NASCAR CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 27, 2020

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference to discuss his outlook going into the last race of the regular season at Daytona International Speedway, what it’s going to take for him to make the Playoffs, his confidence going into the Coke Zero Sugar 400 with his superspeedway experience, and more. Transcript:

RICKY, YOU’RE ONE OF THE FINEST SUPERSPEEDWAY RACERS THAT WE HAVE IN ALL OF NASCAR. HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY COMING UP THIS WEEKEND AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY?
“Yeah, we’re excited about it – the whole team is. Everybody has been working hard on our superspeedway car – been polishing on it, massaging on it, getting it ready to go. I know that I’ve got a lot of confidence in what they build, and what we brought to Daytona earlier in the season was obviously really good, really fast and drove good. We were up in the top-five and I made a mistake – went below the yellow line there on the back-straightaway. It really cost us a shot at winning the Daytona 500. But then we showed up to Talladega, put ourselves in position and just came up a couple inches short.”

LOOKING AT THE STARTING LINEUP FOR THIS WEEKEND, YOU HAVE A PRETTY GOOD GROUP OF CHEVY’S BACK THERE WHERE YOU’RE AT. ARE YOU LOOKING AT THAT LINEUP AND TALKING TO THESE GUYS BEFORE THE RACE GETS GOING OR ARE YOU LETTING THINGS JUST FALL INTO PLACE WHERE THEY DO? THERE’S A PRETTY GOOD GROUP OF DRIVERS BACK THERE ALL DRIVING CHEVY’S.
“Yeah, Jim Campbell and everybody at Chevrolet generally get with us and just kind of have a general talk of superspeedway strategy – trying to work with our partners at Chevrolet and our other teammates. But then also, we kind of let the cards kind of play where they fall. Sometimes you’ll find yourself in the mix. I’ve re-watched the Daytona race and there were a lot of times where I was the only Chevy in the top-10. At that point, you just have to pick and choose who you want to draft with. You run the whole race and kind of figure out who’s your drafting partner – who you draft well with, who you can keep track position with and who’s on the same strategy. Kind of let the cards fall where they fall, but also help your other Chevrolet teammates as well.”

DO YOU SEE DAYTONA RACING ANY DIFFERENTLY WITH A LITTLE LESS HORSEPOWER AND THE CHANGES THEY MADE GOING INTO TALLADEGA?
“Yeah, I’ve re-watched the 500 and I re-watched Talladega, just trying to see those differences. Obviously, both racetracks race a little different in itself. I don’t see a whole lot of difference. I think you’ll be able to keep your track position a little bit better if you’re at the front of the field. The runs won’t be as big and so you might be able to block a little bit easier and keep that track position with Daytona being a little bit narrower. The difficult thing at Talladega is that it’s so wide. You block one run and they can kind of go the other direction and have enough room to do that. Track position is more key at Daytona with as tight as it is.”

THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A SHOT AT THE PLAYOFFS. CAN YOU BE MORE AGGRESSIVE? DO YOU TAKE MORE RISKS SATURDAY NIGHT THAN YOU DO IN THE DAYTONA 500?
“For me, I race every speedway race the same. I felt like we had a good strategy going into the 500 – be up front in all the stages, get stage points and just put yourself in the right positions to keep track position when it comes down to the end of the race. You don’t want to start a stage in the back – I think you definitely need to be up front. If you’re in the back, it’s not a killer, but it’s definitely going to make it a little more challenging. We’ll try to keep our track position, race aggressive and just stay up front. I treat the stages similar to the end of the race – kind of practice my moves, especially if I’m in the top-five, what moves can I make to get to that green-checkered finish at the point of where I want to. Gain positions and see if I can practice that twice before we get down to the actual checkered flag.”

WITH YOUR SUPERSPEEDWAY EXPERIENCE, THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF TALK WITH YOU THIS WEEK THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY BE THE BIGGEST SPOILER WHEN IT COMES TO THE PLAYOFFS AT THE SUPERSPEEDWAY RACE. HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS REGULAR SEASON FINALE FOR YOU COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS REGULAR SEASON FINALES YOU RACED AT RICHMOND AND INDIANAPOLIS?
“Yeah, I think obviously we have a lot better shot to win here than we did at Indy or Richmond in those final regular season races. But, to me, I don’t really feel like I’m going into this race any different than I would if it was in July. I still feel like the July race is our opportunity to make it into the Playoffs. Yeah, it’s kind of a little more dramatic with it being the final race of the regular season and it’s super nerve-racking for those three that are trying to get in on points. So, they will be tiptoeing around and making sure they get to the end, but stage points are also critical for them. It’ll be kind of crazy, as far as that scenario goes – that playoff bubble. And then if somebody like ourselves or somebody outside of the playoffs get a win, I think that’s kind of the thing that’s exciting – makes it come down to the final lap in the last race of the regular season because there’s multiple people that can win and move somebody out of the playoffs.”

DO YOU THINK THIS REGULAR SEASON FINALE COULD BE THE MOST DRAMATIC ONE WE’VE EVER HAD SINCE THE START OF THE CHASE IN 2004?
“Yeah, I think so. There’s some big Richmond races that were pretty dramatic – I don’t know if we’ll top some of those, some controversies there. As far as throughout the race, who’s in and who’s out, I think that changes a lot. Especially with different leaders at different times and the points going back and forth with those three, it’s going to be crazy all the way down to the finish. I think it’s going to keep everybody on the edge of their seat, for sure.”

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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
August 27, 2020

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference and discussed team leadership, strategy, making it into the Playoffs, Jimmie Johnson’s career success, and more. Full Transcript:

DO YOU FEEL THE PRESSURE? YOU EXECUTE THINGS AND ARE VERY CONTROLLED ON THE RADIO. INTERNALLY, WITHIN YOUR TEAM, DO YOU FEEL THE PRESSURE?
“I feel substantially less pressure right now than I’ve felt trying to recover from a lot of the challenges that came our way earlier in the year. Again, like I said, from the DQ at Charlotte and making sure we stayed on the rails after that; and continue to prepare good and fast race cars after Jimmie missing a race. That race was kind of a double whammy for us because we lost our driver for the race and then we get wrecked on lap 12 or whatever it was, on pit road. That was a big kick in the gut. And we came back and we responded. Went to Kentucky, went to Texas, with fast race cars. Horrible results. Get crashed or had issues on track. So, I felt more pressure then, to make sure that our team continued to have the positive mindset to continue pushing to put fast race cars on track and move forward, and just make sure everybody was in a good peace of mind.

