NASCAR CUP SERIES
BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM
TEAM CHEVY TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 1, 2025

 Richard Childress Racing teammates, Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch, met with the media onsite at Bowman Gray Stadium ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray.

Media Availability Quotes:

For Austin, as someone who grew up not even a half hour south and came to (Bowman Gray) growing up, what are your emotions coming here in a Cup car and seeing the amount of buzz The Clash has created?

Austin Dillon: “It’s really special. I remember leaving Truck races on Friday night flying home and excited about coming to Bowman Gray on a Saturday night, sit in the beer garden and watch the wrecks and the race that happens around the wrecks. I always enjoy coming up here. It’s a 15, 20-minute drive from my house now. Came early to watch practice in the modifieds and then watch some of the modifieds race. It’s exciting. It’s really cool to see my grandfather and how happy and excited he is. It’s kind of the start of RCR is right here. Selling peanuts in the grandstands to buying his $10 taxicab and run races. He was talking about wrecking over in Turn 1 and 2, and had calcium in his left rear tire to try and make the car turn. I remember when he hit, it sprayed powder all through the air and stuff. Everybody wrecked behind him. Just hearing some of his stories, it was cool sitting up there with the Myers family and listening to him chat about Bowman Gray.”

Is this one of those races you feel like no matter what the end result is Sunday, the sport, the people will remember?

Dillon: “Yeah, for sure. I think it’s just special. It brings you back in time. Very special to those who have raced here, been around here and the history behind it, and the entertainment value that this place has brought to so many for so many years.”

Both of you guys were second all three years at the L.A. Clash. What was it about that track that fit your driving styles? Could that transfer here?

Kyle Busch: “I’ve had some pretty good runs the last few years in The Clash race, and was so close to picking up one of those golds out there in L.A. That would’ve been pretty cool. (Got) a couple of silvers, bronze. Not too bad, but obviously the short track, the quarter mile, the flat track atmosphere of that being a bit different than what it is here. There, it seemed like you had a little bit of runoff, that you could use the runoff as the racetrack. It was tight regardless. I anticipate much of the same here. Tight quarters, not a lot of room. Didn’t seem like the outside was very advantageous for many in the modified race, so I predict we’ll see a lot of fighting for the bottom and guys nerfing guys to make sure they’re the ones on the bottom. Nobody can fall down and get down on the bottom.”

Dillon: “I think The Clash was a lot of fun out there in L.A. We got a second and third while we were out there, and last year we kind of disappeared. We had a brake issue. Hopefully, this year, we can show that kind of speed we had at L.A. I’m excited. We worked pretty hard at the simulator trying to get a baseline for this place. We’ll see if what we did is correct.”

Austin, a couple of years ago, you said you wanted to see The Clash at Dallas Cowboy’s stadium. Is that still top of the list for you?

Dillon: “This place is pretty awesome. I regret saying that now, because it’s ten minutes from my house, 15 minutes from my house. This is pretty awesome. I think the arena style racing is interesting and can bring another fan base to the sport, and get more people involved easier, obviously, the stadiums that are in the U.S. and around the world. I think it’s always cool what we can do with this racecar. It seems to go to some interesting places and make it work. Right down the road is nice.”

How has it been with Richard (Boswell) coming over from a different manufacturer, different organization, what it’s like working with you?

Dillon: “Yeah, Boswell, I think just his leadership. You can tell his professionalism when he walks in the door. He brings a great attitude to the team. Listening to him speak to our guys is pretty cool. I think he’s going to be great for me. He’s going to challenge each and every one of us to be better. Anything he can bring is great. Last year, he had a strong season there with Chase and was able to get to Victory Lane. I think certain places he definitely can help us. For the entirety, I just think from a leader aspect, it’s going to be a gain for us.”

What do you think on the state of the sport, and from your perspective, how do you feel about the direction NASCAR is heading?

Busch: “I think you always have questions in the game. Certain situations that are happening in the moment. Things like that, calls. I think there is sort of the same thing happening on the other side of the fence with the NFL. Overall, I would say we’ve got a really good product. You’ve had a lot of good races, really close finishes the last few years, and some exciting late-race shenanigans if you will, that certainly put on a lot of talk. I feel like the attention is there. We always want to see the benefit of the race teams and the owners and the drivers and the sustainability of our sport. If we can all continue to build more fans and more TV numbers and that, it all flows down and keeps everything going in the right direction.”

Dillon: “I think it’s a tough place to be in for, I would say for the league, NASCAR, to make the right decision all the time. I feel like they do a good job of implementing change to fix problems. The willingness to make change is good. The only thing I complain about is the schedule. It’s a grind for everybody in this deal. From an aspect of racing out on the track, I think we’ve made this car better each year. You just want to see progress and I think you see it each year. The guys before us were talking about the Playoff system, and slight changes can be made, but it creates moments. We need that excitement. You want fans and the media to have as many dramatic moments as you can get, because that’s the entertainment value part comes into it. Then, pure racing also, you’ve got to balance that also.”

