Phoenix Raceway
Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024
1-Mile Tri-Oval
3 PM ET
Location: Avondale, Arizona
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (Race 36 of 36)
RADIO: SiriusXM

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Week: 3rd (Martinsville)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 6th

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Phoenix
Races	34	365	20
Wins	6	29	1
Poles	5	21	2
Top 5	14	118	8
Top 10	17	181	12
Laps Led	1,687	9,243	382
Stage Wins	12	62	3
Average Finish	13.2	14.1	11.4

• Kyle Larson has run a NASCAR Cup Series-best 4,634 laps in the top five through 35 events in 2024 while his 10.18 average running position also tops NASCAR’s premier series.
• The 32-year-old driver has 12 stage wins in 2024 – one more than any other competitor. Larson’s 1,687 laps led is the most by 685. The driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet will finish the year with the most wins and most laps led.
• In November 2021 at Phoenix Raceway, Larson won the pole and led a race-high 107 laps – including the final 28 – en route to victory to secure his first Cup championship.
• Since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, the Elk Grove, California, native has 23 wins – 11 more than any other driver.
• Larson has recorded nine top-10 finishes in his last 11 starts at Phoenix.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
 Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last week: 2nd (Martinsville)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 7th
 
No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Phoenix
Races	35	321	16
Wins	1	19	1
Poles	—	12	1
Top 5	11	104	5
Top 10	18	170	8
Laps Led	424	5,519	546
Stage Wins	2	38	2
Average Finish	11.8	12.9	12.6

• At Martinsville Speedway last weekend, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team nearly punched their ticket to the Championship 4 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs after winning stage one and leading 129 laps en route to a second-place finish.
• With his runner-up finish at Martinsville, Elliott, the 2020 champion, became the only driver to finish all seven short track races this season inside the top 10. Both his average finish (4.6) and average start (5.0) across those seven events are best in the field.
• Elliott’s 18 top-10 finishes in 2024 are tied for fourth best and his 11 top fives are tied for sixth best. His average running position of 11.47 ranks third and he’s spent the fourth-most laps inside the top 10 this season (5,135).
• While Elliott will not be competing for the championship this weekend, he has a victory at Phoenix Raceway. In 2020, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native captured the race win his first Cup Series title.
• The 28-year-old driver’s 546 laps led at the desert tri-oval are his second-most on active tracks in NASCAR’s top series.
• No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson has four wins at Phoenix with four drivers (Kyle Busch, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Elliott). Two of his wins were record-setting with Busch being the youngest Cup driver to win at Phoenix (20 years, 6 months, 11 days) and Martin being the oldest (50 years, 3 months and 9 days).

24 WILLIAM BYRON
 Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Week: 6th (Martinsville)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: T-1st

No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Phoenix
Races	35	251	13
Wins	3	13	1
Poles	1	13	1
Top 5	12	53	2
Top 10	20	103	7
Laps Led	338	2,959	186
Stage Wins	2	23	3
Average Finish	13.2	15.2	11.8

• In the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway last Sunday, William Byron qualified third, matching his best qualifying effort at the venue. He picked up critical stage points in stage one and two and went on to collect a sixth-place effort – his sixth consecutive top-six finish.
• Byron locked himself into the Championship 4 for this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. It will mark his second consecutive appearance in the Cup Series final four.
• So far in the 2024 playoffs Byron has an average running position of 7.48 and an average finish of 9.33 – best in both categories of the four remaining drivers.
• Byron has a previous win at Phoenix Raceway, claiming the 2023 spring race. He also has three stage wins – tied for his second-most at a single track – and seven top-10 finishes – his most at a single track. In his last four starts at Phoenix, Byron has three finishes of sixth or better.
• While in the Next Gen era, Byron has led 171 laps at the 1-mile facility which is the fourth most, and collected 198 points, good enough for second-most.
• In 2024, Byron has 12 top-five finishes – tied for the third most – and 20 top 10s – tied for the second best

48 ALEX BOWMAN
 Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Week: 13th (Martinsville)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 8th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Phoenix
Races	35	324	18
Wins	1	8	—
Poles	1	5	1
Top 5	8	40	2
Top 10	17	96	3
Laps Led	66	1,367	195
Stage Wins	1	7	—
Average Finish	14.8	19.4	22.4

• Last Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, Alex Bowman rolled off seventh and battled a power steering issue in the second half of the race. He still managed to secure a 13th-place finish.
• The Ally Racing driver has executed a strong season in his seventh year with Hendrick Motorsports. The 31-year-old earned his eighth win in the sport’s premier series at the Chicago Street Course and finished as the runner-up in the DAYTONA 500. His eight top-five finishes in 2024 are tied for his most ever in a season (2021) and 17 top 10s are his most ever.
• The No. 48 driver qualified for NASCAR’s Cup Series playoffs for the sixth time in his career. Bowman advanced to the Round of 12 for a fifth time. He has run 4,097 laps in the top 10, ranking ninth most amongst Cup Series drivers. Despite falling just shy of the Round of 8, Bowman has finished ninth or better in five of nine playoff races.
• This weekend, Bowman will strive to make his first trip to victory lane at his home track, Phoenix Raceway. In the Tucson, Arizona, native’s previous 18 starts at the one-mile tri-oval, Bowman has led 195 laps, earned two top-10 finishes and completed 95.4% of the laps.
• For four years, Bowman and Ally have teamed up to support Best Friends Animal Society and its vast network of partners. The pair has donated close to $750,000 to date. Every race weekend, the pair donates $4,800 to help homeless pets. This weekend, the charitable donation will go to Home Fur Good located in Phoenix.
• Bowman has also stayed busy away from the race track, participating in five financial literacy readings this season, teaching elementary school students the significance of money in race markets including in North Carolina, Texas, Michigan, New York and Florida. In May, ahead of Memorial Day, Bowman and his team held a USO packing event to give to deploying service members who were awaiting assignment. In June, the No. 48 team joined Bowman in Nashville, Tennessee, for community service efforts in public spaces and at a local resident’s home. In October, Bowman visited the Best Friends Life Saving Center in New York and helped Ally host its sixth-annual “Fueling Futures” event, an interactive program that offers high school students the chance to learn more about the educational path and career opportunities within motorsports.