“There were times that I feel right now. It’s a speedway race. There are so many unknowns. All we can do is control what we’re able to. Work with our teammates and have a good plan for the race. The chips are going to fall where they may. And again, I’m proud of the resilience that we’ve showed throughout the year to keep ourselves on the rails. And yeah, we’re in a tough spot, but we’re going to go race them hard on Saturday night.”

IF YOU MAKE IT INTO THE PLAYOFFS, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NO. 48 TEAM HAS FOR A RUN AT IT?
“There are a lot of tracks that typically, when you go into the Playoffs, and I understand there’s a few different tracks this year than there typically are. There’s a lot of really good tracks for Jimmie and the No. 48 over time and history that we can identify. We’ve had great runs at Darlington earlier in the season. We got wrecked on the lead but then we came back and after starting last in the second race, ended up with a nice Top 10 result. So, I have a lot of positive anticipation going to Darlington and the short tracks. We, Hendrick Motorsports, and the No. 48 team, have improved a lot this year over where we’ve been the last few years. So, a lot of positivity going there. And then you have Vegas, Texas, Kansas; all places that have been strong for us, and a few others in the mix; the Roval, of course, which we have good success with Hendrick Motorsports and a near miss for a win a couple of years ago with Jimmie. So, I have a lot of anticipation going into the Playoffs that we can make a strong run at it, assuming that we get in. And, our team has been built and kind of designed to identifying these tracks and making sure that when we go into the Playoffs we’re as strong as we can be.”

HOW MUCH TO YOU ANTICIPATING TELLING JIMMIE IN THAT FINAL STAGE, HEY YOU HAVE TO FINISH THIS MANY SPOTS AHEAD OF SO-AND-SO? OR, AT A PLACE LIKE DAYTONA IT’S NOT WORTH MENTIONING CONSIDERING WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN ONE LAP?
“That’s a good question. And right now, my goal is to win both stages and win the race. That takes care of everything. Beyond that, man if it really has to come down to it, I may tell him. But I promise you, we all know Jimmie Johnson and he’s going to be scratching and clawing for every spot no matter what. And, if we’re second or if we’re 12th or 22nd, it doesn’t matter what it is. He’s going to be trying to pass the guy ahead of him. So yeah, I can’t say that we won’t have our eye on it. But to be honest, it’s not going to be a huge point for us. We’ve got to maximize everything that we can. And if he can get his bumper ahead, nose ahead, or set-up a pass on the guy in front of him, that’s our goal. That’s what we’re going to do.”

WHAT WOULD BE THE CHALLENGES FOR YOU IF YOUR PATH BECOMES DIVERGENT FROM THE MANUFACTURER’S PATH? WE’VE SEEN THE MANUFACTURERS ALL WORK TOGETHER. IF THE CHEVYS ARE GOING TO WANT TO PIT AT A PARTICULAR TIME THAT MIGHT IMPACT STAGE POINTS, HOW DO YOU WORK THROUGH THAT? OR DO YOU JUST KIND OF HAVE TO FALL IN LINE WITH THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF CARS AND THAT’S THE BEST THING?
“I think, in this case, it’s a lot more of an aligned strategy than what you may be describing. The best position we can put ourselves in to succeed is going to be work with our Hendrick Motorsports teammates and our Chevrolet teammates. There are two of the Chevrolets that points mean everything, which is the No. 24 (William Byron) and the No. 48. And then we’ve got a handful of other Chevrolets that winning means everything because they really aren’t within striking distance in the points.

“So, the best way that all of those cars, whether points-related or win-related, can put themselves in a spot to maximize their day is going to be to work with one another. And frankly, that’s why we’ve seen over the last handful of speedway races, the OEM strategy becomes so important is the best position that some of those other OEM’s are going to be in to win is to be to work with each other, right? And it’s the same thing in our case. So, we’ve already been kind of thinking about what our day is going to be like and how to approach it. And I’m sure we’ll have the communication amongst our group at Hendrick Motorsports and the other Chevrolets to make sure we’re optimizing everything that we can for points for the No. 48 and the No. 24. And we want to make sure a Chevrolet is up front at the end.”

AS YOU GO INTO THIS LAST REGULAR SEASON RACE AND KNOWING WHAT YOU HAVE TO GET DONE AND KNOWING WHAT KIND OF COMPETITOR JIMMIE IS, FROM A CREW CHIEF STANDPOINT IS IT ALMOST A NICE SECURITY BLANKET FEELING KNOWING THAT YOUR GUY IS A SEVEN-TIME CHAMP AND HE’S GOT THE PROVEN TRACK RECORD TO BE A GUY WHO IS CONTENDING UP FRONT? AND, IS IT KIND OF SCARY THAT YOUR TEAMMATE, WILLIAM BYRON, IS A YOUNG BUCK WHO IS A LITTLE BIT FEARLESS? IT’S AN INTERESTING BALANCE YOU GUYS ARE WALKING AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS.
“Yeah, it is. And I think Jimmie has good perspective, and we all kind of do. If things don’t work out for us, in no way does this define Jimmie’s career. His career is already defined, right? So, if everything doesn’t go like we want it to, his success has already been established. Now on the flip side, if things do go well and we have a shot to go make it deeper into the Playoffs and what that end results could be, it could be a defining moment. So, the upside is way higher than the downside. So, I think that provides some good perspective for Jimmie to not necessarily have to make a desperate move or put ourselves in a really compromising position early in the race; and just kind of use his veteran-champion experience to know how to make the moves at the right time. And, of course you’re always going to be subject to, or falling victim to a crash that’s not of doing. We know that of speedway racing. Plus, there’s still a lot as a competitor and as a driver that he can do and that we can do to put ourselves in the best spot. Again, we don’t feel, I don’t feel, and Jimmie does not feel, like everything about his career is just riding on this moment, right? His career is already established. It’s already defined. His success already speaks for itself. So, the downside is would it be disappointing? For sure. The upside, we could swing for the stars and that would be amazing, so we’ll see how it goes.”

