MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 26, 2025) – After enjoying five consecutive victory lane celebrations, Corey LaJoie aims to make it six straight when the checkered flag falls on Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.

This one, however, would be the sweetest.

LaJoie comes into the 260-lap race around the 1.54-mile oval on the outskirts of Atlanta after a very successful and universally praised performance as a race analyst during Prime Video’s five-week foray into broadcasting NASCAR Cup Series races. From the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway to The Great American Getaway 400 last Sunday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, LaJoie and his Prime Video cohorts – host Danielle Trotta and fellow analysts Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Letarte and Adam Alexander – highlighted backstories, spotlighted strategies and reveled in teams’ triumphs.

After 10 years of analyzing Cup Series races from the windshield of a racecar, LaJoie viewed races through the lens of live television. It provided a perspective that has made the 33-year-old a better racecar driver, despite eight races having passed since his last Cup Series start April 13 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

“Driving the racecar can be a really lonely place. You have all this weight of expectations to deliver for your team and your sponsors and yourself and your fans, and when you feel like you’re not doing that, it feels like everybody is looking at you,” LaJoie said. “But what I realized these last five weeks during my time on Prime, I’m intently watching the race, but I’m really only focused on three guys’ races. The other guys who are there grinding away, unless they somehow factor into the main storylines of the race, they’re not top of mind.

“Before this opportunity to see the race from a TV perspective, I would feel like if I wasn’t running well, then I was letting a lot of people down. I think that I cared too much, and I would hold the outcome too tightly, as opposed to just enjoying it when I was doing it.”

Like a batter who had been pressing at the plate before finally earning a hit, the freedom to swing away is liberating for LaJoie.

“Now that I’m back in the seat, I’m going to enjoy it,” LaJoie said. “I really like the atmosphere at Rick Ware Racing, and now we’re going back to a place where I’ve been close to winning before. It’s a great opportunity for me to run well and have some fun.”

LaJoie, driver of the No. 01 Schluter-Systems Ford Mustang Dark Horse, nearly won at Atlanta in July 2022. He led 19 laps and lined up second for the green-white-checkered dash to the finish.

“We led the final restart of the day, and then Chase Elliott got a big push, got to the lead, and I should’ve worked a bit harder to block that run for the lead,” LaJoie said. “I thought I made the right move on the last lap to get to his right-rear quarter, but he just threw his block a bit later, and he threw the block to win, right? It didn’t work for me and the help didn’t go my way, but that was pretty close to career victory number one.

“But that’s why I keep showing up, especially here at Atlanta. I feel that we can find ourselves in the same spot.”

EchoPark Speedway features the kind of pack-style racing seen at the behemoth, 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and the even bigger 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Yet the track is a mile shorter in length, making each race a frenzied affair.

“Atlanta is like a speedway on steroids. Things happen so quickly, and you can get yourself into a bad spot,” LaJoie said.

LaJoie returns to EchoPark Speedway with an ally in his Rick Ware Racing teammate, Cody Ware.

“It’s always good to have a teammate out there on the racetrack,” said Ware, driver of the No. 51 Jacob Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse. “Corey is a very good superspeedway racer. He’s someone you can lean on and work with before the race even starts, and that alone is an advantage.”

Both Ware and LaJoie raced together in the Cup Series’ first visit to EchoPark Speedway in late February. Each had their competitive runs tour sour when they were collected in separate, multicar accidents.

“Going back and looking at the things that went wrong in Atlanta back in February will be a good thing to learn and prepare for how we’re going to strategize at Atlanta this time around,” Ware said.

Another big difference will be the weather. Late February was cool. Late June is hot and humid, with the stifling heat wave currently engulfing the Southeast only exacerbating the massive change in track conditions.

“I think it’ll make for tighter racing. Handling’s definitely going to be of importance,” LaJoie said.

LaJoie still has the feel of a racecar despite last racing a Cup car at Bristol.

“I’ve driven some Modified races and I ran a Truck just a few weeks back at Michigan,” said LaJoie, who nearly won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race June 7 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, as he was leading seven laps short of the finish.

“So, I’m going to drive that Schluter-Systems Ford Mustang as fast as it’ll go. It’s just a matter of executing the day and putting ourselves in good track position, and we did that well at the first Atlanta race this year.

“We drove into the top-15 and we got crashed, but that’s right about the point where you can start to maneuver and get a sniff of clean air. Anything outside the top-15 is really turbulent and hard to make gains, so we want to have a car that has the pace to be able to do that.”

It comes from a perspective that is now two-fold – from the driver’s seat and the analyst’s chair.

“Prior to my time with Prime, all I’ve ever known was driving racecars or working toward trying to drive racecars, so going to the racetrack with a different mission was originally uncomfortable, but over the last five weeks, I really got settled in and it was really fun to have that perspective on the sport,” LaJoie said.

“Working with Stevie and Dale and Carl and Danielle and Double-A (Adam Alexander) – they all answered any dumb questions I had, and everybody from the Prime side kind of gave me the tools to figure out how to become good at it.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that it was going to be fun.”