Hendrick Motorsports

2024	All-Time	Phoenix
Races	35	1,380	56
Wins	11*	312*	13*
Poles	7	253*	15*
Top 5	45*	1,277*	56*
Top 10	72*	2,184*	102*
Laps Led	2,515	82,272*	3,530*
Stage Wins	17	115	7

*Most
**Tied for most

• Heading into this weekend’s finale in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at Phoenix Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports has won five of the last nine races on the West Coast and seven of 16 in the Next Gen era.
• The organization leads in most statistical categories at the 1-mile tri-oval, including wins (13), poles (15), top-five finishes (56), top 10s (102) and laps led (3,530). A Hendrick Motorsports entry has won at least one stage at Phoenix in four of the last six events.
• A Hendrick Motorsports Chevy has sat on the pole in four of the last five short track races. The organization’s drivers have combined to lead 39% of laps on short tracks this season.
• With 11 victories in 2024, Hendrick Motorsports eclipsed the 10-win mark for the fourth straight season, matching the longest such streak in the organization’s history (1995-1998). This year also marked the fourth straight season in which the company led the Cup Series in victories, also tying an organization high.
• Hendrick Motorsports has gone to victory lane 60 times in playoff races, 23 more than any other team.
• All four Hendrick Motorsports pit crews rank in the top six in terms of average time for a four-tire pit stop. The No. 24 over-the-wall squad of William Byron leads the organization and is second in the Cup Series at 10.8 seconds.

 QUOTABLE /
 
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on going to Phoenix Raceway: “We’ve had a great year – although with a lot of ups and downs. We’ll head to Phoenix with the same mindset we’ve had all year and that is to win. Hopefully, we can finish the year out strong with William (Byron) also bringing home the championship for Hendrick Motorsports.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on coming up short at Martinsville Speedway and looking ahead to Phoenix Raceway: “It’s a bummer, but we’ll try to build on it and learn from some mistakes and go to work out at Phoenix. Try to go out there and have a good run. Obviously, it’s an extremely important racetrack. While it doesn’t really matter this year, it will one day. So, we’ll go out there and give it our best effort.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on being a part of the Championship Four at Phoenix Raceway: “It’s a short week for sure, you’re not home much because of obligations and just prepping for the weekend. It’s a lot of fun though. I enjoyed being a part of it last year. I feel like I learned a lot, not just for on-track but also off-track and what my routine would be going back this year. It’s something as a competitor you want to be a part of.

“For us, we had really good qualifying last year. We qualified on the pole which was awesome. We just need to continue and improve for sure. We want to try to be better through out the whole race though, especially the last run. That’s the part of the race that means the most, you don’t get paid for the first two stages, only the end.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Phoenix Raceway: “It’s always nice returning to my home state (Arizona). Of course, I wish our No. 48 team was racing for a championship this weekend, but we still have plenty to compete for. We’ve been carrying some good momentum and it would mean a lot to visit victory lane at Phoenix. We still have a Hendrick Motorsports teammate to cheer on (William Byron) in efforts to secure a 15th Cup Series Championship title for Rick (Hendrick). Our Ally Racing team has had a solid season, but the year isn’t over yet and we aim to finish 2024 strong.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Phoenix Raceway

 The 2024 season will come to an end this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series head west to Phoenix Raceway to crown each of their respective champions. Chevrolet will have the opportunity to race for the coveted title in all three divisions, with CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger and McAnally Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes representing the Bowtie brand in the Truck Series; Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger and JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier in the Xfinity Series; and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron in the Cup Series.

 CHEVROLET’S CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS

Chevrolet’s storied NASCAR history includes a series-leading driver championship record in all three series, with the manufacturer heading into the 2024 season finale weekend with 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Championships and 14 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver Championships. From series veterans to some of the sport’s rising starts – each of Chevrolet’s six remaining title contenders will be vying to become a first-time champion in their respective series.

Byron Leads the Bowtie in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four:

William Byron has been a familiar face in NASCAR Cup Series playoff competition in recent years – earning a postseason bid in all but one of his seven full-time seasons in the division. The 2024 season marks his second-consecutive trip to the series’ Championship Four, with the 26-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native earning a career-best third-place finish in the final points standings one year ago. Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team punched an early ticket into the playoffs by picking up the win in the 66th running of the Daytona 500 – capping off Chevrolet’s sweep of the season-opening weekend. Byron went on to add a road course and short-track victory within the first eight races of the season (Circuit of The Americas – March 2024; Martinsville Speedway – April 2024), making an early statement as a leading championship contender. The No. 24 Chevrolet team’s postseason performance really took off at the start of the second round – earning results no worse than sixth in the final six races leading into the title-deciding race, including a trio of podium finishes in the Round of 12. Phoenix Raceway has produced different winners in each of its five races in the Next Gen era, including title contender Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet team with their victory in the March 2023 event.

Team Chevy Takes Three Positions in NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Four:

Closing out on yet another strong season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, three drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations will compete for their first career title in the NASCAR national ranks.