Is there an area that you look at that could help launch NASCAR further?

Busch: “I would say we’re doing that. I think Mexico is a cool step in that direction. The Xfinity series was there years ago and now we’re going back there with the Cup series this year. One of the questions somebody asked about The Clash and it’s rotation of different places, I’ll speak on that for a second where I really like the opportunity here at Bowman Gray where I don’t know what the budgets are. I don’t know if it’s three million, five million, seven million, 10 million, I don’t know. The fact of us going somewhere to reinvest in the future for other racing and local level racers – to be able to see a better venue, to go and enjoy and bring their sponsors and have fun and race and compete, is only going to benefit from the top. Bringing that down here to Bowman Gray, seeing the upgrades here, looking at other tracks around the county we could do some of the same stuff. There are short tracks in Florida that are cool. Pensacola is one of them that would really benefit from this opportunity. There’s a couple in Alabama that would really benefit from this opportunity. That could be a really cool thing down the road that this continues to float around. Return on investment? I don’t know, but I think the return on investment is the younger generations and the younger racers that want to be somebody and get to race at a cool place, and then can move up the ladder and someday, one day go back and race at their home track as a pro.”

Dillon: “I think that’s awesome. I think it’d be cool to join the 24 Hours one year. Each team gets a car in the 24-hour and their driver lineup gets to race in it. I think that would be a cool Clash moment as well. This car is built for road racing, so I don’t understand why we can’t run the 24-hour race, and each team gets to field a car and see what it would be like after 24 hours. It lets you get with your guys and work things out before the season starts because you’re going to be working on the car throughout the night. It’s a pretty cool team-building opportunity.”

What do you think about allowing the 41st driver in the field?

Busch: “I think it’s a unique ruling or statute that could benefit the sport as a whole. It just kind of depends on how it’s used. I’m still a little fuzzy on all of the details of it. Castroneves is a cool guy who’s won the Indy 500 and now he gets a chance to run the Daytona 500, so I think that’s neat. I think you could look at some other guys, whether a Verstappen or Louis (Hamilton), somebody like that who could come over here and do something like that. I don’t know. Sure, they could. They have the credentials to do so. I think that would be something that would be cool. Whether or not you could actually get them to do it is another point.”

You don’t have an issue with the exception?

Busch: “I don’t have an exception to that. I think there’s a money factor there too. I think that’s fine. It’s literally just to bring eyeballs to our sport, they’re fans, they’re demographic of where they come from and whether they’re from a different country, which Castroneves is, maybe makes some fans.”

Dillon: “I think it’s interesting. I think Kyle (Busch)’s on a pretty good point there. To me, I think it would be interesting if you just gave the IndyCar champion and the F1 champion those opportunities. I don’t know. You want to put eyeballs on the sport in any way possible. Either should bring some of those. The champions in the other top two forms of racing is a good place too. It’s interesting. We’ll see how it all works out. Maybe RCR will get involved in it and want to put in one of those one day.”

For Austin, going into Daytona, you look at results and stats don’t tell the rest of the story. You’ve won there. Is that a confidence builder going into the race?

Dillon: “It definitely gives you confidence when you have a Harley J. Earl (trophy) at the house. It makes you sometimes throw caution to the wind or put yourself in different positions, but still you really have to focus on that race and put yourself in the best position. You’ve got to have a good car, just like any other race. There are so many other factors that go into that weekend, but I always feel confident driving through that tunnel one way or the other, with RCR, ECR power. I think Kyle’s (Busch) got even more confident in the speedway stuff since he’s been with us because he’s been pretty dominant. He got the win at Talladega which I think was pretty much all him staying out on gas. I think our cars do a really good job on speedways.”

Kyle, is that the one trophy that’s missing on your resume that Kurt (Busch) does?

Busch: “I have a lot more cooler trophies. He doesn’t have a Driller either. Certainly, winning the Daytona 500 is top of the list. We have talked about it a long time. I feel like that would certainly be cool to win that one. Would certainly be awesome and to add that to the resume would certainly be cool. Championships and All Star wins, (Coca-Cola) 600’s, Southern 500’s, all that stuff is really, really cool. I’ve got all of those, so to be able to add to that with going to Victory Lane at Daytona for the 500 would be pretty awesome.”

Is your confidence up?

Busch: “Yes. Austin hit on it there where I feel like since joining RCR, with ECR, we’ve had really good opportunities to win speedway races. We won Talladega, but we’ve been in position to win a heck of a lot more than we have. So, having more opportunities to be in position to win, eventually you should be able to take home that trophy. I won the Daytona 500 last year, the only problem was the checkered flag wasn’t falling, it was a yellow flag. There’s certainly a good set of confidence with the team and organization when you get to go to those places. Daytona is one of those, Talladega, Atlanta now.”

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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM
TEAM CHEVY TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 1, 2025

 Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media onsite at Bowman Gray Stadium ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray.