LaJoie brings that same mindset to EchoPark Speedway when qualifying for the Quaker State 400 begins Friday at 5:05 p.m. EDT. The green flag drops Saturday at 7 p.m. with TNT and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio providing live, flag-to-flag coverage.

About Rick Ware Racing:

Rick Ware has been a motorsports mainstay for more than 40 years. It began at age 6 when the third-generation racer began his driving career and has since spanned four wheels and two wheels on both asphalt and dirt. Competing in the SCCA Trans Am Series and other road-racing divisions led Ware to NASCAR in the early 1980s, where he finished third in his NASCAR debut – the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 300 NASCAR Grand American race at Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway. More than a decade later, injuries would force Ware out of the driver’s seat and into full-time team ownership. In 1995, Rick Ware Racing was formed, and with his wife Lisa by his side, Ware has since built his eponymous organization into an entity that competes full-time in the elite NASCAR Cup Series while simultaneously campaigning successful teams in the Top Fuel class of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Progressive American Flat Track and FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX).

Atlanta Motor Speedway
Saturday, June 28, 2025
1.54-Mile Quad-Oval
7 PM ET
Location: Hampton, Georgia
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (Race 18 of 36)
RADIO: SiriusXM

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Week: 7th (Pocono)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 2nd

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet

2025	Cup Career	Atlanta
Races	17	383	15
Wins	3	32	0
Poles	1	22	0
Top 5	9	128	3
Top 10	12	194	5
Laps Led	851	10,107	452
Stage Wins	8	70	4
Average Finish	12.4	14.0	19.0

• Kyle Larson will go head-to-head with Tyler Reddick in the first round of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Larson is seeded 10th and Reddick 23rd in the field of 32.
• In the Next Gen era (since 2022) Larson and Reddick have competed against each other 124 times. In those races, Larson has bettered Reddick 71 times. That includes 12 of 17 events this year.
• In 2025, Larson has 12 top-10 finishes, the most of any driver in the field.
• In 21 races together at drafting tracks, Larson has the edge over Reddick with 11 better results compared to Reddick’s 10.
• With 452 laps led, Atlanta ranks first among tracks in which Larson has led the most laps without a victory.
• Larson and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM team secured a third-place finish earlier this season at Atlanta.
• With 23 playoff points under his belt, Larson is currently the projected top seed in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 29 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last week: 5th (Pocono)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 5th

No. 9 NAPA/CHOA Chevrolet

2025	Cup Career	Atlanta
Races	17	339	13
Wins	0	19	1
Poles	0	12	0
Top 5	5	109	2
Top 10	9	180	8
Laps Led	95	5,621	164
Stage Wins	0	38	2
Average Finish	10.8	12.8	12.2

• Heading to his home track, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Chase Elliott is fifth in the regular season NASCAR Cup Series points standings, 80 markers behind leader and teammate William Byron. Looking at the projected playoff standings with nine races left before the postseason, Elliott ranks 12th, 160 points above the line to advance.
• Elliott has one win (July 2022) and three top-10 finishes in six starts at Atlanta on its current configuration. His 125 laps led on the drafting-style track ranks fourth and his average finish of 10.5 ranks second.
• The 2020 Cup Series champion has three career wins on drafting tracks, with two victories at Talladega Superspeedway (2019 and 2022) joining his triumph at Atlanta. Two of those wins are in the Next Gen era.
• Elliott’s average finish of 10.8 in 2025 is the best of all drivers and is his second best all-time in a season after 17 races behind 9.1 last year.
• The Dawsonville, Georgia, native is the only driver to finish in the top 20 in all 17 races this year. This is the second straight year he has completed all but one lap this far into the season.
• This weekend kicks off NASCAR’s In-Season Tournament. In the first of five rounds, Elliott will go up against Austin Dillon. In Elliott’s six starts on Atlanta’s new configuration, he’s placed higher than Dillon in all but one race and led 125 laps in that span compared to Dillon’s zero.
• The Atlanta race weekend marks the return of the Chase Elliott Foundation’s Desi9n to Drive program. Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet and race uniform will don special designs created by a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta patient.
• Elliott’s autographed uniform will be up for grabs as part of a sweepstakes fundraiser that runs through July 9.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 27 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Week: 27th (Pocono)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 1st

No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet

2025	Cup Career	Atlanta
Races	17	269	12
Wins	1	14	0
Poles	2	15	2
Top 5	7	61	3
Top 10	10	114	4
Laps Led	769	3,747	181
Stage Wins	7	30	1
Average Finish	11.4	14.9	17.8

