TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
The Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course is the next stop on the 2024 tour for two of NASCAR’s top divisions, with the 2.28-mile, 17-turn circuit set to host the Round of 12 elimination race for the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. The pivotal postseason doubleheader will determine the eight drivers that will continue in the championship battles for their respective series. Chevrolet is the only manufacturer that has already earned an early berth into the next round in both divisions, with Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith punching a ticket into the Round of Eight in their respective series at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend.
Chevrolet at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course:
In NASCAR’s seven-race history at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, Chevrolet is the only manufacturer with multiple wins in both of NASCAR’s top two divisions, with the Bowtie brand heading to the circuit with four NASCAR Cup Series wins and five NASCAR Xfinity Series wins.
Chase Elliott delivered Chevrolet its first Cup Series victory at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in 2019, with the 28-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native becoming a back-to-back winner at the circuit in his championship-earning season. Following suit of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson took Chevrolet on three-straight trips to victory lane in 2021 en route to his first career championship title. One year ago, it was road course ringer AJ Allmendinger and the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team that drove their Camaro ZL1 to a playoff upset victory.
In the Xfinity Series, Chevrolet earned its first victory at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in the series’ second appearance at the circuit (2019) – courtesy of a win by Kaulig Racing’s Allmendinger. Since then, it has been an all-Chevrolet victory lane for the series’ record books, with the 42-year-old Los Gatos, California, native collecting four-straight triumphs – recorded from 2019 to 2022. Last year, it was JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer that drove his No. 1 Camaro SS to a playoff walk-off win that ultimately brought the young Chevrolet driver one step closer to his first career Championship Four appearance.
By the Numbers on Road Courses:
Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 will mark the 15th traditional road course event in NASCAR’s Next Gen era. The Camaro ZL1 took the checkered flag in two of the three traditional road course events this season – most recently with Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson at Sonoma Raceway (June 2024) to give Chevrolet its ninth road course win in the Next Gen era. Larson is one of six different Team Chevy drivers to earn a road course victory in the Next Gen Camaro ZL1, with others including Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron (two wins); Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger (one win); Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez (one win each); and Tyler Reddick with Richard Childress Racing (two wins).
BYRON HEADS HOME WITH EARLY PLAYOFF BERTH
Enduring yet another challenging, wildcard race in the Round of 12, the four Hendrick Motorsports teammates will head to the organization’s home track with a strong stance in the playoff standings.
William Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet team earned their second consecutive podium finish of the round at Talladega Superspeedway. Pairing the finish with another strong 48-point day, the 26-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native was able to snatch the first ticket into the Round of Eight. Looking to add onto his already 74-point cushion over the playoff cutline, Byron heads to a track where he has found a fair amount of success – earning top-10 results in three of his six career starts at the circuit, including a career-best runner-up finish that came one year ago. A strong finish to conclude the second round will set up what could potentially be Byron’s strongest trio of tracks in the series’ postseason, with the Chevrolet driver being a past winner at all three tracks in the Round of Eight.
Byron’s teammates will also enter the season’s second playoff elimination race with double-digit points cushions. Coming off a career-best superspeedway finish, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Chevrolet team moved up one position to third in the playoff standings with a 52-point advantage over the elimination line. The 32-year-old Elk Grove, California, native is one of just five past winners in NASCAR’s top division at the North Carolina circuit – recorded in his championship-earning season (2021). Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Chevrolet team currently sit fifth in the playoff standings and 26 points above the elimination line. In his five career starts at the North Carolina circuit, the 31-year-old Tucson, Arizona, native has yet to finish outside the top-10, with the driver leading the series with a 6.4 average finish. Rounding out the top-eight of the playoff standings is two-time ROVAL winner Chase Elliott, with the No. 9 Chevrolet team heading into the weekend with a 13-point cushion over the elimination line.
After a pair of tough races for the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team, Daniel Suarez will take on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course from the 10th position in the playoff ranks (-20 points).
Elliott Looking to Tap Previous Road Course Success
Despite still looking for his first road course victory in the Next Gen era, Chase Elliott has earned the reputation as one of NASCAR’s greatest road course racers. The 28-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native has seven career road course victories in NASCAR’s top division to his name to lead all active drivers. Two of those victories have come at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, making the 28-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native the only multi-time winner at the North Carolina circuit. A win on Sunday would not only solidify his spot in the Round of Eight, but also move Elliott to second on the series’ all-time road course wins list, tying NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart with eight. At the top of that list is career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon with nine career Cup Series road course victories.