WITH THE DQ AT CHARLOTTE AND JIMMIE MISSING THE RACE DUE TO THE COVID TEST, AND ALL THE ADVERSITY THROWN AT YOU, HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF IN TERMS OF BEING A LEADER AND KEEPING EVERYBODY ON THE RAILS AND MAINTAINING THE FOCUS? THOSE TWO RACES WOULD BASICALLY BE AN END OF SEASON FOR A LOT OF TEAMS, BUT YOU’RE STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE.
“Yeah, we are still very much alive and I’m so proud of our team. And yeah, it does start with a leader and in a lot of the perspective I’m trying to show with our guys and the positivity that I’ve tried to have. I’ll be honest, it hasn’t always been, every step along the way, super-positive or super-easy. There have been a lot of challenges and I certainly have had my own sense of dejection at times, just with the results that haven’t been with they need to be or when we’ve had bad luck. But we have such a strong core group on the No. 48 team. We have a lot of great support from our teammates at Hendrick Motorsports. Just Jimmie and his perspective on his career and this being his final season where there’s been so many things that have come up, obviously totally unexpected; starting all the way back at the beginning of the year with what happened with the COVID shutdowns. So yeah, we’ve kind of leaned on each other, Jimmie and myself, and our whole team, to make sure we keep each other accountable and in-check to stay focused on the job at-hand because there’s no time during the season that just feeling sorry for ourselves because of the challenges and the bad luck is never an acceptable response right? So, if on Monday’s it’s sad because Sunday didn’t go the way that we wanted, but Tuesday morning we’ve been ready to charge and go and fight. And that’s what we’ve done. So, I’m really thankful to have the group that we have. I’m thankful to have the team and the company around us to maintain a positive outlook and just keep fighting. And that’s what we’re going to do this Saturday night.”

WHAT HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS BEEN LIKE WITH CHAD KNAUS THIS WEEK?
“Very close in our communication in what we’re doing with our cars and what we’re doing with our strategy. I’m so thankful, along the course of my career, working with the No. 48. Chad, I was his engineer for a while, and he was a great leader and great mentor. He was very supportive of my switch to the role of crew chief on this team. He still loves Jimmie to death and loves his team. Chad and I were talking the other day and we both want each other to be in the Playoffs, just not quite as much as we want ourselves to be in the Playoffs, right? So, it’s been great to have a relationship with that team. Those guys have done a good job digging out of the few holes that they’ve been in. And I know that they’re going to be strong and tough. And I hope to work with them, and we are going to work with them, all night Saturday night and put ourselves both in a good spot. And I would love to be side-by-side, door-to-door with them, with points in the bag, coming to the finish line for the final checkered flag with those guys. It would be a great position to be in.”

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE GOING TO BE RACING FOR STAGE POINTS. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE TRYING TO LAY BACK AND TRY TO MAKE IT TO THE FINISH, IS THAT FAIR TO SAY?
“Yeah, because the danger there is if you lay back and you don’t get the stage points and you get caught-up in a crash at the end, then you just gave up all your points for the day, right? And we know, the Penske guys, the No. 21, and the other cars that are kind of in contention, those guys are going to get their stage points so they’re going to make sure that they stay up front all day. So, we really have to match that or beat that and make sure that we capitalize on stage points when we can because nobody knows if and when the big wreck is going to happen. And if you lay back all day and then get caught up in a big wreck at the end, then you really have nothing to show, points-wise, for your day. We’ve got to maximize everything we can.”

YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE NO. 24. OBVIOUSLY IF THINGS STACK-UP WITH THE NO. 21 BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN HIS POSITION AND YOU DON’T GAIN THE POINTS, IN THEORY, ON THE NO. 24; AT WHAT POINT DURING THE RACE DO YOU NOT WORK WITH THESE GUYS ANYMORE? HOW DO YOU SEE THAT UNFOLDING?
“With facts on the table, and I think you guys have seen this at previous speedway races, if we decide that we’re not going to work with the No. 24 or any other Chevrolets, who are we going to have to work with? The Fords? The Toyotas? Right. That doesn’t put us in a great position to succeed because they don’t want us to succeed. So, I think through it all, the message, at least within our camp right now, is the best position that we can be in to succeed is going to be to capitalize on help from our teammates. And that does include the No.24. Now, coming to a stage end or coming off of Turn 4, are we going to pull out of line with the No. 24 if we’re behind him? Absolutely. But leading up to that point, I don’t think it would be wise for us to think that we’re doing our own program because we’re not going to have their support if we really do need it. And I would assume that would kind of be the case for the other OEM’s and other teams as well. If you’re going to really take care of your core group, that’s what’s called for because otherwise, you’re going to ask on another group that you’re racing against to take care of you, and that’s certainly not going to happen.”
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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes

NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang, is battling for one of the final NASCAR Cup Series playoff positions in this weekend’s regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway. He was part of a question and answer session with members of the media this afternoon and talked about his situation.

MATT DIBENEDETTO, No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang – HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO GET TO THIS REGULAR SEASON FINALE? “I don’t know if it’s excited or anxious or what the emotion is. It’s definitely different going to Daytona with so much on the line than if we were going to a regular short track or whatever you want to call it.”

HAS THERE BEEN DISCUSSION WITHIN PENSKE OF PUTTING THEIR EFFORT BEHIND YOU? “Nothing definite yet, and the thing about Daytona is you can only plan so much, but I think the things we as a team could count on is obviously that we have excellent teammates in Brad, Joey and Ryan, and a lot of great Fords out there. I think the things we can count on is when the situations present themselves, I know that they will work with us well. We’ve always worked with each other very well and I think that they will be sure to not put us in a bad situation. It may be hard to plan. You can come up with all these great plans and be like, ‘We’re gonna work together and we’re gonna line up and do this and that,’ but there are also a lot of other race cars out on the track that will interfere with those plans. But what you can try and do is to not put each other in bad positions and maybe that’s more something that you can plan on and work for, so it’s very tough to plan things at Daytona, but I know we’ll work together very well and they’ve said they’ll work with us.”