• William Byron is having a career season in 2025, leading the driver points standings for 14 out of 17 weeks, including presently by 54 markers. He has also collected the most stage points (181).
• Through the same stretch of 17 races, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has paced the field in 13 events (769 laps), the most races with a lap led by any driver.
• In addition, Byron has completed 99.91% of the laps, good enough for second most. With only four laps not completed, it’s his fewest in any 17-race stretch.
• So far in 2025, the driver of the No. 24 has an average starting position of 10.6 (second best) and an average finish of 11.35 (third best).
• In the Next Gen era, Byron has four wins on drafting tracks, double the next most. He has also collected the most points on drafting tracks (332) since the start of 2024.
• Since Atlanta Motor Speedway was re-configured, Byron has the fourth-best average running position of 11.34 and has led the third most laps at 179. He also has two wins at the track, one in March of 2022 and again in July of 2023. His two wins ranks third all-time by a Hendrick Motorsports driver at Atlanta.
• This weekend marks the first of the 2025 NASCAR In-Season Challenge, which will see one driver winning $1 million. For the first match up, Byron will be up against Ryan Preece with the better finisher at Atlanta moving on. He has two wins, two top-five finishes and four top 10s with 181 laps led compared to Preece’s track best-finish of 16th with three laps led.

48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 32 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Week: 11th (Pocono)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 13th
 
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet

2025	Cup Career	Atlanta
Races	17	342	14
Wins	0	8	0
Poles	2	7	0
Top 5	3	43	3
Top 10	8	104	4
Laps Led	125	1,493	11
Stage Wins	0	7	0
Average Finish	18.8	19.3	18.0

• Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Racing team head to Atlanta Motor Speedway holding the final transfer spot, 20 points above the cutline in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings.
• Bowman has earned two top-10 finishes at the reconfigured Atlanta layout. His best result at the 1.54-mile quad-oval came in September 2024, when he drove to a fifth-place finish. In total, Bowman has three top fives and four top-10 finishes at Atlanta in his Cup Series career.
• The Tucson, Arizona, native has earned six top-10 finishes in the last 11 races on drafting tracks. He ranks third among all drivers in points earned on drafting tracks since the start of the 2024 season and leads all active drivers in laps led on drafting tracks without a win (132).
• Through 17 races, Bowman has led 125 laps and earned 92 stage points, ranking inside the top 10 in both categories. He’s led at least one lap in nine events.
• Atlanta marks the first race of the five-race NASCAR In-Season Challenge. Bowman enters the opening round matched up against Joey Logano.
• For this weekend’s Atlanta race, the Best Friends Animal shelter partner is Thomasville-Thomas County Humane Society, in Thomasville, Georgia.
• Ally and HENDRICKCARS.COM are teaming up again to give fans the chance to win prizes with this year’s “Open Road Sweepstakes.” Fans can win VIP experiences at various races throughout the season and one lucky winner will hit the open road in a Chevy Silverado LT Trail Boss with an Airstream camper. Fans can stop by the Ally Fan Zone to enter the sweepstakes in-person and check out the camper. Fans can also enter at ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar.

Hendrick Motorsports

2025	All-Time	Atlanta
Races	17	1,398	73
Wins	4	316*	17*
Poles	5	258*	9
Top 5	24*	1,303*	67*
Top 10	39*	2,226*	106*
Laps Led	1,840*	84,152*	3,690*
Stage Wins	15*	130	6

*Most all time
**Tied for most all time

• With Chase Elliott finishing fifth at Pocono Raceway last Sunday, Hendrick Motorsports established a new organizational mark for consecutive races with a car in the top five at 25 events dating back to last season. It remains the only team to have a top-five finisher in each of this season’s races.
• The Hendrick engine shop has won 15 combined poles (seven in the NASCAR Cup Series and eight in the Xfinity Series) and 15 combined races (four in the Cup Series, 10 in the Xfinity Series and the preseason Clash) this year.
• Hendrick Motorsports has led 41% of all laps raced through 17 events this season. Its 1,840 circuits paced are the fourth most through a season’s first 17 races in company history. A Hendrick Motorsports driver has led a lap in 32 straight races, the longest active streak and the company’s third-longest ever.
• The organization’s 15 combined stage wins are the most ever through 17 races in a season.
• Hendrick Motorsports enters this weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway as the all-time leader in wins (17), top-five finishes (67), top 10s (106) and laps led (3,690).
• With six, Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at drafting tracks in the Next Gen era. That includes this year’s DAYTONA 500, won by William Byron.

