NASCAR CUP SERIES
NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
JULY 17, 2026

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 and the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Silverado RST, met with the media in advance of running double duty in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Media Availability Quotes:

You have a very busy schedule this weekend. A lot of racing for you in different series. Just talk a little bit about why you’re looking forward to this weekend.

“Yeah, it’s definitely been a been a busy couple days, for sure, but it’s been fun. I haven’t done a lot of short track racing, like late model cars, in a while, so it’s just kind of neat to have that opportunity and go and run. Appreciate Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) asking me to drive his late model stock, and then obviously the FR8 Racing guys for letting me get in their straight rail car. I figured if I was going to be here, might as well try and do them both.

And then, yeah, totally separate from that, the truck opportunity came up to run that, as well. So yeah, I’m going to have plenty of laps on track this weekend, and hopefully they go alright. We’ll see.”

Now that you’re potentially just two rounds away from the million-dollar prize, how much attention are you going to pay to Todd Gilliland this weekend?

“Oh, yeah, it’d be nice to win, for sure. You know, over the last couple of seasons being involved in the In-Season Challenge, it’s not something that I’m overly consumed over, you know? I can say that with a lot of confidence. You just know in the back of your mind, kind of similar to the points situation in general, if you’re going out and you’re doing your job and you’re performing at a high level, then you’re likely going to take care of the other things. So I kind of look at that in a really similar light, but I do think it is really fun. I think it’s a really good thing for just the sport, in general, to kind of have something else going on in the middle of the year. I know we’re getting close to the Chase cutoff, but still, it’s kind of neat to have another little side quest going on. I think it’d be cool to win it. We made a good run at it last year, but couldn’t quite get it done, so hopefully we can make it happen this season.”

We mentioned earlier the quadruple-header, the two CARS Tour races, the Trucks tomorrow, and obviously, the Cup car on Sunday. How are you kind of handling the weekend physically and mentally as far as preparation and compartmentalizing the four races?

“Yeah, I mean, definitely the Cup stuff has my main focus, right? That’s just kind of where my head is at mentally and just making sure that I’m not letting anything else pull me away from what I’m kind of looking for in my car for Sunday night. So, I’ve kind of been using it a little bit as just extra laps on track and just helping me think about how I can be better Sunday, I think, more than anything else. But certainly, you know, all the cars drive different — like the pro car drives different than the late model stock, and the truck is going to be different than both of those. And then certainly, the Cup car drives like nothing out there that they have to offer. So, I think all those things, it’s a fun challenge and one that I haven’t really done a lot of. I did some of it early on. I remember jumping back and forth between, you know, Saturday and Sunday cars there early in my Cup career, but I don’t know that I’ve ever done four in a weekend and in four different cars. So, yeah, just trying to balance all that.”

It’s been a while since I’ve driven a late model stock car – like, I don’t even know, probably 10 years. It’s been a minute. The last time I did it, Denny used to do his showdown race back in the day. He did it once at Richmond that I ran, and then he did it a couple times at South Boston, if I’m not mistaken, and I ran two or three of those and that was it. I had a lot of fun with it. It was cool, it just wasn’t the path that I came up on. The pro cars, the straight rail late model cars, that’s more of kind of my background and what I grew up racing the most of. So, it’s been kind of fun jumping back and forth; seeing the difference in those two cars directly during the same day. I had a lot of fun with that yesterday.

It’s been a challenge. It’s been tough. Those guys are really good. You know, they do it all the time. They’re really, really, really good drivers and teams that are super competitive, and all that’s been a lot of fun. So, yeah, just kind of figuring out as I go. I haven’t driven a truck in a minute either. I’m not sure why I got hired for all this, but I’m here and I’m going to give it my best go.”

I know for Cup car and the Truck, with Chevy, you have plenty of sim time and things you can do to prepare. This late model stock deal, Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) talked about how it came about when Kyle (Busch) was supposed to be in the car, and you mentioned this Fr8 Racing deal was almost completely last second. How have you been preparing for the late model side of things?

“Really, just yesterday. It’s a little easier, I think from my standpoint, coming into it knowing that – hey, we have two or three practice sessions that I can get acclimated with the cars, actually get some laps on track and get myself up to speed. I know with the Truck stuff, we have more of a full practice today, but normally it would be like 20 minutes or something on the Cup side. So I think that probably drives some of those things a little more than anything else… the amount of time on-track. So for me, it was fine. I knew I was going to have some laps to kind of get myself readjusted. I leaned on that more than anything.”