Media Availability Quotes:

What are your initial feelings of what you’re seeing here so far at Bowman Gray Stadium?

“Yeah, I raced here in the K&N Series, which I’m sure is like a lot of the guys in the garage now. That was around 12 to 15 years ago, or something. So yeah, obviously it’s been a long time ago now.. a lot of racing since then. I don’t remember a ton about it, to be honest with you. I remember it was a big deal when we did that back then, but I can’t sit here and tell you that I remember a ton. I remember the first time I came up here, I had a dead battery in our car and every time we would stop, I couldn’t get it started back up. So I was ready to forget that night. I think I did successfully forget most of that one, and then I think the second trip went about just as good as that. So I hope this one goes a little better this go around.”

What are your thoughts on the new rule that allows an elite driver in the field?

“I could see both sides of the fence, right?”

Like what if Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton wanted to come and race, and NASCAR would have to pick between the two?

“Well if they (NASCAR) already decided, then I guess they would have to qualify in, right?

Yeah, I don’t know.. I can argue both sides of the fence, right? You’d hate to have a Helio Castroneves, a Max Verstappen, a Lewis Hamilton or someone come in to run a race and then miss the show due to something silly. So I can certainly see that aspect of it from a promotor side of things, where you wouldn’t want to risk that because that’s obviously going to be a big deal for you. But I also think that with prestigious races, there should be some sort of integrity in making the show. I think that’s part of what makes the race prestigious. You know, it’s a hard event to make. I think you see that with the Indianapolis 500, or you see that at the Chili Bowl, right? It’s a hard race to make. It’s a big deal just to get into the show, so I can see both sides of the fence there. I think it’s totally fine.. I just don’t want to ever degrade or hurt the long-term integrity of the sport and take the prestige out of events that should be some of our biggest days of the year.”

Daytona and Talladega aren’t raced the way that Martinsville is. Rules got changed after Martinsville because of the way that the racing was there at the end. You guys met with NASCAR on Wednesday.. do you guys feel like you understand how you’re allowed to race at Daytona coming up?

“I have not been briefed yet, so this is an easy answer for me.. I wasn’t at the meeting.

I think that at the end of the day, obviously they didn’t like how some of the things went on. Look, it’s their playground and I think the best thing I can do as a competitor is try to respect that the best I can. You know, at the end of the day, there’s always going to be teammates, alliances and so on and so forth. I’m not sure how you ever totally take that out of the equation. But from my standpoint, when you simplify it as a competitor, you always want to try and be the best and do the best that you can for your team. That’s kind of how I’ve always looked at it. We will certainly, as a company and as a manufacturer, try to stay within the lines that they set for us and respect the rules that they put in place. I think that’s all we can do.”

Where would you guys like to see the Clash go to, and what would you like to see out of this race going forward?

“Yeah, I mean I think anything you can do.. I kind of like Ryan’s (Blaney) thought of potentially getting outside of the United States. I know we’re kind of testing the waters a little bit with the Mexico City race this year, but I think the real test would be going overseas and I think this race would be a good opportunity to do something like that.. where it wouldn’t be committing to a points race, you know, somewhere that’s a long ways away. I like the idea of using it as a potential stepping stone to help grow the sport. And I almost feel like if we’re not going to do that, I’m not even sure that it’s totally necessary, you know, either. I do think it’s a good opportunity to shake things down and kind of get into the groove. But we just ran a month-and-a-half ago.. it wasn’t that long ago either. I think for me, I’m not saying one way or another, I’m just saying that everything is on the table. I’d be good either way, whether it’s here or Daytona. If they want to do it in Europe.. if they want to not do it at all, I’d be fine with any of the above.”

How would you assess the state of the sport, coming off a controversial-filled playoffs, and now starting up a new season?

“Well that’s a very broad question. But look, I actually think things are in an OK place. When I look at just the state of the sport, generally speaking, I think that the leadership group at NASCAR right now has been open to more change over the past three or four years than I think it probably ever changed, you know, in the prior 30 years before that. So I think that there’s got to be some appreciation for the willingness that they’ve had to go and try new things. And also, with that being said, does that mean all of those things are going to be good? No, they’re not. And I think as long as we’re willing to say that some of the stuff hasn’t been good, then it’s fine. I think we can move forward and grow from it. I see a lot of logical things. I know this is really small thing, but them teching these racecars at Charlotte Motor Speedway before we drug them up here, it is a very logical thing to do. Really nice.. great for the teams. Somebody was really thinking with that. It’s the little things that, I think, that make things better. That’s an example of a positive change and I hope we can continue to go in a good direction.”

NASCAR has decided not to change the playoffs this year, but indicated that they’re going to take a hard look at it over the course of the season to possibly change it next year. What are your thoughts on them not changing it? Do you want to see changes moving forward?

