE YOU DIDN’T ANTICIPATE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THEN CONTRACTING THE DISEASE YOURSELF, AND NOT HAVING ANY FANS IN THE STANDS, WHICH PREVENTS YOU FROM GETTING THE PROPER SENDOFF SAY THAT TONY STEWART AND JEFF GORDON GOT. AT ANYTIME DID YOU START HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT HIS BEING YOUR FINAL FULL-TIME SEASON? AT THIS MOMENT, ARE YOU STILL CONTENT WITH YOUR DECISION?
“Yeah, I made that decision and it takes a lot to make that decision. So, for me, since I’ve made it, it’s in motion – it’s happened, it’s where my heart is. This is my final year in the car full-time in NASCAR. It doesn’t mean that I won’t come back and run some NASCAR races. I’m certainly working hard to stay racing next year. So, the fans will still have their opportunity I believe to see me in race cars at a high level and we can have some great experiences there. The farewell tour that I hoped to have, the interaction with fans and that sentimental experience – the pandemic got it. It’s an unfortunate truth, but it is what it is.”

YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT IT WAS AWKWARD WITH THE RACE BEING AT DAYTONA AGAINST CHAD (KNAUS). WHY AWKWARD?
“The awkward piece of racing my teammate and then to be at a track where there’s so many variables and so many ways to lose points. It’s just an awkward weekend. Normally, my history of racing, especially trying to make the playoffs, you’re used to a certain series of races that lead up to it, and then a cutoff race and what happens there. This is just all new and it’s different. I think from a fan’s perspective, it’s going to be very entertaining and the fans are going to tune in. For us guys in the pressure cooker, it’s more intense than any situation that I’ve been in the past.”

HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY DISCUSSIONS AT ALL OF WHO MIGHT REPLACE YOU NEXT YEAR AS THE DRIVER OF THE 48 CAR? HAVE THEY BOUNCED DIFFERENT DRIVERS OFF OF YOU?
“Yeah, I’ve been involved a little bit. It’s a big decision for the company and for our sponsor Ally. So, the weight really lies in their hands and the direction they want to take. (inaudible). I believe in Hendrick Motorsports – the decision they make and who they decide to put in the car. And, of course, Ally goes along with that as well.”

MATT DIBENEDETTO TALKED ABOUT HIS WIFE PRETTY MUCH CRYING AMID ALL THE PRESSURE AND I SEE WILLIAM BYRON WITH SCENTED CANDLES ON HIS INSTAGRAM. I’M CURIOUS, WHAT’S LIFE LIKE FOR JIMMIE JOHNSON THIS WEEK?
“Life is kind of interesting for me and certainly different than those two. We have chosen to do homeschooling for our kids until the season is over. Obviously, with the pandemic, missing a race already and for our children’s safety, we’ve decided to do distance learning. I was up at 5:45 this morning so my daughter, Lydia, could do a Zoom conference with one of her teachers at 6:30 MT because we’re in Colorado. It would be great if we were still in Charlotte right now on the east coast – the time would be much better (laughs). But our focus is on our homeschooling and all week long connecting our kids to their classes have meant very early mornings. Very different lifestyles for all three of us. And just where we are in age and what we have going on. The stress of the job – I’ve been through this in some many different ways. I feel like it’s one of the advantages experience brings. I’m sure I’ll feel it, but I think it will really just show up on race day in the car in the moment and the days leading into it are a little more relaxed for me.”