Did you feel comfortable going from the pro straight rail to a late model stock chassis throughout practice yesterday? Do you feel comfortable through tonight, Saturday and the rest of the weekend with jumping constantly to completely different cars?

“I do, yeah. I mean, it’s been a challenge, like I said, for sure. But I’ve had fun with it. Again, I think for me, my mindset is all about Cup car. In the back of my mind, I’m like, okay, how can I be better on Sunday? Just the extra laps and all that I think will hopefully help.

But yeah, the rest of it has just been kind of learning as I go. I felt like by the end of the day yesterday, I felt a lot better about jumping back and forth and kind of what I needed to do differently between the two cars to at least do the best I could. Certainly wasn’t where I wanted to be, but it was an improvement throughout the day, so hopefully tonight is another step of that.”

There’s a new front bumper package in place on the Cup side this weekend that’s designed to have a little bit more give to it on contact. Do you have any anticipation of how you’ll manage that and how it’ll react, or is it just going to be kind of wait and see once you get out there?

“Yeah, I think probably a wait and see situation. I mean, they’re pretty stout. You know, I had to remind myself a couple weeks ago at Chicago running the Saturday race just how fragile those cars are and how easy it used to be to destroy a front bumper, like on a restart stack, or even just hitting somebody too hard, trying to give them a shove. I remember going into that race thinking, you know, I need to not just run over somebody like we can on Sunday. It’s crazy how hard you can hit someone on a restart or bump drafting at the speedway’s. Atlanta was a great example of that. I mean, you’re running over the person in front of you and you would think it would destroy your car, but it doesn’t. The harder you hit them on a drafting track like that, the further you push them out.

So, I’m not sure. I think the margin was so far down the road of just durability and really strong. I’m not sure how far you have to detune that to make a difference, but we’ll see.”

There are several adjustments for Daytona next month to try to improve the racing. Do you wish you had a little bit of a practice maybe before the race, instead of just going out and qualifying and racing?

“Not being super familiar with all the details, I think it’s a little hard for me to say. But it just seems like every time we have practice at the speedways, everybody will run for a few minutes and then you wind up sitting there for 45 minutes or something. So I can see both sides of that.

To your point, you know, maybe with a change, it might be a good idea. But also at the same time, I could also see people not participating, which obviously leads us down the road of being on TV and not having cars on track. That ends up being a bad result, which has led us to where we are today, which I totally understand that too. So see both sides of the coin. For me personally, I’m good either way.

Do you have any expectation of how Sunday’s race is going to unfold in terms of tire wear, just the cautions, anything like that?

“I mean, I would have to imagine pretty similar to the All-Star Race last year. You know, the top became super dominant and it became really hard to pass. You saw that with kind of how (Christopher) Bell won the race and he had to get pretty aggressive there to do it.

But look, I think that the racetrack is going to promote that type of physicality, just by the way it’s shaped. When you get these racetracks that the top lane and momentum becomes king throughout a run, I think you’re going to have some of that.

As far as the tire wear goes, you know, the marbles on the racetrack last year, I remember that kind of being a big thing and how dirty the grooves got that you weren’t running in. That became a challenge because as we started pushing the groove up, you were doing it at pretty high risk because if you got just a little too high, you were going to get sucked up into the dirt. So, yeah, I’m not sure what the cutoff is of when tires are going to become more important. I don’t think you’re going to pit from the top-five; put on four tires, start last and drive back up to the lead. I could be totally wrong, but I think at some point in time you will have a period of tire wear and heat that will equalize some older tires to some fresher ones. So, as always, that’s a balance every week. That’s just something you have to kind of figure out as we go and see what the race feels like. But it’s hot and that’ll play a factor, as well.”

Historically, races at North Wilkesboro Speedway, and even in the All-Star Race, there’s been long green flag runs, so I’m curious if you guys had any conversations about maybe going to have to make some green flag pit stops and what that’s going to be like here because that’s not something you guys have done here…

“Yeah, I think we will, for sure, at some point in time. I mean, it’s 450 laps, right? That’s a lot of laps, so I would have to imagine at some point in time, you’re going to have to have a green flag stop in there. Might not, but I could see it. I mean, we have them at Martinsville, and that’s a 500 lap race. It’s doesn’t happen a lot, but it does happen from time to time. And on a racetrack like this too where, again, you kind of get that outside lane motoring, you get some momentum rolling and we get strung out a little bit; I could see some green flag stops coming into play. I kind of hope it does. I feel like it ends up being a pretty good race when you have that and you’re taking the risk. It seems like the risk is always higher at short tracks to come and stop and be one of the first guys to put on tires because you’re exposed for so long, right? And I think that’s why you see people avoid that for a longer period of time because you’re going to go two laps, maybe more, down if you’re doing a four tire green flag stop. And if a caution flies during that period of time, you’re up the creek pretty bad, right? A wave around doesn’t fix that, where at a lot of mile-and-a-halves, a wave around would fix your problem because you’re only one lap down versus being more than one.