Making his first appearance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Four, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill will enter the title run as the top-seeded driver. The regular season saw the No. 21 Chevrolet team make three trips to victory lane, including back-to-back victories in the series’ first two races to open the season. The 30-year-old Winston, Georgia, native went on to grab his series-leading fourth victory of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway to guarantee his spot in the Championship Four

AJ Allmendinger and the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team head into the title-deciding race as the No. 2 seed. The 42-year-old Los Gatos, California, native ended the 26-race regular season by tallying 14 top-10s and five top-fives en route to his third career Xfinity Series playoff appearance. A staple moment in Allmendinger’s postseason run came in the Round of Eight opening race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with the Kaulig Racing driver making his first trip to victory lane of the season – a triumph that also delivered the team the first guaranteed bid into the Championship Four.

The 2024 season marks Justin Allgaier’s ninth appearance in the Xfinity Series playoffs, with the series’ veteran continuing to hold the record as the only driver to compete in each season’s playoff competition since the format was introduced to the series in 2016. Among his playoff runs includes another series-leading record of seven appearances in the Championship Four – two of which ended with a runner-up finish in the final points standings (2020, 2023). The 38-year-old Riverton, Illinois, native was a strong force at the top of the points standings through much of the regular season. Narrowly missing the regular season championship title, the JR Motorsports driver found his way back to the top of the standings – entering the playoffs as the top-seeded driver. Despite a disappointing opening round, the No. 7 Chevrolet team strung together a trio of finishes no worse than eighth in the Round of Eight – including a podium finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and a top-five result at Martinsville Speedway. Of the remaining title contenders, Allgaier is the only two-time winner at Phoenix Raceway (Nov. 2019; March 2017).

Enfinger, Eckes Representing Team Chevy in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Championship Four:

The top-two seeded drivers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Four come from the Chevrolet camp: CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger and McAnally Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes.

In their first full-season campaign together, Grant Enfinger and the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet team have proven to be a force to be reckoned with for the championship title. A runner-up finish at North Wilkesboro Motor Speedway in May quickly turned their season around, with the team tallying top-four results in five of the final seven races to close out the regular season. While narrowly advancing into the second round, the series’ veteran had a monstrous run in the Round of Eight – earning back-to-back victories at Talladega Superspeedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway to punch a ticket into his third career Championship Four appearance.

McAnally Hilgeman Racing’s Christian Eckes has put together a career season en route to his first appearance in the series’ Championship Four. The 23-year-old Middletown, New York, native tallied top-10 results in all but one of the first 16 races – including three trips to victory lane – en route to his first career regular season championship title. The young Chevrolet driver went on to extend his top-10 streak through the postseason to 20-straight, including his fourth win of the season last weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Out of the four remaining title contenders, Eckes is the only driver to have found victory lane at Phoenix Raceway, with the No. 19 Chevrolet team returning as the series’ most recent winners at the track.

 BY THE NUMBERS: PHOENIX RACEWAY

Chevrolet owns the most wins at Phoenix Raceway in two of NASCAR’s national touring series, heading into the season finale weekend with 27 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series and 18 victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Sunday’s championship race will mark the 57th all-time race for NASCAR’s top division at Phoenix Raceway. Chevrolet made its first trip to victory lane at the Arizona venue in just the series’ third appearance at the track (Nov. 1990) – courtesy of NASCAR Hall of Famer, Dale Earnhardt, and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team. The Bowtie brand hit a strong stride in Nov. 2005 when a win by Kyle Busch and Hendrick Motorsports started a stretch of 10-straight trips to victory lane for the Bowtie brand – a record-setting streak that still stands today. Since the Next Gen car was introduced to the series, two drivers have added to Chevrolet’s win record at Phoenix Raceway, with Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain sweeping last season’s events.

In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Chevrolet owns over half of the victories in the series’ 33-race history at Phoenix Raceway, with title contender, Christian Eckes, delivering the manufacturer its 18th all-time victory at the track one year ago. The manufacturer’s longest streak of wins came in the series’ beginning years, with Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague tallying a combined five-straight victories in the series’ first-five races at the Arizona oval (Feb. 1995 – April 1997). Another notable victory for Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway came in Nov. 2020, with Sheldon Creed and the No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet team making a monstrous run in the final three laps to take the win and deliver the Bowtie brand its 14th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver Championship.

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Chevrolet has made nine trips to victory lane at Phoenix Raceway, including the series’ inaugural visit to the track in Nov. 1999 with Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team. The manufacturer’s last four wins at the Arizona venue have come with a JR Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet – two of which came with current title contender, Justin Allgaier, behind the wheel (Nov. 2019; March 2017).

 BOWTIE BULLETS:

• With 90 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has earned a winning percentage of 50% with 45 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – 15 wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – 18 wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – 12 wins).
• In 17 tripleheader weekends this season, Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to earn a weekend sweep – accomplishing the feat four times (Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway).
• Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway:

Kyle Busch – three wins (2019, 2018, 2005)
Ross Chastain – one win (2023)
William Byron – one win (2023)
Kyle Larson – one win (2021)
Chase Elliott – one win (2020)

• In 56 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Phoenix Raceway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 27 victories – including a sweep of the 2023 events with William Byron (March) and Ross Chastain (November).
• In 107 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 52 victories – a winning percentage of 48.6%.
• With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 866 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 Phoenix Raceway.
• Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Corvette ZR1, Blazer EV RS, Equinox EV, Equinox Activ, Tahoe RST, Silverado 1500 RST, Silverado 1500 Trailboss, Silverado 2500HD, Traverse Z71, Colorado Trailboss.
• Fans can also view William Byron’s No. 24 Camaro ZL1 show car.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

Friday, Nov. 8

· Nick Sanchez: 11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

· Rajah Caruth: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

· Grant Enfinger: 11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

· Bayley Currey, Matt Mills and Stefan Parsons: 11:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.

