Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy team, like all their peers in NASCAR’s Cup Series, will be in uncharted territory this weekend as the series races for the first time on the 14-turn, 3.6-mile road course at Daytona International Speedway.

Like most other races in COVID-19 pandemic times, there will be no practice or qualifying prior to the start of Sunday’s 65-lap Go Bowling 235.

DiBenedetto, who will start the race from ninth place, has had some strong runs on road courses throughout his career. He said he is looking to capitalize on his road-course skills, while being mindful of his position in the Playoff standings. With four regular-season races left to run before the start of the championship-deciding Playoffs, DiBenedetto has a 57-point cushion over the cutoff line.

“I’ve always had the approach of trying to race smart, especially this weekend,” he said. “You don’t want to make any stupid mistakes, so racing smart will be very key, especially on a new race track a lot of us are unfamiliar with.”

He said that in many ways his approach to the Daytona road course race is no different than for other tracks.

“I’ve been called patiently aggressive,” he said. “I think that’s maybe a cool and good description that I like and try to live by,” he said. “I guess that’s sort of my style – be smart and be aggressive when you can when it counts and drive hard.”

DiBenedetto said he, crew chief Greg Erwin the rest of the Menards/Dutch Boy crew have learned a lot about each other despite the external challenges they’ve faced this year. He says that’s starting to pay off.

“The first part of the year we as a team were really kind of getting acclimated with each other,” he said. “All the COVID stuff that made it a little tougher because of no practice and no qualifying and all that.

“But we’ve gotten into a good rhythm. We’re working together great, so the strength of our team is definitely there.”

The Go Bowling 235 is set to get the green flag just after 3 p.m. on Sunday with TV coverage on NBC.

Menards

A family owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, WI. Menards has more than 300 retail stores located throughout the Midwest in the states of IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and WY. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader. It’s famous slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” is widely known and easy to remember. For more information, visit Menards.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
GO BOWLING 235 AT THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
August 12, 2020

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference regarding today’s announcement of a multiyear sponsorship with Columbia Sportswear, which enlists Wallace as a brand ambassador and includes a primary sponsorship of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet. Other topics discussed were the important things in his future, getting prepared for the Daytona Road Course race, how the team has progressed from a year ago, and more. Partial Transcript:

DOES THE SPONSORSHIP WITH COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR MEAN THAT YOU’RE STAYING AT RPM? WHAT IS THE BREAKOUT BETWEEN IT BEING A PERSONAL SERVICES DEAL AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR RICHARD PETTY AND FOR COMPETITION?
“We’re in the middle of Silly Season still and for both parties, my team and RPM are still trying to figure out ways to finalize deals and get everything together. This definitely solves a big piece of the puzzle and working together. So, nothing’s set in stone yet. It’s still all being worked out and ironed out. Hopefully we’ll have that announcement coming soon.”

WHAT IS THE BREAKOUT REGARDING PERSONAL SERVICES?
“It’s a two-part way. It’s definitely a personal services of mine, and also bringing funding to the race cars to allow us to keep being competitive and keep racking those top 10’s and putting together those good runs. We have four races left to the Playoffs, a big hill to climb, but this is definitely going to knock us up a notch to go out there and compete and give it our all.”

WHEN YOU LOOK AT TRYING TO DECIDE YOUR FUTURE, WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU? IS IT MONEY? IS IT STABILITY? IS IT LOYALTY? WHAT ARE YOU CONSIDERING?
“All those things considered the first thing is to deal with RPM. I can’t believe it has already been three years. And the first thing I said is it feels like family. And, to this day, I feel like family; and that’s been very important to me. It’s easy to kind of get caught-up in just being a driver and showing up at the race track and getting the job done and going home and it’s kind of a wash and repeat. And here, its family. It’s being in contact with everybody and part of the team. It’s obviously being close with Richard. You have that family aspect. That goes along with that I’m a family guy. I love my family here, so to have that feel is definitely important. And, obviously you want to be competitive. I came into this sport wanting to win races and be a household name on the track, so we have a lot of work to do as a team and together, to get there. So again, we’re figuring out all our options and figure out the best solution for both of us to go out and be competitive on the race track.”