That’s why I think the risk reward becomes a little bit more of a question, but I think it also makes it entertaining. You’ll have guys that are aggressive on that and rightfully so.”

Are you pleased that the Indy race is back on the oval as opposed to the road course? And secondly, what would it mean to you to be the first father son, if you won the Brickyard, to have that accolade?

“First off, I’m glad it’s back on the big track. I certainly understood the reason for the change, and I respect the effort to try and do something different. It just kind of felt, from my seat at least, that the Brickyard is a really big deal and it always has been in our sport ever since I was a kid. I just felt like that race belongs on the big track. I just think it feels better. Whether the race is good or not, suck it up and we’ll just run it on the big track. And if it’s a good show, it’s a good show. And if it’s not, it’s not. And at the end of the day, I think that race winner should come from the big track itself.

I totally support that decision, regardless of what the race looks like. That was one of the very few races that I was old enough to even have a few memories from or even just be in the pictures of dad’s wins, which was really, really neat. Even then, I knew how big of a deal that was. It was evident in the way he acted and in the way that race was portrayed. Even as a child, you could telling the meaning behind it. So I think for that reason, it always has carried a little more weight than some of the others. I would love to check that box for a lot of reasons, with that one being the number one. But I have never won a big crown jewel race. I’ve been close on a handful of occasions, but never gotten across that bridge, so it would be as good of a place, if not the best, to make that happen.”

You were on Bussin with the Boys, and while you were there, you stumped for more Saturday night races as opposed to Sunday night races, which we’ve kind of come to have here. You mentioned in particular how it puts fans in a pretty tough spot. Could you just expand on that? Have you heard things from fans like that directly, or I guess, what are your overall thoughts on Saturday night versus Sunday night?

“Yeah, honestly, those comments came directly from people that I know personally that either went to the race and weren’t super thrilled about their Monday morning and probably won’t do it again, or people that chose not to go because they had to go to work on Monday morning. So it stemmed directly from fans of our sport; people that aren’t just watching on TV, people that are spending their money to come support us at the track in-person and in the stands. That was why I said that, just because I have heard it directly.

And while I totally get that TV runs the show in a lot of ways, there are still a lot of people that like coming to the races and also probably would like a day at home to recover and kind of get their affairs in order to go back to work on Monday. So I think there’s room for middle ground in that. I think Saturday night races have always been a really big deal. Growing up, for me, I always thought they were the most fun, like as a kid, as a fan, coming to the races. I mean, heck, even if I wasn’t there, I was watching it on TV and I was at home. I was fired up to have a Saturday night race. I thought it was great. The only downside was I didn’t have anything to watch on Sunday, but that was part of it, right? Like you were bummed about that when Sunday afternoon rolled around and the race wasn’t on, but the lead in, the excitement and energy for a Saturday night show, I thought, was pretty darn elite.

You know, right now, you’re up against regional baseball and I think it would be a great time for us to take advantage of Saturday night races, especially in the summer. It’s hot, so we need to be under the lights. There’s no need to be racing during the day?

Do you think that hurts Atlanta, in particular, given the things that you mentioned, like the Braves, and the fact that we’re in a market where people have to go to work the next morning, or is it more general?

“I think it’s just in general. I mean, I think people travel from a lot of different areas for our races, and the further they travel, the harder that is to do. No one has told me what the exact reason is for that, so I’m reaching a little bit there. I’m assuming it’s for TV. But yeah, I just think it makes a lot of sense. I think there’s room for it in our sport. We don’t have a lot of Saturday night races, in general, so if you had a couple extra, I’m not sure what that’s hurting really at the end of the day.

And again, you’ve had the World Cup on TV, which it’s winding down right now. There are some other sports here and there, but you know, baseball is probably the biggest thing that’s kind of going on right now and the push to their playoffs. But it can be difficult to watch. Like even as a Braves fan, it may be on TV at certain points in time. Maybe if they’re on the west coast, they have some kind of weird TV stuff, so if you’re not living in that particular region, you’re probably not even eligible to watch. So I think we have a unique opportunity with the networks that we’re on to take advantage of the ability to watch this across the country on the good broadcast partners that we have. I think a Saturday night race is super healthy for people at home watching. And also, the people that are here, it’s an opportunity for them to get home on Sunday and reset and go back to work on Monday.”