 
QUOTABLE /
 
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on the NASCAR In-Season Challenge: “I like the concept of the in-season bracket challenge, I feel like it’s a race within the race. This is something you pay attention to and with money and a trophy on the line, we all want to win. I feel like the last few weeks were challenging but the No. 5 team has stayed on top of it and we’ve got some good finishes but I would like for us to have a solid weekend – which I know we’re well capable of – it’s just been a little bit of a rough stretch of tracks for us but our team is great and our execution has been better and that is something I am proud of.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on the Chase Elliott Foundation’s Desi9n to Drive initiative: “It’s been our foundation’s initiative over the last nine years. It’s just all in support of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. We have typically done something around the Atlanta race every year and it’s been a lot of fun to be a part of it and watch it grow. It started as a shoe initiative where we were designing shoes, and we were auctioning those off. Then NAPA got involved and, really when NAPA got involved, it kind of took it to the next step, because they have given up one of their races to let this happen. A young girl named Rhealynn has designed my car, my helmet and all the things for Atlanta. I am super excited to meet her and have her family out at the track and hopefully spread some joy with her and her family and also to help a good cause.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on heading to Atlanta Motor Speedway: “We had a rough weekend in Pocono but I’m proud of how the team came together to have our car ready for Sunday, the strategy just didn’t work out. We’ve put that behind us though, and we’ll be ready for this weekend in Atlanta. We’ve had success there in the past but there is still an unknown element after the reconfiguration. The goal remains the same though, go for the win and if that’s not the case maximize our points day. We just have to be there at the end.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on Atlanta Motor Speedway: “Atlanta’s a wild card every time we go. It races like a superspeedway, but with way less room to work, so you’ve got to be aggressive but smart. We’ve had speed there and just need to put a full race together. With the playoff picture as tight as it is, every stage point matters, especially in a race like this where anything can happen.”

Noah Gragson and the No. 4 Zep Ford Team
EchoPark Speedway Competition Notes
Atlanta 400

Date: Saturday, June 28, 2025
Event: Race 20 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: EchoPark Speedway (1.5-miles)
#of Laps: 260
Time/TV/Radio: 7:00 PM ET on TNT Sports/PRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Noah Gragson Notes

NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge is here as the Cup Series heads to Hampton, Georgia for its second visit to the EchoPark Speedway. Noah Gragson and the No. 4 team will be matched up against former Stewart-Haas teammate Chase Briscoe in the first round of the In-Season Challenge. Saturday night’s 260-lap race will also host TNT Sport’s return to NASCAR.

Gragson will participate in Dale and Amy Earnhardt’s Driven to Give Gloves Program this weekend to help raise money for the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Gragson will wear Earnhardt’s iconic skeleton gloves that will be auctioned off for the charity from Thursday, June 26th to Monday, June 30th. Fans can bid on the gloves at www.thedalejrfoundation.org.

Gragson will carry the Zep colors this weekend in Atlanta. Zep is the go-to-brand for professionals and car enthusiasts, and its iconic blue and gold palette adorns Gragson’s No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in this weekend’s 400-mile race. Zep is a leading innovator, producer and distributor of maintenance, cleaning and sanitation solutions for industrial and institutional, retail, and food and beverage customers. Gragson’s partnership with Zep isn’t confined to the racetrack. From his garage, truck, and home use, Zep is always within reach. A few favorites include Zep’s foaming wall cleaner, air fryer & microwave cleaner, tire dressing – tireless shine, and foaming glass cleaner.

“It’s a lot of fun working with Zep – we use the product in the shop, race cars, and at home. Zep has everything you need to look crystal clean,” said Gragson. “I love the paint scheme and the suit – yellow is my favorite color and we’re going to standout on the track. Looking forward to seeing all of the Zep employees in the stands cheering us on.”
Road Crew

Driver: Noah Gragson

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer

Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Joey Forgette

Hometown: Iron Mountain, Michigan

Engineer: Dillon Silverman

Hometown: Chico, California

Engineer: Scott Bingham

Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Mechanic: Chris Trickett

Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Tony Infinger

Hometown: Fort Valley, Georgia

Tire Specialist: Chris Aunspaw

Hometown: Zelienople, Pennsylvania

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller

Hometown: Monroe, New York

Spotter: Nick Del Campo

Hometown: Blauvelt, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Nate “Cookie” Eller

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy

Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher

Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Rear Tire Changer: Adam Riley

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Tire Carrier: Jarren Davis

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

Jackman: Nate McBride

Hometown: Vidalia, Georgia

Fueler: Ray Hernandez

Hometown: Orlando, Florida

ABOUT ZEP, INC.

Zep, Inc. is a leading innovator, producer, and distributor of maintenance, cleaning, and sanitation solutions for industrial and institutional, retail, and food & beverage customers. Zep possesses a large portfolio of premium solutions built over an 85-year legacy of developing the most effective products trusted by professionals and consumers to get the job done right the first time.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @teamfrm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
EchoPark Speedway / Lime Rock Park
June 27-28, 2025

All three NASCAR national touring series will be back in action this weekend for a tripleheader weekend split between two distinctly different tracks.

The Cup and Xfinity Series will make their first return visit to a venue this season with the divisions heading south for a pair of races under the lights at EchoPark Speedway. For the Craftsman Truck Series, a trip back up to the northeast will serve a whole new set of challenges as the series is set to make its first-ever appearance at Lime Rock Park.

Chevrolet at EchoPark Speedway: 

Since the reconfiguration of the 1.54-mile Georgia venue, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer to reach victory lane in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions – highlighted by a series-leading four Cup Series wins and five Xfinity Series wins in seven events.