YOU TOLD NBC SPORTS THAT YOU HAVE A CONTRACT OFFER FROM CHIP GANASSI RACING. WHAT IS THE DECIDING FACTOR BETWEEN GOING WITH THEM AND GOING WITH RPM OR LOOKING AT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? AND, WHAT IS YOUR DEADLINE?
“Yeah, my deadline is usually I think the Thursday or Friday before climbing in the car at Daytona. So, we’re well ahead of that deadline right now. And so, it’s good to be having these conversations and all options that are on the table, again, we’re still in the heart of it and in the thick of it. But, we’re working out everything as we go.”

WITH ROAD COURSES, YOU GUYS LIKE A LOT OF CREATURE COMFORTS IN THERE THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE OVALS. CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW YOU’RE GOING TO GET TO THAT WITHOUT HAVING ANY LAPS ON TRACK, AND REALLY FEEL LIKE YOU’RE READY TO RACE WHEN THE GREEN GOES?
“I don’t know if any of us are going to feel like we’re ready to race. So, it’s going to be exciting for sure. I’m glad I’m not on the front row for this one to drive off in there and find my marks. And, I don’t want to be like Brad at the Roval two years ago and overshoot the corner. So, we just have to be mindful. I’ve spent, this is the most time I’ve spent preparing for a road course and going to the SIM. I’m actually heading up to jump on the SIM immediately after this call. I’m just trying to prep myself for as much as I can to be ready for putting corners together. It’s crazy how, just from watching the 24 Hours, you kind of learn which way this kind of track goes. Obviously turning left immediately after the Start/Finish Line, going through the infield there. And then you kind of visualize, like man, I used to park here in the road course parking lot. So, it’s going to be cool to kind of be racing all around that. It’ll be exciting for the fans putting it all together. But again, I’ve tried to spend so much time prepping for this; so hopefully it works out for us in the end.”

IS THERE ONE THING YOU NEED TO GET RIGHT IN THE COCKPIT, YOU PERSONALLY, EVERY TIME?
‘I think as long as we’re comfortable and usually my guys do a top-notch job, an A+ job, every time of not really having mistakes. I know without practice it’s easy to forget something. But each and every week I show up and the belts are the same, the steering wheel height is the same, seat mounts, everything is the same. My guys do a great job back at RPM, so we’re all good.”

WHAT IS YOUR FEELING ABOUT WHERE THE TEAM STANDS NOW COMPARED TO A YEAR AGO AT THIS TIME? HAVE YOU SEEN MORE CONSISTENCY THAT YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR?
“Yeah, yeah, for sure. I think we are leaps and bounds ahead of last year. And, I think that’s important to build off of. I remember an old-school motto was ‘suck less than your last race’. So, that’s how we kind of went about it. And then, moving forward this year and having Jerry (Baxter, crew chief) come in and have Jerry learn the ins-and-outs of the Cup series has been very important and very influential and positive for us. Making those bold strategy calls, stay out, take two tires, whatever it may be to keep us in the game; even talking with the pit crew. They are appreciative of Jerry and how he keeps them in the game. Whether if we have a bad day and we’re fighting a penalty lap, and taking strategy there; or, it’s like Vegas earlier this year when we were running 20th with about four or five (laps) to go, stayed out, and ended-up sixth. It’s just those types of things that produce good racing and good momentum, and we’ve carried that. You look at Michigan, we had a really good car and a really solid weekend. Sunday didn’t go as well as Saturday, but still, having those little highlights of success like you mentioned continue to build momentum for us moving forward. So, we’ve got some tough races coming up on the schedule, but with the team behind me right now, we’re ready to tackle anything.”

FOR THE SEASON AS A WHOLE, HOW HAS YOUR SPONSORSHIP INTEREST COMPARED THIS YEAR VERSUS IN PAST YEARS? ARE YOU GETTING YOUR CHOICE OF SPONSORS AND COMPANIES AND HOW ARE YOU MAKING THOSE DECISIONS?
“Yeah, I’ve been in racing and motorsports for 17 years now. And we may not have been looking for sponsorship right off the bat, but I’d say ever since 2010, a good ten years now, we’ve been looking for sponsorship. I was always told when, and they’ll come. And we won a couple, we won a few in the Truck Series and still fighting sponsorship issues. I haven’t won much since then. But we’ve been doing things. We’ve been winning off the race track. I think that’s helped being much bigger than an athlete, standing up for human beings. It’s something that we often don’t get to do just because we’re put on a pedestal. With the spotlight that I put myself into, being vocal about what’s going on the world, has created opportunities for new partners. Look at Columbia here. A brand new partner, a part of the sport, a part of RPM, a part of the Bubba Wallace brand. We’re doing good things off the race track that helps our on-track performance. So, we will just continue those ways. This doesn’t even compare to how the little bit of sponsor momentum we’ve had in years past. This is an incredible opportunity for me; one the best years in my racing career from that standpoint. We’re building up on a great future here, getting these partnerships and deals in place; to set the team, the partner, and myself up for great success and we’ll continue to do that.”