DO YOU WANT LOTS OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE IN POINTS DURING THE RACE? “That’s really gonna be our whole race and our intention is gonna be focused on those guys that we’re racing for the playoff spot, and also knowing that there could be a surprise winner in there, too. Somebody could jump in the playoffs as well that’s outside of it right now. Daytona is known for situations like that, so there’s gonna be a lot of variables and things, but that will be a big part of the focus is maybe coming to the end of stages, where those guys are, and then obviously towards the end of the race. It’s probably gonna be a game of survival when it comes down to the very end, especially as desperate as a lot of people will be, but, yeah, we’ll be paying pretty close attention to what those guys are doing, where they’re at, if they’re getting into any trouble or anything like that, but it changes lap by lap at Daytona so we’ll probably do that what you asked within reason.”

WON’T THAT BE TOUGH WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE TRACK? “Yeah, Daytona and superspeedway racing is already hard enough as it is, so my big thing is to make sure that we don’t overcomplicate it and I think our team is pretty good about that. I know my spotter, Doug, and everybody is very good about that. We understand that there’s only so much that you can plan for, so I think we’re making sure we focus on some of the things we can control, pay attention real well through the race, but we’re not gonna over-do it and over-plan, we’re still gonna try and execute it just like any other race for the most part because we can plan all day long and then you drop the green flag and it’ll all go right out the window because there are so many other cars out there trying to get up front and do their thing, especially when you get to the end of the race. All hell will just break loose most likely, so we don’t want to over-think and over-plan it.”

IS THE PRESSURE BECAUSE JIMMIE JOHNSON IS TRYING TO GET IN OR JUST THE FACT IT’S DAYTONA? IT SEEMS YOU HAVE A PACK OF DOGS CHASING YOU. “Yeah, I would say yes to all those things that you said. That kind of sums it up pretty good because there’s just so much going on. It’s a very chaotic week with it being a cutoff race at Daytona. As far as where my emotions are at I haven’t been able to answer it real well because it’s like, man, am I excited that we have a shot to make the playoffs? For sure. Am I frustrated that we had a much bigger cushion and we had a bad couple Dover races and lost a whole bunch of points? Yeah. Am I a little uneasy knowing that the cutoff race is Daytona and not like a short track or some more straightforward race? Yeah. So, pretty much yes to all of those answers, but, like I was saying earlier, all I can do is – luckily I think my experience will pay off and the fact I don’t really get spun out, I’ve been through extremely stressful situations in my life. That’s what my career has been fully comprised of, so nothing really fazes me a whole lot at this point in my career, so all I can do is just not really stress. I let my wife do all the stressing for me. She’s been a basket case of emotion this week, so I pretty much hold it together and just know that whatever is meant to happen will happen and all we can do is do the best we can.”

HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE GOING INTO A RACE LIKE THIS WITH SO MANY VARIABLES? “I think just my path and my journey to get here has been so out of the ordinary and so tough, where I fight and claw. It’s just taught me that all I can do is worry about what I can control because there are always gonna be things that are out of my control that I really just can’t sit and worry about too much, and my path to get here has taught me that because I have pushed and pushed and pushed as hard as humanly possible and dedicated my entire life to it, but even aside from all the hard work, a million different things out of my control had to happen for me to still be here and this playoff situation is another one of those instances that my whole career has been packed full of is there’s gonna be things that are out of mine and our control because Daytona is just kind of a crazy race. You can’t be in control of what everybody does in the field that can affect you, so as my dad put it this week he was like, ‘Do the best you can and the rest of it is gonna be in God’s hands, so don’t sit and worry about it too much all week.’”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS? SO YOU VIEW IT AS VALIDATION? “Yeah, I think so. Again, because of my path to get here I appreciate all the little things a whole lot more and this is a big thing. If, and hopefully we make the playoffs, I know my wife would be just absolutely in tears crying and it would be a very special moment for us that just kind of is a small glimpse into the appreciation that we would have as a family for just making the playoffs because the path to get here has really consisted of a lot of fighting and clawing and the little things that make you appreciative, so, yeah, it’s a big deal, but also that was the goal going into the season with a good team here that we knew we could make it into the playoffs. So I would be excited to get in and make it, but also knowing that if we make them we would really be able to perform well in the playoffs, especially looking at the tracks that are ahead and we’ve been getting better as a team – just forget about Dover – but aside from that we’ve been really getting better and faster as a team, so we feel not only just make them and be there, I feel like we fully deserve to be there and compete in the playoffs.”

HOW HARD IS IT TO NOT LOOK AHEAD? “I think I’m a one step at a time kind of guy. Honestly, I’ve been so focused solely on making the playoffs that I forgot Darlington was even the race next week after Daytona until I saw a commercial for it, so if that shows you how one-track minded I’ve been on getting to Daytona and making the playoffs, so I’m just kind of a one step at a time kind of guy, but, to your point, this stuff is life-changing for me if we make the playoffs because not only knowing that we could just make them and be there, knowing that we have the speed and the team to really go and compete and hopefully make it through rounds and make a big splash in the playoffs and you’re in the fight for a championship. All that is a huge deal and a life-changer for me and a really big deal for this whole team, so there’s a lot on the line and it’s gonna work out however it’s supposed to work out, I guess. I really, really hope that we make it in this thing because it’s gonna mean a lot to all of us.”