In NASCAR’s top division, Chevrolet has paid a visit to victory lane at EchoPark Speedway at least once in each of the past three seasons – dating back to 2022 when Hendrick Motorsports teammates, William Byron and Chase Elliott, swept the pair of events. Byron and Elliott are two of the five different drivers that have earned a victory at the track since becoming a drafting-style circuit, with fellow Chevrolet driver, Daniel Suarez, also tallying a triumph in Feb. 2024 in a historic three-wide finish. In five of the seven events, the Bowtie brand has also accounted for at least half of the top-10 finishing results, including a best-finish of six top-10s in the debut event for the reconfigured surface in Mar. 2022.

In the Xfinity Series, Chevrolet’s five victories at the Georgia venue have all come courtesy of Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and the No. 21 Chevrolet team. The hometown hero grabbed his first win at EchoPark Speedway in July 2022, with the 31-year-old Winston, Georgia, native entering the weekend with an active streak of three-in-a-row at the track. His most recent trip to victory lane at his home track (Feb. 2025) came in dominating fashion, highlighted by a sweep of the stage wins and 146 of 163 laps led. On top of his already recent dominance at the 1.54-mile track, Hill heads back home with yet another monstrous feat under his belt. With his win at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this spring, Hill is now the series’ all-time winningest driver on drafting-style tracks with nine victories – a record that surpassed NASCAR Hall of Famers, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Sr.

 
Stacking Stats

NASCAR’s return trip to EchoPark Speedway will mark the series’ fourth drafting-style race of the season. Chevrolet has earned one trip to victory lane on the configuration this season, which came in the series’ season opener when Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron became a back-to-back DAYTONA 500 champion. Byron’s crown jewel triumph marked Chevrolet’s 12th victory on a drafting-style track in the Next Gen era, with the manufacturer continuing to pace the series with a winning percentage of 57 percent on the configuration heading into the weekend. Over four seasons of competition in the Next Gen era, seven drivers representing four different Chevrolet organizations have contributed to the manufacturer’s winning ways on drafting-style tracks, led by Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet team with four wins – two of which have come at the Georgia-based venue. Despite just narrowly missing victory lane in the other two drafting-style races this season, the Bowtie brigade had a strong presence in the fight – earning a pair of podium results in each event, as well as its season-best seven top-10 finishes in the series’ most recent superspeedway race at Talladega.

 
Cup Series Hits Single-Digit Countdown

The NASCAR Cup Series is well into its summer stretch, with this weekend starting a single-digit countdown to the end of the regular season. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron grabbed the first playoff spot of the season with his second consecutive DAYTONA 500 title. The crown jewel triumph kickstarted what is turning into a career season for the 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native. Byron has held the top position of the series’ driver points standings for 14 out of 17 weeks this season, with the Chevrolet driver entering the single-digit stretch with a 54-point lead over his teammate and 2021 champion, Kyle Larson. Byron leads a field of 11 different winners thus far this season, with fellow Chevrolet drivers Larson, Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen also earning trips to victory lane to give the Bowtie brand a manufacturer-best four early playoff berths.

Among those sitting above the playoff cutline includes Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman. Consistency has been the name of the game for Elliott and the No. 9 Chevrolet team – scoring results in the top-20 in every race thus far this season. Despite sitting with a 160-point cushion over the playoff cutline, the 29-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native is just on the brink of becoming the season’s next new winner. Carrying the momentum of back-to-back top-five finishes, Elliott heads to his home track as one of just five different drivers that have earned a trip to victory lane on the track’s reconfigured surface. Bowman will enter the EchoPark Speedway race weekend in the final provisional points position with a 20-point cushion. While it’s been an up-and-down couple of months for Bowman, a fourth-place result in Mexico City was a rebound that sets up a strong set of tracks for the 32-year-old Tucson, Arizona, native, including three in which he owns a win (Chicago Street Course, Dover Motor Speedway and Richmond Raceway).

Zilisch Basking in Momentum Ahead of Double-Duty Weekend

NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie, Connor Zilisch, became just the series’ third repeat winner of the season at Pocono Raceway. The victory – his third in just 19 career starts in the series – was a milestone feat in his young NASCAR career, with the win marking Zilisch’s first on an oval. The victory carries on a strong summer stretch for the 18-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native. The Chevrolet driver will head to Georgia with a streak of four-straight top-five finishes, which dates back to a pair of back-to-back runner-up results at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway. The boost of confidence comes at the perfect time, with Chevrolet’s rising star on the horizon of his third career start in NASCAR’s top division – getting back behind the wheel of the No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet for Saturday’s Quaker State 400.

 
RCR Teammates – Superspeedway Stars of 2025

When you think of drafting-style tracks, the Richard Childress Racing pair of Austin Hill and Jesse Love are undoubtedly among the ones to beat. The 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season opened with a set of drafting-style events, with each RCR driver earning his first win of the season and an early berth into the playoffs (Love – Daytona International Speedway; Hill – EchoPark Speedway). Hill and the No. 21 team kept the Chevrolet organization undefeated on the configuration by picking up the win at Talladega Superspeedway.