OVERALL, HOW ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW? YOU’VE CERTAINLY GONE THROUGH A LOT. EVEN SIX WEEKS AGO YOU WERE TIRED, HAVING GONE THROUGH THE WRINGER OF THE ROLE OF ACTIVISM, AND NOW THERE’S STILL THE COMPETITOR ASPECT GOING ON AND NOW WITH YOUR FUTURE. THERE IS A LOT ON YOUR SHOULDERS. HOW ARE YOU HANDLING IT?
“I definitely feel a lot more upbeat. Like I said, there’s a lot of positive momentum on our side. Big things being worked on behind the scenes like this (Columbia Sportswear) that we’re excited to share with people. It’s part of it. You go through the wringer. It makes you a better person at the end of the day. Maybe it’s a new outlet for you to explore, like I said about being outspoken about things that are going on in the country and in the world, and you want to be a part of it. And that’s how I’ve felt. I didn’t know what to expect. You know me, I’m always just the ‘do it and figure out everything after’; and so that’s just a part of Bubba Wallace in everyday life and we’ll continue to go on. I’m always ready for whatever is thrown at me. I try to handle it in the best way I can. I’ll get beat-up and worn down about it and you’ll hear about it because I wear my heart on my sleeve. But all in all, we’re refreshed. We got that week off and had a great vacation, Amanda and I, we tried to decompress and turn off my phone and just get away. It was a good to refresh and refocus on what we need to do on the race track as well as off the race track.”

HAS THERE BEEN A LOT OF TALK AS FAR AS SOCIAL ACTIVISM THAT YOU’RE INVOLVED IN THAT WE DON’T SEE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS? DO YOU FEEL LIKE BEHIND THE SCENES THAT THERE IS STUFF GOING ON IN THE INDUSTRY WHERE PEOPLE ARE TAKING WHAT THEY SAID A MONTH OR TWO AGO AND TRYING TO PUT WORDS INTO ACTION?
“Yeah, for sure. I had a great lunch with Brandon Thompson and NASCAR Diversity Affairs there, and we were talking some really good things of how we can just make our sport better for everybody. Diversity training is coming into place and we’re trying to get that going. And that’s going to be a lot of fun and a good process to see how it works out. From the sports-side, good things are coming. And from the personal side, as well, I’m excited to be still working out and getting my foundation up and running and having my sister be a part of that. So, I know we’re basically right on the goal line of finalizing things up with that. To be able to dive into the communities, the conversations that we’ve had, we’ve even had them with Columbia about my foundation. It’s just so tough with COVID-19 going on right now, to really be in-person and reach out to the communities to get them, whether is a part of the sport or just educate them on things that are going on in the world. So, there are a lot of good things away from the race track, away from racing, that deal with the issues that go on in the world that are being worked out as well.”

WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEKEND. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON NOT GOING TO THE GLEN THIS YEAR?
“I’m all right with it. It hasn’t been one of my best race tracks. But I think this, with everything going on with COVID, I know NASCAR has been up to their necks in trying to figure out what the schedule is going to be. So, I definitely don’t envy them right now. But kudos to them for coming up with an alternative. And it’s something new. It’s new for NASCAR. I know the road course has been around for years and years and being able to watch that on TV right before our season kick-off at Daytona. So, for us to go in there with no practice, I remember when I was asked about hey, we need a solid answer if you’re okay with no practice. And I was like, okay, what does everybody else think about this? The final verdict was no practice. Drive off into Turn 1 and figure out where you go after that. So, it’ll be cool. It’ll be a different alternative to definitely have fans tune-in for that and to be able to watch all the action on NBC, so it’ll be cool. None of us really know what to expect. But, to have a good race and try to continue on momentum from there. Like I said earlier, I’ve prepped a lot; a lot more than I have in the past to be good here and be successful here. So, hopefully it goes hand-in-hand.”