· AJ Allmendinger: 1 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 9

· Sammy Smith: 12p.m. – 12:15 p.m.

· Justin Allgaier: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

· Shane van Gisbergen & Connor Zilisch: 12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.

· Brandon Jones: 12:45 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 10

· Austin Dillon: 8:45 a.m. – 9 a.m.

· Carson Hocevar: 9 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

· Alex Bowman: 9:35 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.

· Ross Chastain & Daniel Suarez: 9:50 a.m. – 10 a.m.

· Kyle Busch: 10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

· Chase Elliott & Kyle Larson: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

· William Byron: 10:30 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

Friday, Nov. 8: 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 9: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 10: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
 

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 1275
Ford: 1235 (-40)
Toyota: 1227 (-48)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 1193
Toyota: 1138 (-55)
Ford: 1032 (-161)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 825
Toyota: 769 (-56)
Ford: 740 (-85)
 
TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series Championship

Sunday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m. ET

(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship

Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. ET

(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship

Sunday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. ET

(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 BUSCH LIGHT CAMARO ZL1

It’s been a season now that you’ve had Busch Light as a partner, how does that feel?

“It’s been a great year with Busch Light and being with an iconic brand. It’s been a fun year doing all sorts of different things with them and seeing my face places that I never dreamed of seeing it. I’m looking forward to continuing the partnership with them and we have one win this season and we’re hoping to get another this weekend at Phoenix. Obviously, we had success at this race last year and I hope to repeat it.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 7 PARITY WEEK BY GAINBRIDGE CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts heading to Phoenix?

“I enjoy going out to Phoenix. It is definitely a one-of-a-kind race track, and I have always felt comfortable there. I’m excited to see the speed our No. 7 team unloads on Friday. We’ve had speed since I came back to Spire, but something has prevented us from getting the finish we deserved. Hopefully we will get the run we have been looking for heading into the offseason.”

What do you take away from these final six races of the season, and what have you learned going into next year?

“There has been a learning curve for sure, especially in familiarizing myself in the processes and how they execute. Things will obviously be different with Rodney (Childers) and other guys coming in at the end of the year, but it is still good to get inside the building and start to familiarize myself.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1

Do you race the drivers in the Championship 4 any differently at Phoenix? Do you try to give them extra room?

“You definitely don’t want to put yourself in a spot where you take out a Championship 4 contender. It’s important to be mindful of everything going on around you but you’re also not just going to just layover and give positions away.”

How important is it to end this season on a positive note with a strong run at Phoenix?

“I’m not sure that I would put any more emphasis on Phoenix than I would at any other week prior because I think every race is important. Phoenix is a track and this is a race that you want to be ready for when it becomes your turn to be in the Championship 4, so building all of your notes this weekend is really important.”

ZANE SMITH, NO. 71 FOCUSED HEALTH CAMARO ZL1

Last race of the season this weekend, how are you feeling as you head to Phoenix for one last ride with your No. 71 Spire Motorsports Team?

“This track (Phoenix Raceway) is such a special place to me and it’s definitely going to be a bittersweet weekend. I’m proud of my No. 71 Spire Motorsports team for all the hard work they put in this season, especially the second half of the season. We’ve all fought hard to prove what this team is capable of. Huge thanks to Focused Health for all their support this year and I hope that we can get a great result and finish on a high note.”

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 DELAWARE LIFE CAMARO ZL1

You’ve put together some of your best races of the year at tracks like Gateway and New Hampshire, which are similar to Phoenix. How do you expect the weekend to go?

“I like Phoenix. We ran well in the spring and made the second round of qualifying for the first time in my career. We’ve run well at some similar tracks to it, so we have a little bit of a notebook all around heading in. Phoenix is one of the first races next year, so running well is going to be important in getting the momentum rolling to carry into next season.”

The No. 77 team has made significant strides from last season. The team finished 33rd in owner points a year ago, and it looks like the team will finish 21st this year with a nearly identical crew. What will be your key takeaways from the season?

“It’s cool to be the leading rookie contender, and to be where we are in points. We are one spot behind Kyle Busch, who won three races last season and has two championships to his name. Every car ahead of us has had a deep playoff run in recent seasons, so it is cool to be where we are. I’m proud of the work Luke (Lambert) and all the No. 77 crew have done this year, and how far we’ve come this season. We put together the results very quickly. But we are all still hungry and know we can do even better next year. The goal now is to compete for wins and earn a spot in the playoffs.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts on your 2024 season?

“Unless you win the championship you aren’t going to be satisfied. So we aren’t happy with how it went but that doesn’t mean we didn’t have some good moments. We are proud of winning Atlanta, running well, and advancing in the playoffs. But until we come to Phoenix as part of the four drivers battling for the title, we won’t be totally happy. We have a lot of work to do in this off-season. We will take some time to rest, work hard and improve then be ready for 2025.”

 
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:

Total (1949-2023): 42

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

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

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

Drivers Championships:

Total (1949-2021): 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)

2024 STATISTICS:

Wins: 15

Poles: 10

Laps Led: 3,516

Top-Five Finishes: 69

Top-10 Finishes: 143

Stage Wins: 23

· Chase Elliott: 2

· Kyle Larson: 12

· Ross Chastain: 2

· William Byron: 2

· Shane van Gisbergen: 1

· Daniel Suarez: 1

· Kyle Busch: 1

· Alex Bowman: 1

· AJ Allmendinger: 1

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 866 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 753

Laps led to date: 252,671

Top-five finishes to date: 4,367

Top-10 finishes to date: 9,003

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,200

       Chevrolet: 866

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 839                                                           

       Ford: 739

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 189

 

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.