“Yeah, I think it’s an extremely important decision.. kind of going to Jordan’s (Bianchi) question with just the state of the sport. I’m not sure there’s a more important decision that we can make in just how we crown our champion every year and making sure that we’re not ever doing that the wrong way or taking away from what that means. I just think that, long-term, whatever decision that they want to make or whatever decision that they do make, I just want to make sure, kind of what we were eluding to early, that the sport is getting better and that these prestigious moments are always prestigious and we’re never taking away from that because that, to me, is what makes this deal special and so on and so forth. I’m with Ryan (Blaney).. as a competitor, I really don’t care what they decide to do. At the end of the day, when they set the rules and you’ve come out and they say, ‘hey look – this is the path and this is how it’s supposed to work’, then I think you just have to respect that. That’s not any competitor’s fault at that juncture. That’s the rules that they make, and if you win it in that format, then you are the rightful champion. You know, I hate that there’s been questions that have taken away from Joey (Logano). It seems like over the winter, people were asking me about it, and I hate that because it’s not his fault. He just did the best he could with the format that he was handed, and he did it better than everybody else. I just, long-term, want to make sure that we’re doing the right things to not ever take away from that in a very general, broad, perspective.”

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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Clash at Bowman Gray Media Availability | Saturday, February 1, 2025

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Ford Mustang Dark Horse, is looking for his first career victory in The Clash. He stopped by the infield media center at Bowman Gray Stadium to talk about opening the season at one of NASCAR’s historic tracks and his hopes for Sunday’s race.

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CLASH BEING HERE AT BOWMAN GRAY, AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE NASCAR ELECTRIC VEHICLE FORD UNVEILED EARLIER THIS WEEK? “Talking first about being here, I ran here 20 years ago or so in Bandelero’s, so it’s nice to be back. I think the reputation of this place, a lot of passionate people around the area that love Bowman Gray and a track that’s really historic. I think it’s a good race for this Clash. You have the ability to move this race around to different parts of the country, so that’s nice. At the Ford Launch Party a couple nights ago they announced some really cool stuff, whether it’s EV, different series that they want to peek into, some really neat stuff on the horizon there, and I think that’s a lot of just Jim Farley wanting to be a part of everything, so I think it’s neat to be a part of a company like that, that’s always wanting to spread their wings even more than they already are, so I’m excited to see where that goes at some point. Hopefully, I get to drive it at some point. That would be nice.”

DID YOU FEEL LIKE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS BANDOLERO’S DID YOU HAVE BRAGGING RIGHTS GOING BACK TO MIDDLE SCHOOL? “I grew up in High Point, so kind of this Triad area, so I had a lot of friends and family that came here a lot on the weekends. I had some buddies that were at that race and they thought it was pretty cool that, ‘Hey, you ran at Bowman Gray. I watched you at Bowman Gray.’ You’re just a kid and you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah. That was awesome.’ Back then in a Bandelero, this place is massive and it’s just funny putting it into perspective of what you don’t know and now this is the smallest place we go to with what we do, but it was just neat to run there back then and just kind of be overwhelmed by the people. That was the most people you ever raced in front of at that age and you saw the passion. I was getting shot the bird by kids younger than me when I was 10. It’s like, ‘OK. This is what this place is about.’ People like you or not and I don’t even think they didn’t like me. I was 10 years old What’s not to like about a 10 year old. They just did what their parents were doing, so that part was pretty funny to me. I’m sure you’ll see a lot of that tomorrow night.”

WOULD YOU STILL HAVE BRAGGING RIGHTS IF YOU WIN TOMORROW NIGHT? “Yeah, I mean this is an exhibition race. It’s the Clash, but you still want to win it and you want to win at neat places, historical places like this. Those guys who won at the Coliseum, that’s a really historic place. You can say that I won at the Coliseum in L.A. and here it’s the same way. I think to be able to have that title would be pretty cool. And, like I said, it has home ties to me, so that’s another thing that I think would be special.”

WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT ON THE NEW RULE THAT ALLOWS AN ELITE DRIVER IN THE FIELD? “I might be biased, but I love Helio, so I was psyched when it was like, ‘OK, he’s running the 500. Oh, and he’s locked in? That’s great for Helio.’ He was in Indy Cars when I was over there at Penske for a while before he moved on, so I love Helio and I’m happy that I’m gonna be able to race against him because I loved growing up watching him run Indy Cars, and then to get to be a semi-teammate driving for the same guy for a long time with Roger, so I didn’t really have any thoughts about it, to be honest with you. I was just excited that Helio is gonna be running the 500.”

DO YOU FEEL YOU UNDERSTAND HOW YOU’RE ALLOWED TO RACE AT DAYTONA COMING UP AFTER THE MEETING WITH NASCAR EARLIER THIS WEEK? “It’s tough. What is race manipulation and what is working together as a team like at a superspeedway?”