You haven’t ran a truck since 2023, but you’ve always done pretty well in that series. When the opportunity from Spire Motorsports came, were you excited? Hesitant? What was the initial reaction?

“Yeah, excited. I mean, it’s one of those opportunities where I wish I wasn’t considering the circumstances. But when Jeff (Dickerson) reached out to me, I don’t know, a few weeks ago about it, he just said, hey, would you have any interest in doing this? Kyle (Busch) was intended to run this race. And I said, yeah, I’d be honored to run it and I would love to do it. If I can help, let me know. And he said, okay, we’ll do it… done. So that was really about it. It was a short exchange. I don’t get asked a lot to do that stuff, so I appreciated him thinking of me and being willing to let me come drive their stuff.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.

GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway… This weekend marks the first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway since 1996, but Richard Childress Racing has a long and storied history at the track. In 44 points-paying Cup Series starts at the historic, 0.625-mile oval, the 57-year-old race team has earned five victories, all by Dale Earnhardt, who drove the infamous No. 3 to Victory Lane in the 1986 spring race, 1987 spring race, 1989 spring race, 1991 fall race, and 1995 spring race. Earnhardt finished every one of his 27 starts at North Wilkesboro while driving under the RCR banner. Most recently, RCR competed in the NASCAR All-Star weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway (2023-2025), earning two top-10 finishes.

NASCAR Legend… Richard Childress, who made 19 starts at North Wilkesboro Speedway during his driving career, is among the legendary NASCAR figures that will help introduce the top-10 drivers in Sunday night’s starting field during pre-race ceremonies. The NASCAR Hall of Famer earned eight top-10 finishes at the track, including a best finish of sixth in 1977.

Friday Night Action… On Friday night, July 17, Richard Childress is scheduled to travel to Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway to compete in the New England 900, a 90-lap race at the half-mile paved oval featuring some of the sports’ most entertaining automotive influencers. The race is hosted by popular YouTube star and aspiring racer Cleetus McFarland, who made his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut for RCR earlier this season. Fans can watch the race by purchasing a subscription to FRDM+ at baldeagle.com.

Tickets to the 2026 Carolina Cowboys Home Stand Are Available Now… The Carolina Cowboys, a professional team in the PBR Teams League owned by Richard Childress and Jeff Broin with Austin Dillon serving as the team’s general manager kicked off their 2026 season last weekend in Fort Collins, Colorado splitting the first two games of the season (1-1). The PBR Team Series makes its next stop in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on July 31-August 2. The Cowboys boast a talented roster with new additions including 2018 PBR Rookie of the Year and 2025 Challenger Series Champion Keyshawn Whitehorse, and standout Brazilians Elizmar Jeremias and Thiago Salgado to defend their PBR Teams Championship. Don’t miss the Carolina Cowboys 2026 “Cowboy Days” home stand September 18-20 at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Tickets are on sale at PBR.com and Ticketmaster.com.

Watch Us on TNT Sports… The NASCAR Cup Series’ Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, July 19, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on TNT Sports, the fourth of five consecutive races this season that will air on TNT Sports. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Saturday afternoon’s practice and qualifying session will be shown live beginning at 5 p.m. ET on TruTV. Ride shotgun all season long with live, in-car camera feeds and scanner audio with a paid subscription to Max as part of their NASCAR driver cam experience during the race.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Supreme Long Range Chevrolet at North Wilkesboro Speedway… Although this weekend marks the first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in his career, Austin Dillon has made three previous starts at the track for NASCAR All-Star Races, finishing 17th in the 2023 All-Star Race, ninth in the 2024 All-Star Open, and 14th in last year’s All-Star Race. Despite last year’s final result, the 36-year-old was a strong contender during the race and ran in the top-10 prior to the race’s final caution.

A Family Tradition… Dillon grew up watching his father, Mike Dillon, race Late Models throughout the South during the 1990s, including several notable races at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The elder Dillon collected two victories at the speedway (1994 and 1995).

Last Sunday… Starting a season-best fourth on the grid in Sunday night’s race at EchoPark Speedway, Dillon showed speed from the outset, running consistently inside the top 10 throughout Stage 1 before finishing seventh in the opening segment. The veteran racer remained a fixture in the top 10 during the closing laps of the race and took the checkered flag in the seventh position. The finish marked the 36-year-old’s second career top-10 finish at EchoPark Speedway and his first top-10 result since finishing sixth at Watkins Glen International in May.