The wins are accompanied by near dominance in a variety of statistical categories by the teammates. Love’s two pole wins of the season came at EchoPark Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, with Hill accompanying his teammate on the front-row of each event. RCR remains undefeated in stage wins in the three drafting-style tracks this season, with Hill sweeping the stages in the series’ first-two events of the season and the teammates splitting the stage wins at Talladega. The pair has also topped the laps led count in all three events, with Love and Hill leading a combined 86 of 125 laps at Daytona, as well as 159 of 163 laps at Atlanta just one week later. Most recently at Talladega, they tallied a combined 69 of 113 laps led.

 
Truck Series Set for Lime Rock Debut

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will make their first left- and right-hand turns of the season this weekend, with the division heading to Lime Rock Park for the series’ inaugural event at the 1.53-mile Connecticut circuit. Among the two drivers that made a move up the series’ points standings last weekend included Niece Motorsports’ Kaden Honeycutt, who led Team Chevy with a third-place result at Pocono Raceway. With seven drivers already solidifying their playoff spots by virtue of a win, there are just three spots remaining to complete the postseason lineup. Chevrolet drivers occupy two of the three provisional points positions heading into the weekend, with Honeycutt being joined by CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger in a spot above the cutline.

Taylor Taps In for NASCAR Return

A familiar face in the GM Motorsports family will make the crossover back into NASCAR for the Truck Series’ debut at Lime Rock Park. Four-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champion, Jordan Taylor, will bring his decorated road racing resume to the seat of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet to make his first-career Truck Series start. Currently competing full-time in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series, the 34-year-old Orlando, Florida, native carries accolades that include wins in the Rolex 24 at Daytona (2017, 2019), 12 Hours of Sebring (2017, 2024) and Petit Le Mans (2014, 2018). Despite being faced with a whole new set of challenges with his Truck Series debut, Taylor will be able to lean on his previous experience at Lime Rock Park, with the driver having six career IMSA starts at the 1.53-mile, seven-turn circuit. This weekend will mark Taylor’s fourth start in the NASCAR national ranks, with the driver making one Cup Series start and a pair of Xfinity Series starts during the 2023 season.

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 17 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 6

Poles: 8

Laps Led: 2,216

Top-Fives: 35

Top-10s: 73

Stage Wins: 16

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 16 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:

Wins: 14

Poles: 10

Laps Led: 2,199

Top-Fives: 55

Top-10s: 105

Stage Wins: 26

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 14 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:

Wins: 6

Poles: 2

Laps Led: 854

Top-Fives: 35

Top-10s: 68

Stage Wins: 7

BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the split tripleheader weekend at EchoPark Speedway and Lime Rock Park, with the Corvette Stingray pacing the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series and the Silverado RST pacing the Craftsman Truck Series.

· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at EchoPark Speedway:

William Byron – two wins (July 2023; March 2022)

Kyle Busch – two wins (Sept. 2013, March 2008)

Daniel Suarez – one win (Feb. 2024)

Chase Elliott – one win (July 2022)

· In 122 NASCAR Cup Series races held at EchoPark Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 45 victories. Since the reconfiguration of the 1.54-Georgia venue prior to the start of the 2022 season, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer to reach victory lane in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions – leading the way with four Cup Series wins, five Xfinity Series wins and three Truck Series wins.

· Since the debut of the Next Gen car in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, Chevrolet has won 12 of the 21 drafting-style races – recorded by seven drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations.

· Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in nine of the 17 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

· In 125 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 58 victories – a winning percentage of 46.4%.

· With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 872 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

FOR THE FANS:

· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at EchoPark Speedway, featuring a lineup of a variety of Chevrolet vehicles including; Blazer EV , Equinox EV, Silverado 2500HD, Silverado EV, Traverse, Corvette, Equinox, Silverado 1500, Tahoe.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

Friday, June 27: 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 28: 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

 
TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series

Challenge Round 1 – Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart (EchoPark Speedway)

Saturday, June 28, at 7 p.m. ET

(TNT, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Focused Health 250 (EchoPark Speedway)

Friday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET

(CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Liuna 150 (Lime Rock Park)

Saturday, June 28, at 1 p.m. ET

(FOX, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Are you looking forward to Atlanta?

“I’m looking forward to Atlanta this weekend. We’ve been close a couple of times with the reconfigured track. My teammate Daniel has found success there with a win last year. The most important part about Atlanta is you’ve got to be around at the end of the race. It’s a night race and that makes it fun, especially with our very colorful Wendy’s Frosty Chevrolet that should be easy to spot on the track.”

Over the last couple of weeks with your teammates winning in various series, there seems to be a camaraderie between you guys. Why is that?

“A lot of that is credit to Justin for creating a culture at Trackhouse. I knew how huge Daniel’s win at Mexico City was for him personally. It was an extremely important race for him to be in his home country and get a win. And then Shane followed it up with a win on Sunday and he did it with so much skill. It was great to see him get to victory lane. While all of us drivers are from three different countries, we all want to win and support each other.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

What are your thoughts heading into Atlanta Motor Speedway?