CAN YOU MANIPULATE A RACE AT DAYTONA? “If you have four cars and maybe you run four-wide, but that’s over the top. You have to think what is logical racing. Us and the Wood Brothers, we try to find each other and get lined up because we can go forward. That is obviously just your plan and that’s racing, but if you’re trying to three or four-wide and block a track, that’s ridiculous. There are judgement calls, I think, but at the end of the day all of that stuff, I think, there have been some weird occasions that it’s gotten really blown out of proportion. Some more egregious than others like the Martinsville thing, but the speedway stuff, I don’t think you’re gonna see anything that egregious. You’re not gonna see people running four-wide to stop a track up. That’s just stupid. At 200 miles an hour, you’re gonna hurt people, but I’m happy that NASCAR cracked down on it. You have to have penalties for this stuff if it’s that egregious.”

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS RACE GO TO AND WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE OUT OF THIS RACE GOING FORWARD? “I said it earlier. This is a perfect race that you have a chance to move it around and go to different parts of the country and maybe even outside of the USA to give a different part of an area and a fan base something to watch – NASCAR and Cup cars in general. Where I would like to see it? I mean, I really don’t have a preference. I was fine with the Coliseum. I was fine with it here. I don’t really have any preference or reservations about going anywhere. For a while it was at Daytona at the speedway and everyone was upset that we were wrecking too many cars, but now we probably wreck just as many cars, but I really don’t care. Wherever you want to take it, that you can get a lot of eyes on it, I think it’s fine with me.”

HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THE STATE OF THE SPORT COMING OFF OF A CONTROVERSIAL FILLED PLAYOFFS AND STARTING UP A NEW SEASON? “I think the sport, I mean, he and I have been around the sport watching our dads running for a long time, and like he said, they’ve been making some decisions and changing some stuff up the most that they ever have in a positive way. A lot of people crap on it for some reason, the sport, and decisions that NASCAR makes and it’s like, ‘Why?’ I really don’t understand why people take a dump on decisions that these guys and girls are making because I haven’t really seen many that are bad. Everyone has their opinion and that’s fine, but every time I look at social media they’re just like, ‘Oh my God. It’s terrible right now. It’s in an awful spot.’ And it’s like, ‘Why is that?’ I don’t really understand. As a competitor, I don’t think it is. I think it’s great right now. I do think it’s in a good place. Not everything is gonna be a homerun. Things that NASCAR does or whatever, but I really think it is moving in a positive direction and it has been for years, I think.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON NASCAR NOT CHANGING THE PLAYOFF FORMAT THIS YEAR AND ARE THERE ANY CHANGES YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE? “I’m open to change. It’s been this way for, this will be the 11th year of this format with the way the playoffs are, so I’m open to change, whether you go back to I really don’t care either way. If it’s a full season points thing, if you have somewhat of a chase format, whether you’re 10 races to the end of the season, whether you’re five races to the end of the season, I don’t know, but I’m open to anything honestly, so I’m not gonna go into all the changes I’d like to see made or what I think, but I know there’s been discussion with NASCAR, like drivers and stuff. We’ve been talking to NASCAR about ideas and they didn’t do anything for this year, but I know they’re seriously thinking about it and trying to make it very entertaining and kind of give people a little bit something different. We’ll see what happens.”

Tim Brown, driver of the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse, will be making his NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend in the Clash at Bowman Gray. The 12-time modified track champion spoke to members of the media before tonight’s practice session and heat races.

TIM BROWN, No. 15 Dairi-O/Jerry Hunt/Hayes Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT DOES THIS MOMENT MEAN TO GET THIS OPPORTUNITY? “It means everything to me, not just to me but my family and all of our partners and sponsors that have been with me through this journey for many years. Just to be at this level to get to shine is just outstanding and I can’t wait to make the best of it.”

WHAT IF ANYTHING DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE EXPERIENCE HERE MAY BENEFIT YOU, AND IS JUST BEING PART OF THIS AS SPECIAL AS POTENTIALLY HAVING A TOP FINISH? “Being a part is super special as far as racing here for the last thirty-something years, and knowing the racetrack and every crack and crevice, I think, is a little bit of an advantage, but these guys drive these cars all the time and you get very limited practice here, so I think the learning curve for both of us is gonna be very short. As far as being special, it’s very special just to be here, but I’m a racer and I want to win this thing. That’s why we’re here and we’ve worked really hard to build the best car at RWR that we could build to put on a good show today.”

IS FIGHTING REQUIRED? IS IT PART OF THE RULES HERE? “You might as well say yes. I mean, let’s be real. If you race here for thirty some years, you’re gonna fight.”

HOW MANY FIGHTS HAVE YOU BEEN IN? “Ten. That’s pretty good, right? They’re good ones, though. Does that matter?”

HOW MANY OF THEM HAVE YOU WON? “All of them.”

WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE FIGHT HERE? “Just the passion. I’m very passionate about what I do on and off the racetrack and we take a lot of pride in our equipment and our race cars are immaculate, so we don’t make a lot of money to do this at this level, so if you tear my race car up, I’m gonna come and see you.”