About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops, North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company, was founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris started selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. That was the company’s sole location for the first 13 years, and it has since grown to nearly 200 retail locations throughout North America. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops united with Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Newsweek as “America’s Best Outdoor Retailer” for four consecutive years and “America’s Most Trusted Retailer for Outdoor Gear.”

From Winchester, The American Legend, comes Supreme® Long Range Ammunition… An all-new line of high-quality precision centerfire rifle ammunition that takes long range shooting to the next level. Featuring BC Max™ bullets, the first Winchester bullet purpose-built for hunting and targets at even the most extreme ranges, Supreme Long Range promises match-grade accuracy and devastating terminal performance.

Meet Dillon… On Sunday July, 19 at 4:45 p.m. Local Time, Dillon is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Stop by to meet Dillon on Sunday and purchase new RCR gear before the race.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

Describe racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway in one word…

“Splashing.”

When did you first hear about North Wilkesboro Speedway?

“Probably when I was really young. I remember driving up toward Boone and we always passed it while we were on our way to the mountains to go snowboarding. My dad has a win at North Wilkesboro Speedway so my knowledge of that place probably first came from my dad telling me about the track. He took an elevator ride at North Wilkesboro Speedway and I haven’t done that yet, so he holds that over my head. So, that’s one thing I need to do – win at North Wilkesboro so that I can take an elevator ride.”

If someone has never been to a NASCAR race before, why is North Wilkesboro Speedway a great place to experience a race for the first time?

“North Wilkesboro Speedway has a ton of history behind it. You feel the nostalgia when you walk into the track. It’s really cool how tight the racing is. The track is probably one of the best repaves that I’ve ever been a part of. We’ve already moved up to the top of both ends, and then you’re also going to see guys digging around the bottom. I think you’re going to see two and three-wide racing there during the long runs. We don’t know what to expect when we really get into a long tire run, but I think it’s going to be an impactful race.”

What does old school NASCAR mean to you, and how does North Wilkesboro compare?

“To me, old school NASCAR is seeing the sights, smelling the smells, and you know, walking into some of the history of a track and experiencing it first-hand. The faded paints, the nostalgia of it all. We’re fortunate enough to play in the playground of some of the greatest drivers of all time, and experiencing some of the old school stuff that you see at historic tracks like North Wilkesboro Speedway is just special.”

Austin Hill and the No. 33 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet at North Wilkesboro Speedway… This weekend’s Window World 450 marks Austin Hill’s career-first start at North Wilkesboro Speedway in any series. Saturday’s practice session will be the first time the 32-year-old turns laps at the North Carolina short track. In preparation, Hill has logged time on the simulator to familiarize himself with the 0.625 mile short track.

About Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen… Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is the homestyle casual dining restaurant where guests always Get a lot. For not a lot™. The restaurant offers a variety of homemade meals and generous portions served up in a warm, welcoming atmosphere – all at an unbelievable price. After being welcomed with a signature Honey Butter Croissant on the house, guests can enjoy signature entrées like hand-breaded Chicken Tenders, homemade Chicken Pot Pie and slow-smoked Baby Back Ribs. Cheddar’s operates more than 180 restaurants in 28 states. For more information or to locate the nearest restaurant, visit Cheddars.com. Fans can like or follow Cheddar’s on Facebook, X and Instagram.  

Meet Hill… On Sunday July, 19 at 4:15 p.m. Local Time, Hill is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Stop by to meet Hill prior to the green flag and pick up new RCR gear.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:

What are your thoughts about racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time in your career?

“I’ve never raced at or even been to North Wilkesboro before, so I’m leaning heavily on Austin Dillon and the No. 3 team entering this weekend. I’ve watched a lot of SMT, in-car camera footage, and race coverage of past All-Star races there. This group was good last year in the All-Star race, so we will use that package as something to build off of for our Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet. I don’t know what I don’t know right now, but we will learn quickly in the 25-minute practice session on Saturday and do our best to adjust during the race.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
JULY 17, 2026

Carson Hocevar, driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1 and the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Silverado RST, met with the media in advance of running double duty in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Media Availability Quotes:

What was your trip to New York like? It looked like you did a lot and met a lot of cool people…

“It was fun. There were a lot of cool people – like LeBron (James) walked by and I was like, should I get a photo? And then I was like, no… I walked over and he was at his table. I sat at a table far away from him and some guy came up to ask for a seat. He happened to know who I was and I knew him. He was like, hey, I’m taking this seat over to LeBron, why don’t you walk over? And so, I walked over and you could tell his security guards just started to swarm in, and then all of a sudden, the guy put his hand up and that’s when LeBron stood up, took his glasses off and then we talked for a while. And then I was like, man, I have to get a photo. It was cool.