Phoenix Raceway Competition Notes

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (November 6, 2024) – It’s the final race on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, and for Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse team, it’s one final race to capture a win. Boozy Jerky will partner with Gilliland for the event.

Currently, Todd Gilliland sits 23rd in points, having earned four Top-10 finishes and leading 129 laps this season. Gilliland and crew chief Ryan Bergenty head to the Phoenix Raceway looking to capture not only a win, but stage points in hopes of improving their points position.

The NASCAR Cup Series will have practice on Friday, November 8th 6:00 PM ET. Qualifying will take place on Saturday, November 9th at 5:00 PM ET. Fans can watch both sessions on the USA Network. Sunday’s 312-lap event is scheduled for 3:00 PM ET. Fans can watch the race live on NBC or listen in via the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 38 Boozy Jerky Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:

“I like Phoenix, I always have a lot of family come out and support. While I’m excited for the off-season, there’s still work to do this weekend. I’m proud of this 38 team and what we have accomplished. We have had good cars this year that have shown a lot of speed. I think we have a pretty good shot at a solid run this weekend, we just need to qualify up front and execute all race. I think we can do that.”

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

“We’re all excited for the off-season, but we still have one more race left. I want to get on the plane home Sunday knowing we gave it our all and left the Phoenix Raceway with as many points as possible and a good result.”

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. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

COREY LAJOIE | KAZ GRALA
Phoenix Season Finale Advance
Event Overview

● Event: NASCAR Cup Series Season Finale (Round 36 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 10
● Location: Phoenix Raceway
● Layout: 1-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 312 laps/312 miles (502 kilometers)
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 127 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Corey LaJoie, Driver of the No. 51 Mighty Fire Breaker Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 51 Mighty Fire Breaker Ford Mustang Dark Horse, will make his 272nd-career NASCAR Cup Series start in Sunday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway. It will be his 15th start at the 1-mile oval and seventh with Rick Ware Racing (RWR).

● LaJoie’s best Cup Series finish at Pheonix is an 18th-place result earned in the final race of the 2022 season. He also owns two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track with a best result of 22nd in November 2017.

● LaJoie enters the final race of the season with one top-five, three top-10s and nine top-15 finishes. The 33-year-old from North Carolina joined RWR prior to the Sept. 29 race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. He finished 15th in this first start with the team and totaled three top-20 finishes in six starts.

● Mighty Fire Breaker LLC is a leading provider of environmentally safe and sustainable solutions for proactive wildfire defense. The Mighty Fire Breaker portfolio includes EPA Safer Choice Certified Citrotech® wildfire inhibitors, mobile and stationary spray application systems, and GPS-tracking, recording and mapping technologies that support intelligent proactive wildfire defense management practices.

Kaz Grala, Driver of the No. 15 Meat N’ Bone Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Sunday’s race marks Kaz Grala’s 31st-career Cup Series start and his second at Phoenix. The driver of the No. 15 Meat N’ Bone Ford Mustang Dark Horse finished 30th in his debut at the 1-mile track on March 10.

● Grala has five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix, resulting in two finishes inside the top-15 with the best being a 10th-place outing earned in November 2023. He also has two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts with a fifth-place finish earned in his last outing in November 2022.

● In 22 starts this season for RWR, Grala has three top-20 finishes. His best was a 14th-place effort in the Feb. 25 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Grala enters Phoenix with 6,110 of 6,572 available laps completed (93 percent) and an average finish of 28.3.

● Meat N’ Bone is an online butcher shop offering premium quality meats delivered locally and shipped nationally. Customers can order from more than 300 products, including USDA Prime and Wagyu A5, and have it delivered fresh to their door. Meat N’ Bone also offers local pickup and a personalized retail experience in its boutiques.

Rick Ware Racing Notes

● The Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series visited Las Vegas for the penultimate event of the 2024 season and RWR Top Fuel driver Clay Millican made his eighth semifinal appearance of the year. The Drummonds, Tennessee, native went up againt eventual winner Brittany Force in the third round of eliminations, falling short by .0487 of a second. Millican sits sixth in the playoff standings, 93 points out of first, as the series prepares for the NHRA Finals at Pomona (Calif.) Dragstrip Nov. 14-17.

● Rick Ware has been a motorsports mainstay for more than 40 years. It began at age six 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 seat and into fulltime team ownership. In 1995, Rick Ware Racing was formed, and with wife Lisa by his side, Ware has since built his eponymous organization into an entity that fields two fulltime entries in the 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), where RWR won the 2022 SX2 championship with rider Shane McElrath.

Corey LaJoie, Driver Q&A

How would you evaluate your time with RWR and the 2024 season as a whole?

“I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone at Rick Ware Racing. I feel like we’ve had some good races and some tough weekends, but we keep going. As far as the season, it’s about the same. Ups and downs, but we’ve got one more race to go out and have a strong run. I’d like to finish the year on a high note and give everyone something to be proud of.”

Phoenix doesn’t look like a tricky track, but that all changes when the race goes green. What makes it so challenging?

“Like a few other tracks we go to, it can be hard to get your car driving good at both ends. The turns are very different, and then you add in the challenge of restarts and it’s just a lot of layers to putting together a good run. I think we’ve seen good racing at Phoenix recently and we’ll see the same this weekend. And with how Martinsville played out, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a little more hectic than it typically is.”

Kaz Grala, Driver Q&A

How would you evaluate the 2024 season?