HOW MUCH, IF ANY, DID THOSE CRACKS AND CREVICES CHANGE WITH THE NEW WALLS? “The walls did change the view of the racetrack from what I’m used to seeing for so many years. It’s beautiful out there, but it does change the way you see the racetrack as you’re driving, so it was unique and learning to adapt to that this morning in the modified practice, and I think it’s gonna be even more unique with the Cup car with the full body and the full windshield and all that, so I’m looking forward to that.”

DID THE RACING GROOVE CHANGE AT ALL AND TAKE AWAY ANY OF THE UPPER GROOVE? “Not really. I thought from pictures and seeing the track visually I thought, ‘Man, this is way different.’ The biggest difference, honestly, is just visually. As far as the track groove, I think it’s basically the same. It is for the modified anyway. I’m not sure with the Cup car, yet.”

WHO FROM YOUR FAMILY ALSO RACED HERE? “Just my grandfather My did didn’t race.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ABLE TO RACE HERE WHERE YOUR GRANDFATHER RACED AND WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF THIS TRACK? “I can remember, I don’t maybe, being five or six years old playing right over here where you go onto the racetrack around fire barrel as a little kid – like me and Burt Myers and a bunch of the other kids would hang out in the pits with our families as they were working on race cars and we would run around. There used to be trees over there and play, so I’ve kind of grown up here. That’s what makes it even more special to get to make a Cup debut here.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR GRANDFATHER WOULD THINK OF THIS? “He is smiling today, for sure.”

DO YOU SEE THE CHANGES HERE BEING PROGRESS AND KIND OF A NECESSARY STEP TO UPGRADE THE FACILITY? “Absolutely. Cosmetically, it’s beautiful and that’s important too for the fans that come, for sponsors to spend money to come. If you say, ‘Hey, we’re partners with teams that race here’ and you show them this race track now, they’re gonna be impressed. Now, it did have some history with the old guard rails laid over and painted and things and had some character and very historical, but it’s just a new chapter, so it’ll still have the same persona, it’ll still have the same passion of fans and it’ll still put on a great race, but it just looks great now.”

IS THERE A PART OF YOU THAT WOULD BE ROOTING FOR BURT MYERS THAT IF HE SHOWS WELL HE’S ONE OF THE GUYS HERE? “That’s a tough question to answer because the racer in me says no, but I think it’s good that both of us got this opportunity to do this and thanks to everybody involved that thinks the same way. At my age, just to get the opportunity to do this is overwhelming and it’s super special and I’ve got to thank Rick and Lisa Ware for the opportunity, and Todd Hunt at Jerry Hunt Supercenter for all that he does or we wouldn’t be here, period. I want to run well, and I want to show that we deserve to be here, that it’s just not a ‘hey, let’s give this old guy an opportunity to go ride around in a Cup car.’ I feel like I deserve to be here. I’ve dedicated my whole life to racing and I’ve worked my butt off and here we are and make the best of it.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE CINDERELLA GOING TO THE BALL AND THEN ON MONDAY YOU GO BACK TO RICK WARE AND WORK ON CARS? “Yes, absolutely. It is that and it’s been like that for six weeks. With all the media and all of you guys have been super awesome to work with. We’ve talked about this for six months under the radar and behind the scenes when Rick knew that this deal was coming and he wanted me to run it, and I tell you the coolest thing was they wrapped the car Sunday to surprise me when I went to work on Monday and when you walk in and flip the lights on and you see that thing sitting there, it was like super emotional. And then to get to bring my family down and have the modified there to unveil it and have our sponsors there and my wife and kids, it is super special. And then I woke up this morning. I texted Todd. I woke up with the biggest smile on my face this morning and was such at peace with the Lord that I’m so blessed to be here and I’m gonna enjoy every moment of it, and I hope we put that thing up front and make a show out of it.”

DID YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR LINE AT ALL IN THE MODIFIED AND DO YOU EXPECT TO? “No, we didn’t really have to change the line, it just looks different because the SAFER barrier stands 90 and the old guard rail kind of laid over. It just looks way different, but as far as changing the line, no.”

HAVE YOU AND BURT EVER FOUGHT? “Not like physically. We’ve fought with our cars a few times.”

EVEN AS KIDS PLAYING? “I don’t remember back then. I’ve been knocked out a few times, so I don’t remember that.”

HAVE YOU HAD ANY TRAINING OR SIMULATOR WORK, OR ARE YOU JUST RELYING ON YOUR MODIFIED EXPERIENCE? “Ford was gracious enough to give us a lot of sim time leading up to this race and I got to spend some time in there. I’m gonna be honest with you, I don’t know if it helped because I’ve not driven a Cup car yet, so it’s weird to see how that’s gonna correlate. If it correlates well, we should be fine because I did pretty good in there after I got used to not getting sick in it.”