HOW DOES THIS WEEK COMPARE TO WHAT YOU WERE FEELING AND EXPERIENCING? ARE YOU MORE RELAXED AT THIS MOMENT? “Luckily, I don’t think anything quite matches the emotion I was going through around this time last year when I was unsure if I had a job or anything. That was next level, so this situation is a little bit different, but stuff like that though, the example you gave, my situation last year and all that is what’s made me a lot mentally tougher to come up on instances like this, where there’s a lot of pressure and a lot on the line — going into Daytona, which is crazy, and trying to make the playoffs and your whole season basically rides on right now. A lot of normal people would probably be freaking out and on edge, kind of like my wife is. That would be normal. She’s having a normal reaction. She’s kind of a basket case every day and having heart failure and just can’t wait until Saturday night gets here and praying every day that we make the playoffs. Those are normal human reactions to this type of stressful situation, and I think I’ve just been groomed and been through so much stress and crazy situations to fight to get here that being in this really tough situation has made me extremely mentally tough and prepared for something like this to where I’m able to stay very focused.”

LAST NIGHT OTHER SPORTS LEAGUES POSTPONED GAMES IN LIGHT OF RACIAL INJUSTICE AROUND THE WORLD. WAS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT DOING SOMETHING THIS WEEKEND OR ADDRESSING THAT AS A GROUP? “No, honestly I’ve just been so focused on competition stuff. I’ve been pretty well removed from anything else, but I’m just proud and glad that I was raised very well by a great family. I love and respect all people no matter their color or race or anything like that. It’s just a crazy year.”

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE A SHOT AT THE PLAYOFFS NOT ONLY FOR YOURSELF, BUT THE WOOD BROTHERS AS WELL? “It’s crazy the timing of everything is unreal and that’s kind of the stuff I was talking about earlier of so many things happening out of my control. The timing of all these things like go to BK Racing and then the 32 and then the 95, Kasey Kahne had to step out of that ride and retire for me to have that shot, and then Paul Menard had to step out and retire for me to get the 21. The timing, everything has worked out perfect, and to drive the 21 car is unreal and, yeah, it’s a big deal for us – for the 21 team, for the Wood Brothers, for us to be fighting. To make the playoffs would be an amazing accomplishment for us and for the team most importantly. It’s so cool to be having this opportunity, but I think 2020 has been a crazy year, a lot of variables thrown in that we didn’t expect, but I think us as a team are just getting started. I really feel like we have a lot of room for improvement still. I feel like we’re just barely getting on our feet to be honest with you. I think in years to come we have way, way more to continue to gain. We’re just barely getting going and 2020 obviously threw a lot at us when we’re a new team, new crew trying to work together. My first year with the team and everything. I feel like there’s a long ways to go and a lot of great things to come with us together.”

STARTING 15TH ON SATURDAY ARE YOU PLANNING TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE FRONT OR DROP BACK AND WAIT UNTIL LATER TO STRIKE? “That kind of goes back what I was talking about earlier where you can only plan so much. I’ve learned over the years, I don’t know if it’s the right thing because I’ve crashed at many speedway races just like everyone else too, but I just play the races a lot by feel and play it by ear. So, we drop the green and I’ll be kind of what I call patiently aggressive, my normal style. I’ll play it by ear. Don’t put ourselves in any stupid positions or cause any crashes or anything, especially not so early in the race, so I would like to work our way up there in a smart fashion. I always try to make sure that I’m a guy at speedways that people feel comfortable and confident being around, making smart decisions and smart moves and work our way up there in a good manner. We know the Fords are fast. The 21 car is really fast. We’ve got the Roush Yates power under the hood. We’ve got all the great things to know that we have a race car to work our way up there, but there’s a lot of variables and you’ve got to play it by ear and by feel.”

Roush Fenway takes its successful Superspeedway program to Daytona this weekend, where the 2020 regular season culminates Saturday night under the lights. Jack Roush has 11 wins at Daytona overall, including seven in the Cup Series – five of which were in the summer race.

Daytona International Speedway (2.5-Mile)
Coke Zero Sugar 400
Saturday, Aug. 29 | 7:30 p.m. ET
NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang

Dramatic Daytona Set to Cap Regular Season Saturday Night

· For the first time in the sport’s current playoff format, the NASCAR Cup Series’ regular season will culminate Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway, which is expected to be a high drama event as drivers have one last chance to lock themselves into the 2020 Playoffs.

· This marks the second trip to Daytona in as many weeks, as the series visited the Road Course Aug. 16. With 10 drivers with at least one win in 2020, three additional drivers have locked themselves into the playoff grid. A win by a non-locked in driver would punch their ticket into the 10-race playoffs, which begin Labor Day Weekend at Darlington.

· NASCAR will continue to use three competition-based performance metrics to determine the starting lineup and pit selection order for each race, replacing the random draw procedure. Buescher drew the 17th spot in the lineup, while Newman is set to roll off 22nd.

· Four weeks of NASCAR action were initially completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed before the schedule later picked back up in mid-May.

Dover DH Recap, Daytona Preview

· Buescher finished 16th in the opening race last weekend in Dover, and followed that with a 14th-place run a day later for his eighth top-15 of 2020.

· Newman finished 19th on Saturday, and 24th Sunday in Dover.

· Fifth Third Bank, who went to victory lane in this race three years ago, returns to Buescher’s No. 17 machine Saturday night.

· Guaranteed Rate is back this weekend with Newman, to continue their 12-race primary partnership in the closing months of the 2020 season.

Recent Superspeedway Success

Dating back just two races in Daytona, RFR has been in the mix in the closing laps more than once. At last summer’s Daytona event, Newman earned a fifth-place finish, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr., led a pair of laps before being caught up in an incident to finish 24th. Looking back at this season’s Daytona 500, Newman led coming to the stripe, before is horrific crash that sent him to the hospital and kept him out of the car for three races. He would finish ninth in that race, while Buescher crossed the line third.

Looking at Jack Roush’s recent Talladega success, similar results were had in Alabama. Newman finished second in one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history last fall, while Stenhouse finished ninth in that race. This spring, Buescher earned a sixth-place run, while Newman ran out of fuel in the closing laps to finish 24th.

Shining Bright in the ‘Sunshine State’

In 212 NCS starts at Daytona, Roush Fenway has recorded seven wins, 41 top-fives, 77 top-10s and has led 832 laps. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., earned the win in this race two years ago, the organizations most recent win overall. RFR also has five poles in the Cup series at Daytona, with the most recent coming in 2016 with Greg Biffle.