CERTAINLY, THIS YEAR WE’VE SEEN THE ROLE OF ATHLETES SPEAKING AGAINST SOCIAL INJUSTICES IN WAYS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SEEN BEFORE AND CERTAINLY SEEN IN THIS SPORT. I’M CURIOUS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THAT AND HOW IT’S CHANGED EVEN FROM AN ATHLETES POINT-OF-VIEW WITH THE PLATFORM YOU’VE HAD ALL THESE YEARS. WHETHER IT’S THE COMFORT FACTOR OR BEING ABLE TO SPEAK UP AT THIS POINT AS OPPOSED TO YEARS PAST AND CERTAINLY SEE IT MORE IN OTHER SPORTS AND ATHLETES AS WELL IN THE CHANGING TIMES. AND WHAT THIS NEXT GENERATION OF ATHLETES AND DRIVERS IN THE SPORT – HOW THIS MIGHT CHANGE HOW THEY LOOK AT THINGS MOVING FORWARD.
“Yeah, these are changing times and I know many don’t want to see the opinions of the athletes, and they want the sport to be the sport and the athletes just to be quiet. But I think there’s been so much going on over a long, long period of time and various topics, as well, that we have an opinion – athletes have an opinion and we have a right to share our opinion. I think with age, I’ve become more comfortable to share my opinion. And then as I learn more about various issues, my own emotions come into play and I’m led to having different conversations or use my platforms in a different way – to focus our foundation and some of the work it does in a different direction. We all have our own journey with it all and I think we all definitely have that right and should not be judged to have that right. It’s just changing times – a big election year, a lot of different opinions, and in my opinion, a country more divided than I’ve ever seen or experienced in my lifetime. So, it’s an important time in everyone’s life right now and I feel like the younger generation is watching and learning. And I’m very encouraged by watching my kids and the way our school is teaching them to learn, to have an opinion, to really educate themselves on various topics. At times, I’m discouraged by where we sit as a nation, as a world and just how divided we all are. But then when I see my kids, their questions and their genuine concern about the future of our country, of our environment, of racial inequality issues, gender-related issues – I do become encouraged. To hear a 10-year old and a 6-year old weigh in on some conversations really has blown my mind. So, I do have some optimism for the future. Clearly, it’s a critical point in time right now for us all. It’s a big topic and a journey that’s not going to resolve anytime soon for generations to come.”

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.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA BEACH, FL
AUGUST 29, 2020

DAYTONA: RACE #26
It’s the famed 2.5-mile superspeedway of Daytona International Speedway where the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) kicked off the 2020 season and the series return will mark the end of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, August 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The 400-mile, 160-lap event under the lights at the “World Center of Racing” will set the stage for the Playoffs to determine the final 16-driver field that will vie for the title of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. It’s the first time in history that the famed Florida high-banked oval will host the regular season championship for NASCAR’s premier series.

NASCAR is continuing to make steps towards introducing fans to events due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and Daytona International Speedway will play a role in that process. In accordance with public health officials and local, state and federal authorities, a limited number of fans will be on hand for the event to witness the conclusion of the series’ regular season. Seating will include socially-distanced front stretch seating and those in attendance will need to adhere to all health and safety protocols in place.

RACE FOR THE PLAYOFFS
It’s race #26 on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule and there’s one last chance for drivers to secure their spot in the 10-race Playoff battle to be crowned the title of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. Heading into the Daytona International Speedway race weekend, four Team Chevy drivers have locked themselves into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, three by virtue of victory and one has raced his way in by points:

LOCKED IN BY WINS
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hooters Camaro ZL1 1LE – 5th in Standings
Victories: 2 (Charlotte Motor Speedway and Daytona Road Course)
Stage Wins: 6; Stage Top-Five’s: 18; Stage Top-10’s: 35

Alex Bowman, No. 88 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE – 8th in Standings
Victories: 1 (Auto Club Speedway)
Stage Wins: 4; Stage Top-Five’s: 13; Stage Top-10’s: 28

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow VORASURF Camaro ZL1 1LE – 9th in Standings
Victories: 1 (Texas Motor Speedway)
Stage Top-Five’s: 3; Stage Top-10’s: 13

LOCKED IN BY POINTS
Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE – 13th in Standings
Stage Wins: 1; Stage Top-Five’s: 4; Stage Top-10’s 20

With 13 drivers already locked in by wins or points, there are just three spots up for grabs for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Here is a look where the Playoff cutline battle stands:

       14th    Clint Bowyer (Ford): + 57 points
       15th    Matt DiBenedetto (Ford): + 9 points
       16th    William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 1LE: + 4 points
       17th    Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE: - 4 points

BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Current Chevrolet drivers that have recorded wins at Daytona International Speedway include:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE, has three wins (February 2006, February and July 2013)
Austin Dillon, No. 3 DOW VORASURF Camaro ZL1 1LE, has one win (February 2018)
Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE, has one win (February 2017)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger Camaro ZL1 1LE, has one win (July 2017)

· Of the 146 appearances made by NASCAR’s premier series at “The World Center of Racing”, Chevrolet has recorded 215 top-fives, 432 top-10’s and has led 7,977 laps.

· A Chevrolet has sat on the pole at Daytona International Speedway 50 times, with 22 of them being during the summer race – the most of any manufacturer. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hooters Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads all active series drivers in poles at Daytona with three (February 2016, February 2017 and July 2018). His 2016 Daytona 500 pole made him the youngest Daytona pole winner to-date (February 21, 2016 – 20 years, 2 months, 24 days). In addition, in his 10 career starts at Daytona, Chase Elliott lead all active drivers in average starting position with 9.222.