And then, I met Prince Harry. I think I was like, man, I wouldn’t make my mom proud if I didn’t ask for a photo. That’s who she loves.”

In these instances, are you introducing yourself and saying who you are? Did LeBron have an idea after hearing your name?

“Yeah, he mentioned that his train’s kid races and he’s starting to get into big cars and stuff. He knew who I was, so I thought that was super cool.”

You’ve been North Wilkesboro Speedway a couple times now. Last week, you kind of talked about the nostalgia. What do you like about the racing here?

“I like that the track seems like it moves around a lot. You can run like right against the fence or you can run the bottom and move around. This place tends to rubber up too, so I just enjoy that there’s so many different ways to go about it. If your car is not very good, there’s probably about four or five different options you can try to go find to make your stuff at least a little bit better because there’s just so many ways to attack the track. It goes downhill and uphill. Part of it is more banked than the other. It just does a lot of weird things that allows us to do different things.”

I saw a video of you on racing simulators, as well. Just beyond who you got to meet, what was the whole Fanatics Fest experience like?

“Yeah, it was just fun to just walk around. I did a bunch of podcasts and ran around New York. Just got to enjoy it. Unfortunately, with all the smoke, it wasn’t super pretty or anything, but it was just fun. I’m not a big city guy, but when you fly private, roll in and have a chauffeur, it’s really not that bad at all. I enjoyed it.”

I know you went to the Met Gala before you were at this event. You’re kind of being the main person going all these, I guess you could say, high-key events, representing yourself and NASCAR. What’s it like going from being this kid running on short track ovals to becoming one of the faces of the sport or true superstar?

“Yeah, it’s great for me. You know, like I say all the time, my favorite driver was Dale Jr. I saw him everywhere, right? You saw him on MTV, the music awards and doing all these really cool things, so I just always thought that’s really what NASCAR drivers do. In the 2000s, it was probably a lot more realistic that they all do it.

It’s really cool for me that. There’s a lot of times where I’m like, I don’t understand why I’m invited to these, but I’m definitely taking advantage of it, enjoying it, embracing it and just trying to have as much fun with it as possible, knowing that obviously it’s a really cool and once-in-a-life experience for me at a lot of these events. But also, too, it’s obviously great for the sport.”

With you running double-duty this weekend, are you taking any extra precautions with the heat this weekend?

“I’ll probably just drink a little bit more water. I’m probably more reactive than proactive at a lot of this stuff. But luckily, I’m reminded a lot that I’m 23 and I can get away with it now. I was like, yeah, but it’s right now. I think I’ll be just fine. I’m excited to run both races this weekend.”

You were in the TIME100. What is it like kind of emerging as a face of the sport and how are you kind of dealing with that?

“It’s been super cool for me. I think Denny (Hamlin) and Michael (Jordan) were in it, as well. But, you know, being the solo (NASCAR driver) in it, I guess, is super fun for me. Obviously, I want to win more, but I think it’s been proven a lot within the sport that you can win multiple races in a row and that doesn’t make you outside the NASCAR bubble, right? If our viewership was based off the racing production, we’d have 10 million live viewers for Atlanta every single time, I think. Ultimately, it’s just getting people to care who’s in the cars. You can have the greatest finish of all time, but if you don’t care who’s involved in the finish, you might as well go watch iRacing, AI Racing, an animation, any kind of motorsport. It’s been super humbling for me to have a lot of people ultimately care about who’s in my car.”

You did the t-shirt exchange thing. Were you surprised by how many people turned in shirts? What was your reaction to how that went?

“Yeah, I was surprised a little bit. I was more so surprised of the numbers for each driver. I was shocked how many it was just for almost everybody. But ultimately, I was just hoping it was going to be a cool experience. I had some buddies that were out there that kind of handled it for me. And I was like, man, I think you guys would enjoy doing it. They were kind of like, I don’t know. And by the end of it, when they came back, they were like, that was so much fun. They had people chanting. When people would walk up with a different shirt, it was like a viewing party just to watch. They would start chants to trade it in, take it off, the whole thing. It seemed like everybody that was there just had a lot of fun with it.”

About General Motors

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