“My goal for 2024 was to learn these NextGen cars and be able to maximize our weekend results by the end of the year. I feel like those boxes have absolutely been checked and I’ve been able to get everything out of this second half of this season. I’m looking forward to going back to Phoenix again and ending this year strong with RWR.”

There is a high level of aggressiveness that is often on display at Phoenix. Will you let those drivers competing for a championship have at it, or do you expect to be in the mix and taking the same risks?

“Phoenix certainly rewards pushing hard and taking some risks, so that’s what the plan will be for this weekend. While we’re not in the championship fight, we feel like we have just as much to race for as everyone else does. There’s nothing better than ending a season with a satisfying result. I was able to finish last season with a top-10 at Phoenix, so we have our sights set on capping this year off on a high together once again.”

Harrison Burton’s three-year run as driver of the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 Mustang Dark Horse will come to an end this weekend in the Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.

Burton’s time with the Wood Brothers will be remembered mostly for his performance on Aug. 24, 2024, at Daytona International Speedway when his gutsy charge on the final lap of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 delivered the Woods their 100th Cup Series victory. The win also guaranteed that the Woods will finish at least 16th in the final 2024 points standings due to their inclusion in the Playoffs, where the points were reset for the participants.

“Our Dad got our team’s first win, and Harrison got our 100th in the Cup Series,” Eddie Wood said. “There’s something very special about that.”

A photo of Burton now hangs on the Winner’s Wall in the Wood Brothers Racing Museum in Stuart, Va.

Burton’s photo soon won’t be the museum’s only permanent reminder of that milestone victory. His winning Mustang Dark Horse has been decommissioned and will be put on display at the museum “It’s just like it finished the race at Daytona,” Wood said. “It has the same engine, and it still has all the grit and grime on it.”

That’s just like the Ford that Trevor Bayne drove to victory in the 2011 Daytona 500. It’s on display in the Henry Ford museum, and after all these years still looks just like it did when Bayne pulled off the track after the Woods’ fifth Daytona 500 win in the Cup Series.

Wood said that just as the Daytona 500-winning car driven by Bayne and the victory it delivered have created a strong, lasting connection between Bayne and the team owners, the preservation of Burton’s winning car will do the same for his family’s relationship with their departing driver.

“Everyone who has ever driven for us or worked here remains like family to us,” Wood said. “Having the 100th-win car on permanent display keeps a strong bond between Harrison and our family even though we won’t be racing together.”

But there’s still one more race with Burton behind the wheel of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang Dark Horse, and Wood is hoping they end the season on a positive note.

“Most everyone will be focused on the Championship battle, and we will be pulling for one of the Team Penske drivers to take the title,” Wood said. “As for our team, I’ll be happy with a good, clean run to close out the season, and then we’ll all start focusing on 2025.”

Practice for the season finale is set for Friday at 4:05 p.m. local time (7:05 Eastern Time), and qualifying will be held Saturday at 3:05 p.m. (6:05 p.m. Eastern) with TV coverage for both events on USA Network.

Sunday’s 312-lap, 312-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 1 p.m. (3 p.m. Eastern) with NBC carrying the TV broadcast.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 60 and 185.

About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.”

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services. The company does that through three customer-centered business segments: Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough EVs along with embedded software that defines exceptional digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs. Additionally, Ford is pursuing mobility solutions through Ford Next, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 177,000 people worldwide. More information about the company and its products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.

About Ford Performance
Ford Performance is based in Dearborn, Mich. It is responsible for Ford’s performance vehicle development and major racing operations globally, including NASCAR, IMSA, SRO British GT, FIA World Rally Championship, Supercars Championship, World of Outlaws, Ultra4, SCORE-International, FIA Rally-Raid, Formula Drift, NHRA, Rebelle Rally, Thailand Super Series and our latest commitment in Formula 1 with RedBull Ford Powertrains. Ford Performance also maintains a constantly evolving fleet of electric performance demonstrators to showcase the limits of electrification technology. In addition, the organization also oversees the development of Ford’s racing engines, as well as the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts. For more information regarding Ford racing’s activities, please visit Performance.Ford.com or follow @FordPerformance on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 100 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last eight decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

• In 19 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway, Spire Motorsports has logged two top-20 and three top-25 finishes with nine different drivers. Carson Hocevar earned a team-best 15th-place finish in this season’s first stop for the Cup Series at the famed one-mile paved oval. The Mooresville, N.C., organization fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s on NASCAR’s senior circuit with Justin Haley, Zane Smith and Hocevar, respectively.
• The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race from Phoenix Raceway will be televised live on NBC Sunday, Nov. 10 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The 2024 season finale will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Countdown to Green on NBC will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EST.

Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Parity Week by Gainbridge® Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.
• The Winamac, Ind., racer has recorded seven Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway and secured a Cup Series/venue best 17th-place finish in March 2022 at the iconic one-mile suburban-Phoenix oval. In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, Haley has earned a pair of top-five and four top-10 finishes. In three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN starts, he has notched two top threes, including a runner-up finish in the 2018 season finale. Sunday’s race at Phoenix will mark Haley’s 144th career start in NASCAR’s premier division.
• Gainbridge® created Parity Week in 2023 to celebrate women’s sports. The namesake for the initiative is Gainbridge®’s sister company, Parity, a brand sponsorship platform dedicated to closing the gender income and opportunity gap in professional sports. Parity Week by Gainbridge® was inspired by Billie Jean King, who 50 years ago used a $5,000 check to start the Women’s Sports Foundation®. To learn more, visit paritynow.co/parityweek and follow #ParityWeek on social media.
• This year, Gainbridge® partnered with Parity and the Women’s Sports Foundation® to award 21 grants totaling $150,000 to organizations and athletes nationwide that support girls and women in sports and education. The grant recipients are from 13 states and Washington, D.C.  This November, grant recipients will execute their projects, and other Gainbridge®-sponsored professional events will take place— The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican from November 14 – 17, 2024, and the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge from November 13 – 20, 2024.
• In total, Parity Week by Gainbridge®  has awarded 21 grants and $150,000 in total funding. There are 13 states represented amongst the grant recipients. Parity Week by Gainbridge was inspired by King, who, 50 years ago, used a $5,000 check to start the Women’s Sports Foundation.
• Spire Motorsports will host four Parity athletes at this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race Weekend. Ashleigh Johnson and Whitney Dosty will be in attendance on Friday while Sam Bosco and Emily Sisson will be guests of the team on Sunday. Johnson – considered to be the best goalie in the world – is a three-time Olympian and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist. She is the first African American woman to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Water Polo Team. Dosty is a two-time Paralympian Gold Medalist in sitting volleyball and a two-time World Championship medalist. Bosco is a 2024 Paralympian Cycling Gold-Medal winner and World Champion. Sisson is a two-time Olympian who set the American Marathon Record in Chicago in 2022.
• Gainbridge® has sponsored an LPGA event since 2017 and over the last three years, the company has focused on increasing its investment in women’s sports. Gainbridge® is aligned with elite women athletes Annika Sorenstam, Billie Jean King, and Caitlin Clark. Gainbridge® is the title sponsor of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge and signed Clark to a multi-year brand ambassador deal in February 2024. Gainbridge® is also the naming rights sponsor of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which is home to the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. Both Gainbridge® and Parity are subsidiaries of Group 1001.
• Founded in 2018, Gainbridge® is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone, no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Its platform provides access to financial products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge® is headquartered in Zionsville, Ind. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.io or follow and connect with us on X and LinkedIn. 
• Haley has collected one NASCAR Cup Series victory, four NASCAR Xfinity Series checkered flags and three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins, making him one of just 41 drivers in history to have earned victories across all three of NASCAR’s National Touring Series.
• The 25-year-old is a veteran of 143 Cup Series starts and has notched one win, five top fives, 16 top 10s and led 103 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.
• In last weekend’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Haley started 30th, but handling difficulties left him a lap down and 29th in the final rundown.
• In total, Haley has made 41 Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports, with the bulk of races coming during the 2021 season behind the wheel of the team’s No. 77 machine. He made his first Cup Series start at Phoenix Raceway March 14, 2021 where he started 29th and finished 24th.
• Haley has signed a multi-year agreement with Spire Motorsports and will pursue NASCAR Cup Series championship honors behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevy in 2025.
• The veteran racer recorded top 10s at Darlington Raceway (May), Worldwide Technology Raceway (June) at Talladega Superspeedway (Oct.) this season. He has paced the field for 30 laps and completed 99.3 percent of the laps contested in 2024.
• The four-time Xfinity Series race winner made his NCS debut for Spire Motorsports on April 28, 2019 at Talladega Superspeedway on his 20th birthday. He picked up both his and the team’s first win – an upset of practically unprecedented proportions – less than three months later in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro.

Justin Haley Quotes
What are your thoughts heading to Phoenix?
“I enjoy going out to Phoenix. It is definitely a one-of-a-kind race track, and I have always felt comfortable there. I’m excited to see the speed our No. 7 team unloads on Friday. We’ve had speed since I came back to Spire, but something has prevented us from getting the finish we deserved. Hopefully we will get the run we have been looking for heading into the offseason.”
What do you take away from these final six races of the season, and what have you learned going into next year?
“There has been a learning curve for sure, especially in familiarizing myself in the processes and how they execute. Things will obviously be different with Rodney (Childers) and other guys coming in at the end of the year, but it is still good to get inside the building and start to familiarize myself.”

Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Zane Smith will make his final NASCAR Cup Series start of the season Sunday at Phoenix Raceway driving the No. 71 Focused Health Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports. This weekend marks Smith’s third Cup Series start at the one-mile oval.
• So far in Smith’s rookie season, he has secured two top-five, four top-10 and 14 top-20 finishes.
• Smith is no stranger to Phoenix Raceway where he logged a victory and three top fives in four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts, and a fifth-place finish in his only Xfinity start at the legendary raceway. Smith clinched the 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series title with a win at Phoenix.
• Smith will carry the No. 71 primary sponsor, Focused Health, Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Focused Health is a National Health Insurance agency founded by industry veterans with over 60 years combined industry experience. Primarily focused on the government programs space, Focused Health partners with payors and employers to deliver health insurance solutions for individuals and families. For more information visit AtFocusedHealth.com.
• Crew Chief Stephen Doran has won five Cup Series races at Phoenix Raceway with Kevin Harvick at Stewart-Haas Racing. During his time at Stewart-Haas, Doran recorded 20 top 10s with Harvick at the track.

Zane Smith Quotes
Last race of the season this weekend, how are you feeling as you head to Phoenix for one last ride with your No. 71 Spire Motorsports Team?
“This track (Phoenix Raceway) is such a special place to me and it’s definitely going to be a bittersweet weekend. I’m proud of my No. 71 Spire Motorsports team for all the hard work they put in this season, especially the second half of the season. We’ve all fought hard to prove what this team is capable of. Huge thanks to Focused Health for all their support this year and I hope that we can get a great result and finish on a high note.”