· Of all organizations, Hendrick Motorsports leads the way in poles at the summer Daytona race with seven: Darrell Waltrip (7/2/88), Greg sacks (7/7/90), Jeff Gordon (7/6/96 and 7/3/04), Mark Martin (7/2/11), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (7/1/17), Chase Elliott (7/7/2018).

· Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads all active NCS drivers in wins at Daytona with three (February 2016 and 2013 sweep). He also ties the leaderboard in number of runner-up finishes in the summer race at Daytona with three.

· In his 38 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads all active drivers in top-five finishes with 13 (seven in the summer race) and top-10 finishes with 18 (10 in the summer race).

· Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow VORASURF Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads all active NCS drivers in average finishing position at Daytona with 14.857 in his 15 career-starts.

· In four-career starts in the summer race at Daytona, Ty Dillon, No. 13 GEICO Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads the series in average finishing position with 8.667.

DAYTONA HISTORY BOOK
Chevrolet is no stranger to victory lane at the famed 2.5-mile high-banked oval of Daytona International Speedway. On February 20, 1959, the track held its first NCS event (100-mile qualifying race to start on the pole for the inaugural Daytona 500), in which Bob Welborn took Chevrolet to victory lane. Later in Daytona’s debut year and the track’s first summer race, Fireball Roberts put his name in the record books by taking the checkers in a Pontiac. Chevrolet or GM brands Oldsmobile and Pontiac would go on to win the first 17 races at the speedway. To-date, of the 146 NASCAR Cup Series events at Daytona, Chevrolet drivers have scored 47 victories, with Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Buick adding an additional 23 wins. The 2019 Coke Zero Sugar winner was Justin Haley, who’s first-career NCS win in his Chevrolet after a rain-shortened race made him the youngest Daytona summer race winner (7/7/2019 – 20 years, 2 months, 9 days).

STARTING LINEUP
For the remainder of the 2020 NCS season, the race weekend format will consist of no practice or qualifying. The starting lineup for Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 will be set by a combination of the following factors: finishing position from the previous race (weighted 50%), rank in team owner points standings (35%) and the fastest lap from the previous race (15%).

Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters:

       6th      William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 1LE
       7th      Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE
       8th      Alex Bowman, No. 88 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE
      12th    Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow VORASURF Camaro ZL1 1LE
      13th    Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
      18th    Tyler Reddick, No. 8 KCMG Camaro ZL1 1LE
      19th    Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE

TUNE-IN:
NBC will telecast the Coke Zero Sugar 400 live at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, August 29. NBCSports Gold will stream the race and live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS
“I think this weekend is all going to depend on where you are in the standings heading into the race and what you have to do or don’t have to do to make it into the playoffs. There are guys that have to win to get in, there’s guys who are right on the cutline who are trying to be consistent to advance. There are guys on offense, there’s guys on defense. Lucky for us, we are not really having to play the points game necessarily to get in, but we are still battling for regular season points finishing position because that has a direct impact on your playoff points for the final 10 races. We want to better ourselves as much as we can. Obviously, Sunday (at Dover) really killed us picking up some more points. We don’t need to do that this weekend so maybe we can move up a little bit in that regular season standings.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 8th IN STANDINGS
“Going into Daytona this weekend, it is really great knowing that we are already in the playoffs. We had a great top-five finish on Sunday in Dover, so that gives this No. 88 team and really everyone at Hendrick Motorsports some motivation going into Saturday night’s race. Daytona, and really any superspeedway, is a great track for our team. I feel like every time we go to one of these tracks, we always have a chance to bring home a win.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW VORASURF CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 9th IN STANDINGS
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE TRACK, AND WHY?
“My favorite track would probably be Daytona International Speedway, simply because of the memories there. It’s filled with history, and it’s been a fun track for me. It’s been wild there. A lot of things have happened. I’ve torn down the fence and won the Daytona 500, so I have to choose Daytona just from the historical perspective”

ARE YOU A GUY WHO LIKES TO PLAY IT CONSERVATIVELY AT SPEEDWAY RACES, OR ARE YOU A GUY THAT ACTS A LITTLE BIT MORE AGGRESSIVELY?
“It’s a good mix. I think you have to be able to just pick your battles throughout the race. If you can score some Stage points in the race that’s a nice thing. It’s an advantage going into the Playoffs. But you also have to be able to keep your car in one piece so that you can be there at the end of the race and try to win. I like to pick my battles.”