DID IT TAKE YOU LONG TO ADAPT TO THE SIM? “It’s really funny. When I walked into the Ford Performance Center, there’s a room full of people and they’re all laughing. I’m like, ‘What did I do?’ And they’re like, ‘We’ll just see how long it takes you to get sick,’ and it was like 15 seconds. I was like, ‘I’ve got to get out of this thing,’ so they gave me some Dramamine and the bracelets and all that stuff, but after the fourth trip to the simulator I was fine. I asked them, what’s the ticket here? What do you have to do? They said, ‘Be born after 1995.’”

Toyota GAZOO Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (February 1, 2025) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Saturday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

What did you think when you saw your hauler, and do you have any concern?

“I mean it is tough out there. Sponsorship is hard to come by, and certainly, while it is such an important time in our sport to recognize that sponsorship dollars are not flowing like they used to for sure. Everyone has had to adjust quite a bit, and there are certain aspects that JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) has to price into their pricing as well that is probably tough. I don’t know. It is part of it. Certainly, having one sponsor for 20 years, made things pretty easy and now it is all catching up. Is it concerning from my end? Maybe a little bit, but it is probably more concerning from JGR’s standpoint.”

Where would you like to see the Clash go in the future?

“I’m personally in the boat that I liked it at Daytona. It was just a really good warm up for the 500. I thought it provided tons of storylines for the 500, but it is a little bit different now-a-days. The racing on superspeedways is different. You used to, back then, if you saw someone that was really dominate in the Clash, it was like they have a great handling car – they are going to be tough to beat – doesn’t matter where they start. Now that it is such a track position race, I don’t know that you will get the direct correlation, but it could certainly bring back some hype to the 500. I’m probably in that boat or really anywhere that helps grow and get some excitement going for the season. I don’t really have a bucket list place where I would want to put it.”

What would your thoughts be on going internationally?

“Internationally – maybe just from the standpoint that there is probably more time to prepare for the race teams. It’s not in the middle of the season, and then you have the gap after that for Super Bowl for you to get back and get reset and go for the 500. Perhaps.”

What is your perspective on where NASCAR is at as a sport?

“I think it is a really crucial year all around. There is a lot of big decisions that definitely need to get made. It is a crucial year with the new TV partners – getting our fans to transition over there to the streaming platforms – that is going to be big. I think it is just a huge year. You are going to have to find a way to get everyone to transition and kind of rally around the new type of media partners that we have and hopefully rely on them to hopefully grow the sport as well. I think that it is just a crucial year – all around.”

Do you have an opinion on the new provisional rule?

“I don’t know. I just think – it reeks of desperation. I don’t know how else to say it. I don’t know how nice you can really say it. It just feels like you are really trying to get any kind of headline you can to be relevant and I don’t love it.”

Well, it exists now?

“I know – to me it is a short-term gain, long-term loss. I just think that you are premier stock car series in the US. The premier racing sport in the US; be the big boys and force people to come in here and get their credentials and do it the natural way. I don’t think it is going to be a big factor anywhere other than Daytona, but just simply put, saying that someone has a name that interests you and that they are going to have an automatic bid in the highest form of motorsports in the US – I don’t love it.”

Are there any drivers you would like to see come try?

“No. Not really.”

Has this event moved away from the racing mattering most?

“I always think that the racing itself is an important factor. While the race is going on, there is either going to be a social media buzz around – either positive around the racing or not, so I still think that is an important thing, but you have a great point. It is something else, as far as the spectacle itself, it is an exhibition type race – so I think it is just a primer to let everyone know that we are racing again, truthfully. I think LA had its own place. I thought it was really well done. Here – it looks like they did a really good job with it. I think each place has its certain relevance, and I think that this place has its relevance as well with its history. It just seems like moving it around and changing things is what is stirring the interest, not necessarily what is happening on track, which is what you are saying.”

How significant would it be for you to get your fourth Daytona 500 win?

“It would be big all around. There are lots of really good stuff that comes with it, with the bonus points and what not. There are only a select group that are really, really elite that have won those. I wish that I had a bigger role in it now than what I used to have in our results and finishes, but truthfully, in the Next Gen, I have just struggled to find the checkered flag at some point of the day. I don’t know. It would mean a lot to me personally and certainly put ourselves in a historic group there. It will be a tough task for sure.”

Is the Next Gen radically different on superspeedways than previous generations of cars?

“Mainly from the drag perspective. I learned so much from Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. and Tony Stewart, some of the bests when I was coming into the sport – Jeff Gordon – on how they created runs and then they would pull out of line and keep that run going and you just would see theme bouncing off these cars and you really saw it at the end of the 2016 Daytona 500 where we came from fourth or fifth to win it. I was just constantly using cars around me to keep this massive run going, and now – you have to stay in line. You are just really hoping your line goes forward. You are almost in a traffic jam, and you are hoping that your lane is the one that there is less congestion. It is just a different beast now. We have seen underdog type winners in it the last few years, and a lot of it is just where you are at, can you cycle good on pit road, can you save enough fuel during the green to make your cycle shorter? We still have an important role, but our role is now more off the track than it is on the racing surface.”