Two Trips to Victory Lane in 2017

Just two years after earning his first ever NASCAR win, Ryan Reed survived a wild kickoff to the 2017 season. He survived multiple on-track incidents after starting on the outside of the front row and led only nine laps, but the final two, en route to the win over a host of Cup regulars.

Then, in July of 2017, Stenhouse found himself in victory lane for the second time after leading 17 laps in his Fifth Third Ford. Stenhouse first led at lap 86, and from there survived a total of 14 cautions for 51 laps in what was his second win of the season.

Born in the USA

Roush Fenway has recorded five victories in the July event at Daytona, including the organization’s first at the high-banked oval with former driver Jeff Burton in 2000. Former Roush Fenway drivers Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray and David Ragan earned victories in 2003, 2007 and 2011, respectively. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. earned the fifth in 2017.

Roush Fenway Daytona Wins
2000-2 Burton Cup
2003-2 Biffle Cup
2004 Edwards Truck
2006 Martin Truck
2007-2 McMurray Cup
2009-1 Kenseth Cup
2011-2 Ragan Cup
2012-1 Kenseth Cup
2015-1 Reed NXS
2017-1 Reed NXS
2017-2 Stenhouse Jr. Cup

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (2.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 26 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 7:30 P.M. ET, SATURDAY, AUG. 29 (NBC/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

Chase Elliott
No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 24 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia

2020 Season
7th in standings
25 starts
2 wins
1 pole position
9 top-five finishes
14 top-10 finishes
530 laps led

Career
174 starts
8 wins
9 pole positions
53 top-five finishes
88 top-10 finishes
2,374 laps led

Track Career
9 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
87 laps led

REGULAR SEASON WRAP-UP: Through the first 25 races of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, Chase Elliott has recorded some noteworthy stats and career highs. His win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May secured his spot in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year, and he has collected two wins, one pole award, nine top-five finishes, 14 top-10s and 530 laps led in 25 races. Elliott is currently projected to be fourth in the playoff standings as the series heads into Saturday night’s regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.

THROUGH 25: Through 25 races in the NASCAR Cup Series season, Elliott has delivered career bests in runner-up results (two), top-five finishes (nine), stage points (200) and stage wins (six). His two wins and 14 top-10s are tied for a personal best through 25 races.

HOOTERS RETURNS: Saturday night at Daytona, the black and orange Hooters “Night Owl” paint scheme will return to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for the NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale. The “Night Owl” design was selected over three other options in an open fan vote on Hooters.com. A casual dining establishment with a deep history in NASCAR, the Atlanta-based company will be a three-race primary sponsor of the No. 9 team this year. Elliott most recently piloted the Hooters Chevy at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Hooters Chevrolet will return later this season in the Texas Motor Speedway playoff race.

POINTS, POINTS, POINTS: As the Cup Series heads to Daytona, Elliott is tied for the third-most stage wins (six) and has garnered the fifth-most stage points (200). He is currently seventh in the driver points standings, 164 behind leader Kevin Harvick.

NIGHT RACE SUCCESS: Elliott and the No. 9 team have thrived during night races this season. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has garnered one win (Charlotte), two runner-up finishes and four top-fives in the last five night races. Elliott was also victorious under the lights in the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in July.

SUPERSPEEDWAY STATS: Elliott will make his 19th superspeedway start in the NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday. In his previous 18 races, the fifth-year driver has started on the front row seven times – five from the pole position. In April 2019, Elliott earned his first superspeedway victory at Talladega. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet also has two Duel qualifying race wins at Daytona (2017 and 2018) and was in position to win the 2017 DAYTONA 500 before running out of fuel from the lead on lap 198 of 200. Elliott has also made 12 superspeedway starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, winning the Daytona season opener in 2016.

FLORIDA NATIVE: On Saturday, No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson will return home to the “Birthplace of Speed.” He hails from Ormond Beach, Florida, just down the road from Daytona International Speedway. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, he enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering. Gustafson returns to Daytona for his 16th full-time season as a crew chief and his fifth year with Elliott.

GUSTAFSON AT DAYTONA: Gustafson would like to add a Daytona oval win to his résumé. On Aug. 16, he captured his first points win at the DAYTONA Road Course. The 45-year-old crew chief also has collected two Duel qualifying race wins (2017 and 2018) at the track with Elliott. He has two runner-up finishes on the 2.5-mile oval with driver Kyle Busch in 2006 and 2007. The 2007 result with Busch and runner-up Jamie McMurray remains the closest margin of victory ever in the summer race at Daytona (0.005 seconds). Gustafson also has won the pole award at Daytona five times with three drivers: Elliott (three), Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin. He is tied with Leonard Wood and Waddell Wilson for the most DAYTONA 500 pole awards for a crew chief with four.

PIT POWER: As the NASCAR Cup Series heads back to Daytona, the No. 9 team continues to own the second-best average time for four-tire pit stops at 13.91 seconds through 25 races in the season. The team is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.

WCWYW IS BACK: For the fourth year, Hooters’ “When Chase Wins, You Win” promotion has returned. Hooters will give fans 10 free boneless wings with the purchase of any 10 wings any time Elliott wins a Cup Series race. In addition, if he finishes in the top 10, fans can receive one free order of fried pickles with a beverage purchase. All promotions will be eligible the Monday after a race at participating Hooters locations when guests mention the deal to their server. For more information, visit hooters.com/racing.

​
​ ​ ​
​

William Byron
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 22 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
14th in standings
25 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
8 top-10 finishes
73 laps led

Career
97 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
25 top-10 finishes
367 laps led

Track Career
5 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
1 top-five finish
1 top-10 finishes
56 laps led

DISHIN’ ON DOVER: Looking to rebound after a 28th-place finish in the first of two races at Dover International Speedway, William Byron gained track position early in Sunday’s event and utilized it to continue his run up front, scoring crucial points in both stages. The 22-year-old driver raced his way to a fourth-place finish – his first top five and best finish so far in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Byron collected 46 points total during Sunday’s event, the most he has scored in a single race during his Cup career.