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.

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (3.56-MILE ROAD COURSE)
LOCATION: DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACES 23 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 3 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, AUG. 16 (NBC/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

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

2020 Season
5th in standings
22 starts
1 win
1 pole position
7 top-five finishes
12 top-10 finishes
469 laps led
Career
171 starts
7 wins
9 pole positions
51 top-five finishes
86 top-10 finishes
2,313 laps led

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

ROAD RACE CHASE: Chase Elliott continues to prove his road-course prowess after winning two of the three NASCAR Cup Series road races last season and three of the last five. In September 2019, the No. 9 Chevrolet driver rallied back from mid-race trouble at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval to earn his sixth career Cup victory and third on a road course. Elliott also dominated Watkins Glen International in August 2019 where he won for the second straight year. He remains the youngest road-course winner (22 years, 8 months, 8 days) of all time in the series.

MAKE IT THREE: This weekend, Elliott could become the most recent driver with three consecutive road-course race wins. The last person to collect three in a row was NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart (2004-2005). Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon holds the record for most consecutive road-course wins with six (1997-2000).

NAPA KNOW HOW: On Sunday at Daytona, the No. 9 Chevrolet will feature the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for a total of 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this season.

ROAD-COURSE STATS: Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, is set to make his 11th Cup Series start on a road course this weekend. In his previous 10 races, he has collected the second-most wins (three) of active drivers, behind only Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., who both have four. Elliott has garnered four top-five finishes, six top-10s and a total of 179 laps led. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native holds the best average finish (10.5) on road courses of active drivers.

STAGE POINT COLLECTOR: In 2020, Elliott has the second-most stage wins (five), has garnered the fourth-most stage points (185) and is currently fifth in the driver standings, 170 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

PIT ROAD PROWESS: The No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team owns the second-best average time for four-tire pit stops at 13.92 seconds through 22 races in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series 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.

FLORIDA NATIVE: This weekend, crew chief Alan Gustafson will return home for the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race on the road course at Daytona. 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 will set foot in Daytona in the midst of his 16th full-time season as a crew chief and his fifth year with Elliott.

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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
22 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
72 laps led

Career
94 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
23 top-10 finishes
366 laps led

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

FINAL FOUR: With only four races left in the regular season, William Byron is looking to lock himself into the playoffs for the second time in his three-year NASCAR Cup Series career. Gaining 28 points on the playoff bubble over the last four races, the driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE went from two points below the cutoff line to 26 points above it and 16th in the standings.

CLOSE COMPARISON: When the race goes green Sunday afternoon, it will mark the first time that Byron – or anyone else in the field – will have made a Cup Series lap at the newly revamped DAYTONA Road Course. While the 3.56-mile circuit will bring a lot of unknowns, Byron’s prior success at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s roval bodes well for the 22-year-old driver. With two starts at his home track road course, Byron had his best run there last season after capturing the pole and scoring a solid sixth-place finish.

BECOMING A ROAD-COURSE RINGER: Despite a limited background in road racing, Byron has become accustomed quickly. In June 2019, he raced to his first career Cup Series stage win at Sonoma Raceway after qualifying second. Byron followed it up in August at Watkins Glen International, qualifying second and running in the top five before an incident left him with a 21st-place finish. In fact, of six stages run on road courses last season, Byron finished in the top 10 in five of them.

LIBERTY U IS BACK: For Sunday’s history-making event at the DAYTONA Road Course, Byron will carry the traditional red and white flames of Liberty University on board his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. 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.

VIRTUAL HAPPY HOUR: Prior to NASCAR’s debut at the DAYTONA Road Course, Byron will be one of three Cup Series drivers slated to take on the new circuit through iRacing. In the special event, Byron will have crew chief Chad Knaus calling the shots as well as his William Byron eSports driver Nick Ottinger as engineer. The trio will have a 60-minute practice session on iRacing prior to the Wednesday night event, and fans will be able to get a glimpse into the virtual garage while Knaus and Ottinger make adjustments. The iRacing Happy Hour event will stream live on NASCAR.com on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

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

2020 Season
17th in standings
21 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
99 laps led

Career
672 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
229 top-five finishes
370 top-10 finishes
18,933 laps led

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

FRESH PAINT 48: Change is good, and there will be a noticeable one on the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE beginning with Sunday’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series road course race at Daytona International Speedway. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson and Ally Financial chief marketing officer Andrea Brimmer felt the No. 48 team would benefit from a championship-caliber reset as it pushes to make the playoffs this season. They went as far as changing the primary paint scheme on the No. 48 Ally Chevy to mix things up and bring fresh energy to 2020. The new look – inspired by calls from Johnson’s longtime fans – will be revealed on Thursday, Aug. 13, via the driver’s social media channels.