“I think Atlanta Motor Speedway presents some opportunities to win, to get after it, and really experience speedway-style racing. It’s going to be hot for the race, and I think the track has gotten a little slicker since they’ve paved it, so it should be an exciting race. I think it’ll be intense being a night race. We’ve got to put ourselves in really good positions and try and be there at the end to give ourselves a chance to win. It’s a speedway race. You feel like you have a good shot as anybody.”

Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Heading back to Atlanta for the second time this season, what are your thoughts on the night race?

“I’ve always enjoyed competing at Atlanta. The reconfiguration has made it a fun balance between speedway-style racing and traditional racing where balance needs to be perfect. I feel like the No. 7 team is starting to find a good rhythm and I’m confident that our Spire Motorsports Chevrolets will be fast as always, this weekend. We’ve had a really good performance at the 1.5 mile tracks this year and looking back on what we learned in the spring gives me a lot of confidence.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

What are your thoughts overall on Atlanta at night?

“I enjoy night racing. It’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be an important race. There are so many things that can change in any given lap, let alone a whole race, with superspeedway style racing. Those two dynamics – night racing and speedway racing, are going to make Saturday night’s race at Echo Park Speedway one of the ones to remember.”

Is Echo Park Speedway as exciting for you behind the wheel as it is for the fans?

“Racing at Echo Park Speedway is intense, so I guess that would be exciting for us. The race certainly brings a lot of adrenaline and action. There’s something happening all the time so you’re trying to figure out your next move and seeing what lanes are moving, and what things are happening in order to get yourself further up front. It seems like there’s a lot of maneuvering in the middle of the pack from those ten spots between eighth and 18th, but at the same time it might seem like it’s dull up at the front. Although we’re all trying to get there, it just seems like it gets a little locked up because sometimes the track gets that one lane, that high lane moving in the bottom. It just doesn’t materialize”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

“It’s going to be a challenging race this weekend with how slick the track will be from the heat. Being a drafting racetrack, track position is always critical, but I think this will probably be one of the toughest races since the repave just due to how hot the racetrack is going to be. In the past, we have had good runs, and I think we can do the same thing if we’re focused on the handling of the car and minimizing mistakes. It’s easy for something to happen there, but we will go out there with our best and look to get the momentum rolling headed into these next couple road courses.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

“I’m really looking forward to Atlanta this weekend with Hungry Jack on board. It’s always a fast, unpredictable race, and that keeps things exciting. We’ve been working hard to bring more speed to the No. 47 car, and having a partner like Hungry Jack behind us gives the team an extra boost. Hopefully we can stack some strong laps and give the fans a great show.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

What are your thoughts heading into Atlanta, another drafting track?

“We’ve had a good bit of success at Atlanta the past few years. We swept the poles in 2024 and were running well until the power steering issue in February. Our guys did a great job getting that replaced and getting me back on track. We fell six laps down and still put ourselves in position to earn all those laps back with enough time left in the race to come away with a decent finish. That race says a lot about our team, and it’s one I’m proud of. Our day could’ve been over, but our guys showed a lot of fight. Hopefully, we can go back there, run a clean race, and shake up the In-Season Tournament. Atlanta is a real opportunity for us to punch our ticket to the playoffs.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

It has been a busy few weeks for you and the No. 77 team, do you view Atlanta as a chance to reset and lead the team to another top-five finish?

“We’ve had some really strong runs and I hate that we haven’t had the finishes to show it. Atlanta was the first time this year that we showed we were capable of being up front and running with the bigger teams. I don’t think anyone’s forgotten that and we’ve kinda reinforced that with the last few races. So, yeah, I think we can go back to what we were doing in that first race and take some things we’ve learned since then to maybe get up front sooner and be in the position to defend the win instead of fighting for it in overtime.”

Connor Zilisch, No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

What are your thoughts on Atlanta this weekend?

“I know this weekend at Atlanta will be a lot different than Charlotte and COTA (Circuit of the Americas). The Cup cars are a little bit quicker than my Xfinity car and are a lot more rigid and twitchy. Trackhouse has been good at Atlanta in the past and I showed speed there earlier this season in the Xfinity race. Hopefully we can run all the laps and have a good day. I just want to learn as much as I can. I’m very thankful to Red Bull and Trackhouse for this opportunity to get some more experience in the Cup car.”

Would you like a practice session at Atlanta?

“Not this weekend at Atlanta. You wouldn’t learn much in practice given the fact that you’re running wide-open. The only thing you’re going to do is wreck if you try and practice in a pack.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

It’s been two months since you’ve raced on a drafting track. Are you looking forward to Atlanta this weekend?

“I like Atlanta. I led some laps there earlier in the year. We didn’t have much speed in qualifying, but in the race we were running pretty well until the field wrecked on the last lap and we got collected. Anything can happen on the drafting tracks. They are a bit full on when the field is racing three-wide and sending it. But yeah, if we can keep our WeatherTech Chevy clean all race, we should get a decent result.”