ONE FINAL CHANCE: With only one race left in the regular season, Byron is looking to lock himself into the playoffs for the second time in his three-year NASCAR Cup Series career. Fighting through adversity during the doubleheader weekend in Dover, the driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE currently is four points above the playoff cutoff line heading into the final race of the regular season.

DAYTONA DEETS: While superspeedway racing can be unpredictable, Byron has had success when it comes to the high-banked oval of Daytona International Speedway. With five previous Cup Series starts at the 2.5-mile venue, Byron has one pole award – the 2019 DAYTONA 500 – and a runner-up finish coming in July last season, which ties his career-best finish in the Cup Series. Earlier this year, Byron raced his way to a win at Daytona in the second Duel non-points qualifying race leading into the DAYTONA 500. Aside from his five Cup Series appearances, Byron has two Xfinity Series starts, where he captured the win in the July 2017 race, becoming the youngest Xfinity Series driver to win at Daytona at 19 years, 7 months and 1 day. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native also has one Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start and one ARCA Series start at DIS.

KNAUS’ KNOWLEDGE: Calling the shots for 38 previous Cup Series races at Daytona, Chad Knaus has captured the checkered flag twice there, sweeping the 2013 season with a DAYTONA 500 win and following it up with a victory in July on the 2.5-mile oval with Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team. However, Knaus has also had success with Byron at Daytona in their almost two years of working together. The duo secured the pole for the 2019 DAYTONA 500, finished second in the rain-shortened July 2019 event and raced to a win in the second Duel qualifying race at Daytona in February.

LIBERTY U IS BACK: On board the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE two weeks ago at the DAYTONA Road Course, Liberty University will be back on Byron’s machine Saturday night when the Cup Series returns to Daytona – but this time on the high-banked oval. Liberty University is in its sixth season of sponsoring the 22-year-old driver dating back to his time in the late model ranks. Liberty has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in business communications, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program.

BEACH BUMS: When the Cup Series heads to Daytona for Saturday night’s race, three members of the No. 24 team will return their return to their hometown track. Longtime Hendrick Motorsports front-tire changer Johnny Roberts hails from Titusville, Florida, just down the coast from Daytona Beach, where he spent most of his time surfing before making his way to North Carolina and trying out with Hendrick Motorsports in 2010. Engineer Brandon McSwain grew up approximately 100 miles from the “World Center of Racing” in Auburndale, Florida. Just a few miles down the road from where McSwain grew up, engine tuner Ben Proctor calls Lakeland, Florida, home.

WIN A ‘RIDE’ WITH BYRON: With September designated as childhood and ovarian cancer awareness month, the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation have partnered to support those who have overcome battles with cancer. For the September race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, fans will have the opportunity to nominate a cancer hero to “ride” on a participating Cup Series driver’s car, including Byron’s No. 24 Chevy, by bidding on the space above the driver-side door. The auction is now live and will run through Tuesday, Sept. 1. To bid, visit NASCARfoundation.org/MTJF.

​
​ ​ ​
​

Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 44 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
15th in standings
24 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
102 laps led

Career
675 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
231 top-five finishes
373 top-10 finishes
18,936 laps led

Track Career
37 starts
3 wins
2 pole positions
12 top-five finishes
16 top-10 finishes
302 laps led

NO STRANGER TO SUCCESS: The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team is no stranger to success at Daytona International Speedway. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson heads to the “World Center of Racing” for possibly the final time in his career as a two-time DAYTONA 500 winner (2006 and 2013) and a one-time 400-mile event winner (July 2013).

NON-POINTS VICTORIES: In addition to the hardware Johnson received for winning three Cup Series points races at Daytona, he has two victories in the Duels qualifier events leading into the DAYTONA 500, (2010 and 2015) and two trophies from the Clash at DAYTONA exhibition race (2005 and 2019).

LAST TIME: The last time Johnson went to victory lane in a NASCAR Cup Series event was in 2019 when he won the Clash at DAYTONA event to open the season. It was the debut of partner Ally on the No. 48 Chevrolet and the last time Johnson hoisted a trophy in victory lane.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN THREES: Johnson and crew chief Cliff Daniels have hit a sweet spot as of late. Sunday’s third-place finish at Dover was their second top-five finish and third top-10 in the last three races. Two of Johnson’s four top-fives and three of his nine top-10s in 2020 also came in the last three Cup races. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevy’s average finish of 4.67 over the last three event is his best over a three-race stretch since the spring of 2017 where he had an average finish of 4.33 after he won at Texas and Bristol and finished 11th at Richmond.

MONSTER HONOR: On Saturday, Johnson was honored in multiple ways at Dover International Speedway to commemorate his last time racing at the track as a full-time driver. The street in front of the venue’s grandstands was renamed “Jimmie Johnson Drive,” and he had his name cemented in victory lane as “The Monster Mile Master.” He also saw his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE displayed in the hands of the track’s enormous Miles the Monster statue.

ON THE BUBBLE: This weekend’s event at Daytona is crucial in Johnson’s quest for a record-breaking eighth championship. He enters Daytona four points shy of the playoff cutoff, just behind teammate William Byron. Johnson failed to make the playoffs last season – the only time he did not qualify for the post-season since its inception in 2004.

CANCER HEROES: September is designated as childhood and ovarian cancer awareness month, and Johnson is partnering with his fellow competitors, the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation to support individuals who have overcome cancer. Fans have the opportunity to nominate a cancer hero to ride along at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next month. The auction ends Tuesday, Sept. 1. Visit www.NASCARfoundation.org/MTJF for more details.

​
​ ​ ​
​

Alex Bowman
No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE ​
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 27 Resides Concord, North Carolina

2020 Season
12th in standings
25 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
387 laps led

Career
178 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
13 top-five finishes
33 top-10 finishes
861 laps led

Track Career
8 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
17 laps led

AXALTA ON BOARD: This weekend’s race at Daytona International Speedway marks the fourth and final event of the 2020 season in which the Axalta colors will adorn Alex Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. The leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings and Hendrick Motorsports announced an extension back in February that will take their partnership through the 2027 season. Read more here.