NEW TO WHO: It may not be common knowledge that Johnson has eight starts at the DAYTONA Road Course in various sports cars throughout his storied career. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in the NASCAR Cup Series is a seven-time starter in the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA with a pair of runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2008. He also ran a 70-lap Grand-Am race in July 2007 and finished ninth.

DO IT RIGHT: When it comes to road racing, Johnson seems to do it right. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has finished in the top 10 at the roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway in each of his past two starts. Last season, he scored a 12th-place finish at Sonoma Raceway.

8-BIT GAME: Last week, Ally launched an 8-bit web-based video game for fans to enjoy. The free 1980s-style game can be played at www.allyracer.com. Players must steer around obstacles like oil slicks, tire debris and other cars while trying to beat the clock and other race cars to the checkered flag. Hitting financial targets, literally, generates bonus points by driving through Ally Financial “rewards” such as coins and plum-colored dollar bills that pop up on the track. Those rewards are banked for future use, so players can choose when to withdraw the rewards and help boost their score as they reach more challenging levels within the game.

FIFTY PERCENT: Johnson has 38 starts on road courses throughout his 19-year NASCAR Cup Series career. He has one win, coming at Sonoma Raceway, and 19 top-10 finishes. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro has an average finish of 14.45 but has finished in the top-10 in 50% of the races he has participated in. A win at Watkins Glen International has always eluded Johnson, and due to COVID-19 he will not get the opportunity to compete there in his final season in the NASCAR Cup Series.

PLAYOFF PUSH: Currently, Johnson is tied for 17th in the point standings and is 26 points below the cut line with four races remaining. At three of the four venues – two at Dover International Speedway and one on the Daytona oval – Johnson has scored a combined 13 wins. His most recent victory at Daytona was in 2013 and last win at Dover was in June 2017.

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

2020 Season
11th in standings
22 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
387 laps led

Career
175 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
12 top-five finishes
32 top-10 finishes
861 laps led

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

LEFT AND RIGHT AT DAYTONA: Alex Bowman, along with the rest of the drivers in the field, will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start on the DAYTONA Road Course on Sunday. The Tucson, Arizona, native has 10 Cup Series starts on road courses with a personal best average finish on the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval of 3.0. The No. 88 team captured a fourth-place roval finish in 2018 and was runner-up last season to teammate Chase Elliott.

IVES AT A ROAD COURSE: Crew chief Greg Ives has 12 starts on road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series but this weekend will be his first at Daytona. The Bark River, Michigan, native has two top-five results and five top-10s at road courses in the series. Last year, the crew chief called the shots for Bowman’s second-place result at Charlotte.

AXALTA ON BOARD: This weekend’s race on Daytona International Speedway’s road course marks the third event of the 2020 season in which the Axalta colors will adorn 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.

STAGE PERFORMANCE: The No. 88 team has four stage wins this season, which is tied for third overall in the series. Bowman has captured 163 stage points in 2020, which is the sixth-highest number of points earned by drivers. The driver of the Axalta Chevrolet is running better than what his finishing positions show. Bowman’s average running position is 12.24, but his average finish is 18.05, which is a difference of 5.81.

PIT ROAD WARRIORS: The No. 88 pit crew ranks sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average four-tire stop time of 14.107 seconds after 22 events this season. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Rowdy Harrell, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.

WELCOME ACRONIS: Hendrick Motorsports has announced a new partnership with Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection. Acronis will be featured as a three-race primary partner on the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in 2020 and will become a major associate partner of the organization’s four-car stable beginning next season. The blue and white No. 88 paint scheme will be on track for its first races next weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader at Dover International Speedway.

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 their site through the end of the month by using code CHEVYGOODS.

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Hendrick Motorsports

NEW TRACK, WHO D-I-S: For the first time in its history, the NASCAR Cup Series will go fender-to-fender on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course on Sunday. Since 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has seen victory lane 37 times in Cup competition on the iconic 2.5-mile DIS oval, including eight prestigious DAYTONA 500s. The team has won 14 points-paying Cup Series races at Daytona, along with 16 DAYTONA 500 Duel qualifying events and seven non-points Clash at DAYTONA exhibitions.