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Carson Hocevar will pilot the No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.
• Last weekend at Martinsville Speedway, the Cup Series Rookie-of-the-Year contender qualified 27th. After racing his way to the 13th position, contact with another car sent him spinning, ultimately leaving him a lap down, and 25th at the race’s conclusion.
• In the Cup Series March trip to the Arizona desert, Hocevar reached the second round of qualifying for the first time in his young career and rolled off the starting grid 10th. He converted the fifth-most quality passes in the field (103) en route to a 15th-place finish.
• Hocevar has five CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts under his belt at Phoenix. He collected two top 10s, highlighted by a ninth-place finish in the 2022 season finale.
• The youngest Cup Series driver in the field ranks 21st in the division’s championship point standings, leading the Sunoco Rookie of The Year standings by 101 points. Over the course of the season’s first 35 races, he’s notched one top-five, six top-10 and 13 top-15 finishes.
• Delaware Life Insurance Company (“Delaware Life”) has made its mission to deliver pure value to its network of financial professionals with a set of tools and products that help them empower their clients to plan for retirement with confidence. Delaware Life’s focus is delivering a seamless experience that gives clients exactly what they’re looking for: the comfort of understanding, the confidence of transparency, and streamlined products without needless features. Learn more at www.delawarelife.com
• Crew chief Luke Lambert is quite familiar with Victory Lane at Phoenix Raceway. He earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory with Ryan Newman in the spring of 2017. He also called Noah Gragson’s triumph in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Phoenix in the spring of 2022.
• The No. 77 crew clocked an 8.29 second pit stop two weeks ago at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It stands as the fastest four-tire pit stop in series history.
• Fans can see Carson Hocevar at the NASCAR Experience Stage in the fan zone on Sunday at 8:45 a.m.
• Hocevar will be participating in a 15-minute Q&A at the Chevrolet Display in the fan zone on Sunday at 9 a.m.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
You’ve put together some of your best races of the year at tracks like Gateway and New Hampshire, which are similar to Phoenix. How do you expect the weekend to go?
“I like Phoenix. We ran well in the spring, and made the second round of qualifying for the first time in my career. We’ve ran well at some similar tracks to it, so we have a little bit of a notebook all around heading in. Phoenix is one of the first races next year, so running well is going to be important in getting the momentum rolling to carry into next season.”

The No. 77 team has made significant strides from last season. The team finished 33rd in owner points a year ago, and it looks like the team will finish 21st this year with a nearly identical crew. What will be your key takeaways from the season?
“It’s cool to be the leading rookie contender, and to be where we are in points. We are one spot behind Kyle Busch, who won three races last season and has two championships to his name. Every car ahead of us has had a deep playoff run in recent seasons, so it is cool to be where we are. I’m proud of the work Luke (Lambert) and all the No. 77 crew has done this year, and how far we’ve come this season. We put together the results very quickly. But, we are all still hungry and know we can do even better next year. The goal now is to compete for wins and earn a spot in the playoffs.”
From the Top of the Box

Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports competition director and crew chief for driver Justin Haley and the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro in the NCS.
• Sparks has led the efforts for Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team since 2021.
• Sparks will focus solely on Competition Director’s duties following the 2024 season.

Stephen Doran – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Stephen Doran is in his first full season as a Cup Series crew chief leading Zane Smith and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team.
• In 2006, Doran got his start in NASCAR at Petty Enterprises.
• Prior to his arrival at Spire Motorsports, Doran worked at Stewart-Haas Racing as an engineer, most recently on the No. 4 car driven by Kevin Harvick.

Luke Lambert – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Luke Lambert is the crew chief for Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 team with 2024 NCS Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Hocevar.
• The 2005 North Carolina State graduate has led the competition efforts for some of the sport’s most notable names including Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Chris Buescher.
• In 2014, Lambert led Newman to a berth in the Championship 4, and ultimately a runner-up finish in the NCS championship point standings.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2024, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Justin Haley, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The team also fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth drives the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Silverados in the No. 77.

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on April 12, 2024, when Kyle Busch took the checkered flag in the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Phoenix Raceway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (November 6, 2024) – The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Phoenix Raceway, for the final race of the 2024 season for Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team.

This will be the Glendale, AZ native’s 28th start at the track as he looks to improve on his 8th-place finish in the spring, his best at Phoenix. In his last two starts, McDowell has two consecutive Top-10 finishes (9th in 2023, 8th in 2024).

McDowell and the No. 34 team will have Love’s Travel Stops and their truck care partner, Fleetguard, on the car this weekend. A global leading filtration brand within the Atmus Filtration Technologies portfolio, Fleetguard offers a full suite of filtration products for nearly all makes of vehicles and equipment across the truck, bus, agriculture, construction, mining, marine and power generation vehicle, and equipment markets.

Fleetguard heavy-duty filters give customers the ultimate protection for all their equipment. With availability in more than 45,000 independent aftermarket retail outlets globally, including approximately 5,800 locations in North America, Fleetguard products are available where customers need them and are backed by the competitive Fleetguard warranty.

The NASCAR Cup Series track activity will begin Friday, November 8th with practice at 6:00 pm ET with qualifying on Saturday, November 9th at 5:00 pm ET, both on the USA Network. The Championship Race will be Sunday, November 10th at 3:00 pm ET. Fans can watch the action live on NBC or listen via the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 34 Love’s / Fleetguard Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“It’s always great to race at Phoenix in front of so many family members and friends. This season, the improvements we’ve made have really been a team effort from everyone at Front Row Motorsports. We ran well here in the spring, so I’m confident we can put our Love’s Travel Stops / Fleetguard Ford Mustang Dark Horse up front.”

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“I’m looking forward to getting to Phoenix this weekend, we’ve had some good results there the past few races. I’m proud of what we have accomplished at Front Row Motorsports this season. I am proud of this team and Michael. We really grew together and showed that we can be competitive every weekend. Hopefully we can find more speed and get a good result to end the season on a high note.”

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. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.