Has Toyota adding three additional cars at Daytona going to help with strategy?

“Yeah, it should. It certainly should. We worked really well together at Talladega until we ended up crashing each other, and then from that moment on, it was can we really all get on the same page, but certainly, the power of numbers allows us to at least create our own strategy. We were always at the mercy of the other manufacturers and trying to figure out – whether it was Ford or Chevy – that was going to pit when we wanted them to pit and we had to react to that, where I think we probably have enough numbers now that we can actually just create our own strategy, so that will certainly be beneficial, but when it comes down to the end of the race, it is a matter of who is left. I used to love being super selfish in those types of races, because I would just use anyone – I didn’t care if they were a teammate or not – to try to get a win, but so much with the manufacturer alliances now, it is really, really difficult to break through that.”

Are you clear on what is allowed or not allowed with manufacturer alliances at superspeedway?

“I think so. I think speedways would be status quo. I don’t think that I saw anything in the rules that would make me think that things would change from a manufacturer’s standpoint there. They have their own meetings, and they say don’t push this group – push our group instead, and you are not going to stop those words from being spoken, but that is just not something that you are going to be able to put back in the box now. That is just kind of what we’ve got.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Chumba Casino to be Featured in Multiple Races

Huntersville, N.C. (Jan. 31, 2025) – 23XI Racing announced today a multi-year partnership with Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), an interactive entertainment company, harnessing technology and creativity to deliver world-class, free-to-play games. Beginning with the upcoming NASCAR season, the partnership will feature VGW’s Chumba Casino brand as the primary paint scheme for several races across all three 23XI cars. The collaboration expands the brand’s global reach in motorsports, complementing its existing partnership with Scuderia Ferrari in Formula 1.

As both VGW and 23XI continue to reach new and diverse audiences, the partnership will highlight one of VGW’s biggest brands, Chumba Casino, North America’s premier online social casino. For over a decade, Chumba Casino has brought players fun and entertainment with casino-style games that are always free to play. Chumba Casino’s vibrant paint schemes will be featured at select races this season on each of 23XI’s three Toyota Camry XSE racecars, driven by Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Riley Herbst. The brand will also be displayed on the drivers’ firesuits and team equipment throughout the season. With 23XI’s recent addition of the No. 35 team, VGW and Chumba Casino will be the first primary partner featured across all three teams. During the season, fans and players can also look forward to exciting activations that will provide unique opportunities to engage with both 23XI and Chumba Casino.

“We’re excited for Chumba Casino to partner with 23XI Racing, a team that embodies innovation and excellence in motorsports,” said VGW’s Deputy Chief Marketing Officer Ben Whitford. “At VGW, one of our values is that we are powered by passion, and we love partnering with other leaders in their fields who are passionate about innovation and performance. This collaboration gives us a great opportunity to connect with NASCAR fans and showcase the excitement of Chumba’s free-to-play games. We’re looking forward to working with the 23XI Racing team and achieving groundbreaking success together.”

“We are excited to welcome VGW to the 23XI family and to showcase Chumba Casino on track with Bubba, Tyler, and Riley,” said Steve Lauletta, 23XI team president. “Our organizations share a passion for creating unforgettable fan experiences through innovation and technology and we’re keen to work together on exciting programs that will benefit our fans throughout the year. We look forward to introducing 23XI and NASCAR fans to the Chumba Casino games, which can be played anywhere, anytime while they enjoy our races.”

About Virtual Gaming Worlds

VGW is an interactive entertainment company, harnessing technology and creativity to deliver world-class, free-to-play games. Its high-quality, acclaimed brands include Chumba Casino, Global Poker and LuckyLand Slots, which are enjoyed by players in North America. VGW’s games are based on a freemium model, meaning they are available to play at no cost, but include optional in-game purchases to enhance gameplay. VGW also offers sweepstakes promotions where players can collect free entries for the chance to win real-world prizes. A core value of VGW is “our players come first,” which means always striving to deliver a safe, responsible, and positive player experience.

About 23XI Racing

23XI Racing – pronounced twenty-three eleven – was founded by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin in 2020. With rising NASCAR star Bubba Wallace selected to drive the No. 23 Toyota Camry, the team made its NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2021 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Wallace made history on October 4, 2021, when he captured his first career Cup Series win, becoming just the second African American to win in the Cup Series, and earning 23XI its first-ever victory. 23XI expanded to a two-car organization in 2022 with Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry. With a win at Kansas Speedway in May of 2022, Busch earned 23XI the team’s first-ever playoff berth. In 2024, Tyler Reddick won the Regular Season Championship and raced to a spot in the Championship 4, a first for both the team and Reddick. 23XI currently features the lineup of Bubba Wallace in the No. 23 Toyota Camry, Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 Toyota Camry and Riley Herbst in the No. 35 Toyota Camry. The team operates out of Airspeed, a state-of-the-art facility in Huntersville, N.C. that opened in January 2024.