KINGS OF THE ROAD: Hendrick Motorsports owns the all-time record for NASCAR Cup Series road-course wins with 18, which is six more than second-place Joe Gibbs Racing. Six different drivers have delivered at least one road-course victory for team owner Rick Hendrick: Jeff Gordon (nine), Chase Elliott (three), Tim Richmond (three), Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Rudd and Geoff Bodine. Gordon holds the Cup Series record for most road-course wins by a driver, all coming with Hendrick Motorsports.

GOING RIGHT: In 2019, Hendrick Motorsports was sporty on road courses. In three road races last season, the team led 162 of 289 laps (56%) and won two races, two pole positions and four of six stages. Elliott posted road-course victories at Watkins Glen International and Charlotte Motor Speedway, where teammates Alex Bowman, William Byron and Johnson finished second, sixth and ninth, respectively.

THE NUMBERS: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 258 race victories and holds the all-time records for championships (12), pole positions (226), top-five finishes (1,082), top-10s (1,869) and laps led (69,916) 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 10 wins away from tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time Cup record of 268.

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QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott on the inaugural DAYTONA Road Course event:
“I am super excited just to go somewhere new. Obviously, I’ve enjoyed Watkins Glen these past couple of years. We have a new challenge ahead with the DAYTONA Road Course. I think the biggest thing is not having any practice. I think it is going to be exciting but it’s also going to be really hard for the guys that have never made a lap there before. I think it’s going to give a pretty big advantage to those who’ve run the 24-hour race and have made any laps on that track. I’ve never made a lap. I don’t even know what turns are where. I’m going to get on iRacing and try and make some laps just to familiarize myself with the track. I’ve watched the 24-hour race, but I’ve never really paid a ton of attention to it. It’s going to be really difficult for people like me who have never seen it.”

Driver William Byron on racing at the DAYTONA Road Course:
“I am a bit more optimistic on how this race is going to turn out. I was at Daytona for the 24-hour race this past year. I feel like even that time gives me a good idea of what the track looks like and what the car needs to feel like based on the things I heard and saw. I know some guys have made laps on that road course in sports cars, which may give them a bit of an advantage. There are simulation tools that I can use to prepare and get better for this race. I’m just really excited about this race, overall.”

Byron on his style of road-course racing:
“When it comes to road-course racing, I feel like I try to find a nice balance between aggression and consistency. When I need to make fast laps, I am super aggressive by using the curbs, getting as much as I can out of the apex of the corners and using aggressive braking to pass guys. Once the race kind of goes on and the pace mellows out though, I settle in and work more on consistency lap after lap. If you just constantly push, push, push, it is extremely hard on the tires. You have to push when you’re trying to pass someone and then set your own pace from there.”

Driver Jimmie Johnson on preparing for the DAYTONA Road Course:
“I am so excited for this weekend at Daytona. I have a lot of repetitions and a couple thousand miles on this track from in the seven Rolex races I’ve been able to compete in. I also did a July Fourth six-hour race there, so bring it on. The challenges of this track – there will be some really high speeds and then the chicane off of turn four will change that to some degree. It’s going to be a balance of aero efficiency on the straightaways and mechanical grip for the tight little infield section. It’s going to be really interesting for those who have never taken a lap on this track.”

Johnson on his playoff hopes:
“I hope we can make something happen over the next four races and get into the playoffs. I’m very optimistic we can make something happen. I will know if I don’t make the playoffs that I left it all on the track. This team gives 100% and we can all sleep at night knowing that.”

Driver Alex Bowman on competing on a new track:
“The good thing about this weekend is that none of the drivers really know what to expect. It is really more of a level playing field. We have been in the simulator this week just trying to learn more about the configuration and speeds in the corners. I think we have some strengths that we can bring from the roval, so we just need to capitalize on that on Sunday.”

Crew chief Greg Ives on Daytona comparisons to the Charlotte roval:
“We are preparing the best way we know how for the DAYTONA Road Course. It is going to be strange, but we are doing the same thing we did when we were preparing to go to the roval for the first time. We went into that race thinking there would be a lot of cautions, especially going into turn one for the first time, but everything was good. Main difference here is at the roval we had practice.”