DO YOU THINK IT’S GOING TO BE STRANGE HAVING DAYTONA SERVE AS THE REGULAR SEASON FINALE THIS YEAR? THAT’S QUITE A CHANGE TO THE SCHEDULE.
“Well if Daytona wasn’t already wild enough. It’s now positioned in a spot on the schedule where it makes it extremely crazy. With the race serving as the final race to get into the Playoffs, we’re all going to be doing everything we can, obviously. We already do, but that race is just going to be extreme. I predict some crazy wrecks.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 13th IN STANDINGS
“The goal for me, I didn’t tell anybody about, at the beginning of the year was to make sure we were locked into the Playoffs before this race. The schedule change this year, putting a restrictor plate race as the cutoff for the playoffs, holds so many unknowns and variables. It is such a huge wildcard already. We didn’t want to be reliant on points in order to make into the Playoffs.”

“My congratulations to everybody on the No. 1 Monster Energy / GEARWRENCH Chevrolet team; they did their jobs with consistency. I’ve tried to make the best decisions that I possibly could out on-track to build that up. Of course, we haven’t made it to Victory Lane yet, but Daytona is a great chance for us to do that. With no concerns about points in regards to anything for the Playoffs we can just go for it. We are in position to go for a championship, so it’s just a matter of operating and executing as a team. Our first priority at Daytona is to try to get the No. 42 car a win and get them into the Playoffs. It would be huge for Chip Ganassi Racing to have both cars in the Playoffs. The second priority will be the No. 24 (William Byron) and No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson) cars, with both of them on the bubble, we want to help with Team Chevy. We’ll see how it all plays out. I’m really proud of our team and going back to Daytona this time will be just the same as it was when we raced in July; it’s just that it’s a cutoff race so the craziness is going to be at an all-time high!”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 16th IN STANDINGS
“Whatever way you look at it, no matter where we’re at, our approach isn’t going to change that much going into Daytona. You’re going to have to be aggressive in this race regardless of the situation by trying to get stage points and trying to win the race. We had a Duel win there earlier this year at Daytona, which is great. I absolutely think we can go there and be aggressive and win again. That doesn’t change after how Dover went.”

“Daytona is an accept-it-as-it-happens kind of place, which makes it a challenge. You have to go in expecting that things aren’t going to go your way, and hopefully they do. It’s one of those things that you have to go in with low expectations, try race as hard as you can, and hopefully you come out on the good side of things. No one knows exactly what to expect but I am excited and hopeful that we’ll have a good run.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 KCMG CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 19th IN STANDINGS
HEADING INTO DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY THIS WEEKEND FOR THE FINAL RACE OF THE REGULAR SEASON, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS?
“It’s very simple for myself and the No. 8 KCMG team this weekend. We have to win to make the Playoffs. For a while, it was looking like if those surprise winners had not jumped us, maybe we would have made it in. These past few weeks have been tough though, so we’re on the outside looking in right now and know what we have to do to make it. We’ve had speed at times this year, so I’m looking to running a strong race on Saturday from start to finish. I’d like to run up front all day and run around the drivers I’d want to work with at the end. There is always the strategy to run in the back, but I just feel like right when it’s go time and you start moving up through the field is when the big one happens, and you’re caught up in it. So, my plan is to run up front, see who can push me well, see who I can push well, and make a game plan on who to work with at the end. I was able to do some of that at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this year, so hopefully other drivers will remember that and be willing to work with me.”

MATT KENSETH, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 28th IN STANDINGS
“It’s fun to go to Daytona, but plate racing is always unpredictable. Not sure what it will be like this weekend, since it’s the last race before the Playoffs. There are a lot of us that have to win to get in, and are going to be pushing hard to try to be in the front. You’ll also have drivers that are already in the Playoffs that are probably going to be more careful. I expect a lot of aggression out there, but also some guys who are trying to keep their spot in the points. It certainly mixes everything up and gives more of an equal opportunity to get into the post season with a win. We just need to keep from getting torn up and stay in that lead group toward the end to have a shot.”

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: 4
Poles: 3
Laps Led: 1,394
Top-five finishes: 30
Top-10 finishes: 82

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 790 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 717
Laps led to date: 235,700
Top-five finishes to date: 4,044
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,364

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

       General Motors: 1,124
       Chevrolet: 790
       Pontiac: 154
       Oldsmobile: 115
       Buick: 65

       Ford: 800                                                         
       Ford: 700
       Mercury: 96
       Lincoln: 4

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

       Toyota: 150

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.