SMITH SURGES UP THE STANDINGS
A long-awaited NASCAR Xfinity Series victory with the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team finally came to fruition for Sammy Smith last weekend, with the 20-year-old Johnston, Iowa, native making a last-lap pass in his Camaro SS to take the checkered flag at Talladega Superspeedway. Entering the second race of the round at a double-digit deficit to the elimination line, the Chevrolet driver turned what was setting up to be a must-win scenario to advance into a surge to the top playoff standings.
With seven positions left up for grabs in the Xfinity Series Round of Eight, three Chevrolet drivers find themselves sitting above the cutline heading into the Charlotte race weekend. Among those drivers includes the pair of Richard Childress Racing teammates, Austin Hill and Jesse Love, both of which hold a double-digit points cushion.
Rounding out the top-eight of the standings is the series’ most decorated road course racer, AJ Allmendinger, with the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS team sitting plus-seven markers over the elimination line. The 42-year-old Los Gatos, California, native has tallied five career victories in the NASCAR national ranks at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, including four-in-a-row in the Xfinity Series (2019-2022). Allmendinger has recorded 11 career road course victories in the Xfinity Series, earning the record as the only driver in series’ history to produce a double-digit win count on road courses.
Van Gisbergen, Mayer Among Potential Frontrunners
Among the four drivers on the outside looking in includes a pair of Chevrolet road course ringers. Kaulig Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen became a first-time Xfinity Series winner at Portland International Raceway earlier this summer, with the series’ rookie making yet another trip to victory lane just one week later at Sonoma Raceway. The 35-year-old Auckland, New Zealand, native ended the regular season as a three-time winner this season, collecting his third trophy on the left- and right-hand turns of the Chicago Street Course.
JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer may have an uphill battle heading into the elimination weekend, but the 21-year-old Franklin, Wisconsin, native has proven to know how to capitalize on the added playoff pressure. One year ago, Mayer entered the Round of 12 elimination weekend at this very same venue in a similar position. But with a boost of confidence from two road course wins earlier that season, Mayer powered his Camaro SS to a walk-off win at the North Carolina circuit to keep his title hopes alive.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· With 80 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has earned a winning percentage of 48.75% with 39 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – 14 wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – 15 wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – 10 wins).
· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course:
Chase Elliott – two wins (2020, 2019)
Kyle Larson – one win (2021)
AJ Allmendinger – one win (2023)
· In 15 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).
· Chevrolet is the only manufacturer with multiple wins in both of NASCAR’s top two divisions at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, with the Bowtie brand entering the weekend with four wins in six NASCAR Cup Series races and five-straight wins in six NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
· Chevrolet has earned 19 victories in the past 25 NASCAR Cup Series road course events – dating from Chase Elliott’s victory at Watkins Glen International in Aug. 2019, to Kyle Larson’s victory at Sonoma Raceway in June 2024.
· In 14 NASCAR Cup Series road course races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads the series with nine victories – recorded by six drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations.
· Chevrolet has recorded 66 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins on road courses – starting with Buck Baker’s victory at Watkins Glen International in 1957.
· Chevrolet continues to lead its manufacturer competitors with playoff contenders across all three NASCAR national series, with five drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12; eight drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Round of 12; and five drivers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Round of 8.
· In 103 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 51 victories – a winning percentage of 49.%.
· With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 865 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 1134
Ford: 1087 (-47)
Toyota: 1085 (-49)
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 1038
Toyota: 999 (-39)
Ford: 905 (-133)
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 745
Toyota: 703 (-42)
Ford: 670 (-75)
TUNE-IN:
NASCAR Cup Series
Round of 12: Elimination Race
Bank of America ROVAL 400
Sunday, Oct. 13, at 2 p.m. ET
(NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Round of 12: Elimination Race
Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Saturday, Oct. 12, at 4 p.m. ET
(CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 Busch Light CAMARO ZL1
What are your thoughts on the new reconfigured ROVAL at Charlotte?
“From the pictures I’ve seen, it’s definitely changed. There’s some elevation change and it is blind. You can see a car, I believe, but the track falls away steep enough that you can’t really see it. It gives me a little bit of anxiety because I can’t see the road in front of me. I’ll wait to see how it looks in real life but mentally I’m preparing to not be able to see the track in front of me.”