You now have win under your belt and are heading into two back-to-back races on road courses. Is the 88 team’s confidence high right now?

“You can feel the confidence in the team and the pit crew guys. Everyone is just uplifted the last few weeks, especially after the win. Not that everyone was down, but it was a bit of a grind. Last weekend in Pocono wasn’t very good, but things have started to come a lot easier over the last few weeks. Our pit stop averages are much quicker. All the simple things are getting a lot better. My restarts are finally in the positive, with it being well negative for the first half of the year. We seem to be getting a lot better in every single area so it’s been fun.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

What are your thoughts on the first in-season tournament?

“It’s something different and fun. I don’t think it is going to be something that changes our strategy. We focus on winning and getting into the playoffs; if we do that, we know we will advance. Getting a chance at winning $1 million will always get your attention, plus I think it will be good for the fans. It creates interest, and that’s always a good thing.”

What are your thoughts on the Atlanta track?

“Atlanta is maybe our best track in recent years. Trackhouse has brought great cars, and we’ve had great strategy. We struggled a bit in February, but before that, we were as good as any team in Atlanta. I think we will be that way again.”

Is there a strategy for the rest of the season?

“Our strategy is pretty clear. We need to win a race and get into the playoffs. We’ll do everything we can to make that happen.”

 
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:

Total (1949-2024): 43

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Most recent: 2024

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Drivers Championships:

Total (1949-2024): 33

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021

Event Victories:

Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2025 STATISTICS:

Wins: 6

Poles: 8

Laps Led: 2,216

Top-Fives: 35

Top-10s: 73

Stage Wins: 16

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 872 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 761

Laps led to date: 254,927

Top-fives to date: 4,404

Top-10s to date: 9,080

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,206

       Chevrolet: 872

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 844                                                                               

       Ford: 744

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 196

 

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. Learn more at GM.com.

Zane Smith and the No. 38 Aaron’s Lucky Dog Ford Team
EchoPark Speedway Competition Notes
Atlanta 400

Date: Saturday, June 28, 2025
Event: Race 20 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: EchoPark Speedway (1.5-miles)
#of Laps: 260
Time/TV/Radio: 7:00 PM ET on TNT Sports/PRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Zane Smith Notes

The NASCAR Cup Series will kick off their first ever In-Season Challenge this weekend at the EchoPark Speedway. The bracket-style tournament will pair Zane Smith up against Austin Cindric in a head-to-head battle with the highest finishing driver moving onto the next round. In his last visit to the 1.5-mile, Hampton, Georgia track, Smith qualified seventh and finished 11th.

Smith will participate in Dale and Amy Earnhardt’s Driven to Give Gloves Program this weekend to help raise money for the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Smith will wear Earnhardt’s iconic skeleton gloves that will be auctioned off for the charity from Thursday, June 26th to Monday, June 30th. Fans can bid on the gloves at www.thedalejrfoundation.org.

Smith and Aaron’s Rent-to-Own will bring back the fan-favorite Aaron’s Lucky Dog scheme for the 260-lap race. The Lucky Dog scheme has a deep-rooted, nostalgic history in the NASCAR Cup Series, having been driven by David Reutimann, Brian Vickers, Michael McDowell, Michael Waltrip, and many more.

“This is a big weekend for Aaron’s,” said Smith. “Their headquarters is just down the road from the track, so I know their employee’s will show up in full support. Ford and Front Row Motorsports always bring fast cars to superspeedways, so I expect to qualify and run up front, it just comes down to executing and being there in the end.”

Road Crew

Driver: Zane Smith

Hometown: Huntington Beach, California

Crew Chief: Ryan Bergenty

Hometown: Plainville, Connecticut

Car Chief: Will Norris

Hometown: Bells, Tennessee

Engineer: Jacob Clamme

Hometown: Hartford City, Indiana

Engineer: Chris Yerges

Hometown: Green Bay, Wisconsin

Mechanic: Steve Godfrey

Hometown: West Haven, Connecticut

Mechanic / Engine Tuner: Tyler Podlaski

Hometown: Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania

Interior Specialist: Matt Fowler

Hometown: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Spotter: Ryan Blanchard

Hometown: Bethlehem, Connecticut

Transport Co-Driver: Ernest Mullins

Hometown: Fayetteville, North Carolina

Transport Co-Driver: Rick Grissom

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Flores

Hometown: Manasquan, New Jersey

Rear Tire Changer: Austin Chrismon

Hometown: China Grove, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Drew Baum

Hometown: Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Jackman: Ryan Selig

Hometown: Lindenhurst, Illinois

Fueler: Chris Webb

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

ABOUT AARON’S

Headquartered in Atlanta, The Aaron’s Company, Inc. is a leading, technology-enabled, omnichannel provider of lease-to-own and retail purchase solutions of appliances, electronics, furniture, and other home goods. Aaron’s offers a direct-to-consumer lease-to-own solution through its approximately 1,200 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform, Aarons.com.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @teamfrm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.