LOOKING TOWARD THE PLAYOFFS: Bowman will make his third appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs following his March win at Auto Club Speedway. Bowman has raced his way into the Round of 12 the last two years, and this is the second season where he has clinched a spot in the playoffs based on a victory. In 2019, the team earned a playoff position after capturing the win at Chicagoland Speedway. The No. 88 team finished 12th in the Cup Series point standings in 2019, and the team currently is eighth in the projected playoff standings through 25 events.

BACK TO THE OVAL: Bowman will make his ninth start on the Daytona International Speedway oval in this weekend’s 400-mile event. The Tucson, Arizona, native has one top-10 finish at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, which came in the 2018 summer event. The Axalta-sponsored driver has led 17 laps at the facility in eight Cup starts and has completed 99.2% of the total laps completed. The 27-year-old Bowman has two appearances in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the track, earning an average start of 10.0 and an average finish of 11.5.

NIGHT RACE SUCCESS: The driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has finished inside the top 10 in two of the last three night races this season. Bowman finished sixth at Martinsville Speedway on June 10 and eighth at Kansas Speedway on July 23.

ALL ABOUT STAGE POINTS: The No. 88 team has four stage wins this season, which is tied for third overall in the NASCAR Cup Series. Bowman has captured 167 stage points in 2020, the eighth-most of all drivers. He is also running much better than his finishing positions show with an average running position of 12.8 and an average finish of 17.4 – a difference of 4.6.

IVES AT DAYTONA: Crew chief Greg Ives is set to call his 12th race at the Daytona oval under the Saturday night lights. The Bark River, Michigan, native has one win at the facility with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015 after he led for 96 laps. Ives’ drivers have captured two top-five finishes and three top-10s at Daytona and have led 169 laps total. In 2013 and 2014, Ives was a crew chief at JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His drivers led for 25 laps at Daytona, had an average start of 14.8 and an average finish of 14.2. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer on the No. 48 team with Jimmie Johnson. During that time, the team had one win (2006), one second-place finish and one pole award at 2.5-mile venue.

BRAND NEW DEALS: During the month of August, No. 88 team sponsor ChevyGoods.com is providing discounts on all accessories, including Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero. Customers can receive 15% off all accessories on the site through the end of the month by using code CHEVYGOODS.

PIT ROAD KNACK: The No. 88 pit crew ranks sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average four-tire stop time of 14.07 seconds after 25 events this season. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Rowdy Harrell, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.

NOMINATE A CANCER HERO: September is designated as childhood and ovarian cancer awareness month, and the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation are partnering to support those champions who have overcome these battles. Fans have the opportunity to nominate a cancer hero to “ride” with their favorite driver during the September race weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The auction started Aug. 22 and will run through Sept. 1. To bid on a “ride” with Bowman, visit www.NASCARfoundation.org/MTJF.

​
​ ​ ​
​

Hendrick Motorsports

PLAYOFF MOMENTUM: In Sunday’s race at Dover International Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports placed three of its Chevrolets inside the top five for the first time since April 2016. Over the last three NASCAR Cup Series events, the team has posted six top-five finishes with at least one car in the top five in each race including Chase Elliott’s Aug. 16 win at the DAYTONA Road Course.

DAYTONA HISTORY: Elliott’s road-course performance marked the 42nd Hendrick Motorsports victory at the iconic Daytona International Speedway facility. The team has 14 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins on the 2.5-mile oval including a record eight in the DAYTONA 500. In non-points events, Hendrick Motorsports has 16 victories in the Duels qualifying races and seven in the Clash at DAYTONA. It also owns four wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

RARE COMPANY: A Hendrick Motorsports first-place finish Saturday night would tie the team with Wood Brothers Racing for the most points wins (15) on the Daytona oval. Hendrick Motorsports holds the track records for pole positions (20), runner-up finishes (14), top-fives (56), top-10s (98) and laps led (2,134). The organization has finished in at least one of the top-two positions in 28 Daytona oval races (38%), including five 1-2 sweeps.

IT’S DOWN TO DAYTONA: Going into Saturday evening’s cutoff race for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Hendrick Motorsports has two drivers locked in and two with an opportunity to make the field. This will mark the 15th consecutive season the team has put at least two drivers in the playoffs, which is the most of all organizations. Hendrick Motorsports has been represented by three drivers a record 12 times and by four drivers three times (tied for the most).

SUPER PERFORMANCE: Hendrick Motorsports is the NASCAR Cup Series’ winningest team on superspeedways. The organization holds the all-time record of 27 combined points victories at the high-banked, high-speed tracks of Daytona and Talladega. Wood Brothers Racing is second with 20 total superspeedway wins.

THE RUNDOWN: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 259 race victories and holds the all-time records for championships (12), pole positions (226), top-five finishes (1,088), top-10s (1,877) and laps led (69,981) in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Including 2020, the organization has won at least one race in 35 consecutive seasons, the longest-ever streak. Hendrick Motorsports is nine wins away from tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time Cup record of 268.

​
​ ​ ​
​

QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott on what’s at stake at Daytona:
“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.”

Elliott on his Daytona goals:
“We haven’t had the best record at superspeedway races by any means. Daytona is such a special track but it’s one of those places that just hasn’t gone super well for me. Our goal for Saturday would be to not wreck and pick up as many stage points as we can in all of the stages. That’s number one. You can’t help your teammates or yourself if you are crashed in the garage.”

Driver William Byron’s mindset for Daytona:
“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.”

Byron on Daytona as a playoff cutoff race:
“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.”

Driver Jimmie Johnson on not being stressed about making the playoffs:
“I can’t worry about the playoffs. I won’t worry about it. There is nothing we can do except go out there and win. We are in this position due to the DQ at Charlotte and missing the Brickyard 400 due to my positive COVID-19 test result. The numbers don’t lie at Dover. We were ridiculously fast and had we not had to overcome a speeding penalty, we would have had something for (Kevin) Harvick. I hate that we are racing our teammate (Byron), but I hope we can both have a good run and both make our way into the playoffs. It’s a speedway race – anything can happen.”

Driver Alex Bowman on Hendrick Motorsports’ momentum heading to Daytona:
“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.”