What do you think about the new hairpin and apex in turn 16?
“I’m still learning. The frontstretch chicane actually does not feel as different as I thought it would. Until I feel it in real life, I won’t really know. The hairpin is wild. I’m still getting used to it. I’m plugging laps away on the simulator but I need more laps. It doesn’t feel natural because its new.”
How much work have you put into refining your road course racing?
“So much work has gone into it. Turning right seems simple, but it’s been something that’s been such a challenge for me. I’ve gone to Skip Barber’s Driving School to learn how to turn right. I’ve leaned on Josh Wise and Scott Speed so much. Chevrolet has taken us out to Spring Mountain and has done schooling with Ron Fellows and the instructors there. It wasn’t any one thing, it was just so many years of trying to learn how to do this.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
Larson on the changes made to the Charlotte ROVAL:
“I was able to turn some laps (on the newly configured) ROVAL in the simulator last week. The changes to the track create another passing zone but could also create chaos if drivers make late moves there. With our finish at Talladega, we’re in a much better points position entering this race than years past, but we still have to execute and put together a solid race this weekend.”
JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 7 MATTRESS WAREHOUSE CAMARO ZL1
Spire has had success at the road courses this season. How do you feel jumping in and running your first road course race in your return to the team?
“We feel good heading into the ROVAL. I get excited because I love road courses and it is a lot of fun to race at them. The Spire cars had a lot of speed at Watkins Glen with all three cars finishing in the top 10, so I’m curious to see where we end up this weekend. I feel like the road course stuff is really good and the team is confident about it. I have a road course background myself, and have ran well at the ROVAL throughout my career. We will see how the new configuration mixes things up. The new re-entrance to the oval should open a new passing zone and make for some physical racing. There’s nothing as special as the Charlotte ROVAL.”
You’ve collected great runs at road courses in your career. Why has road racing come so natural to you?
“I grew up Trans Am racing. I was kind of the first to do the NASCAR-Trans Am crossover, and now it is a huge steppingstone for guys like Connor Mosack and Connor Zilisch. I did a bunch of sports car racing when I was younger. I won at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in the Truck Series. I always ran well at the road courses in Xfinity and I have a pair of top fives in the Cup Series at Chicago and the ROVAL. I’ve always been comfortable at those kinds of places.”
KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 LENOVO CAMARO ZL1
There have been changes made to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL configuration. Do you think that will create additional passing zones and improve the quality of racing?
“Anytime there are changes made to a road course I think it is always directed towards creating additional passing zones and improving the quality of racing so hopefully that happens. I think the area of the racetrack before in Turns 6,7 and 8 was always single file, follow the leader, so maybe now you’ll have guys pull out a line and try to make a pass in the hairpin before getting back up on the big track.”
Would you be in favor of changing the course layout of a street course or the ROVAL every few years to mix things up?
“I’m more in favor in going to different, permanent courses then street courses or rovals.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 UNIFIRST CAMARO ZL1
Elliott on the changes made to the Charlotte ROVAL:
“I kind of look at it like it’s a new race track, truthfully. That section of the track is going to change the entire flow of the lap there, so I’ve been kind of approaching it as a new track with my preparation. I’ve spent some time in the simulator, just trying to really memorize the track and where the little bumps are. Typically those track scans are pretty good. I think that’s probably one of the best things about the simulator is that a driver can go and get familiar with the track layout; surface content, roughness, so on and so forth. It’s really about all I feel like I can do until we get some time on-track.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 CELSIUS CAMARO ZL1
“It’s always cool to be able to be the defending race winner. The ROVAL has always been special to me and last year’s race is one that I will never forget. I’m excited to get back in the No. 16 Celsius Chevy; hopefully we can go out there this weekend and do the same thing we did last year to gain some momentum for our team.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CONFETTI CAMARO ZL1
Byron on the importance of running well at Charlotte Motor Speedway, his home track:
“I always enjoy racing at Charlotte. It’s nice being at home for the weekend but it’s also nice to have so many friends and family there to watch as well. I’ve been fighting hard to get a win at my home track. I thought we had a shot at the Coca-Cola 600 this year but weather shortened that. Hopefully we can get it done this time instead. I know it would mean a lot to the company as well since the track is literally in Hendrick Motorsports’ backyard. It should hopefully be a good weekend.”
DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 31 CIRKUL CAMARO ZL1
“It’s hard to beat racing at home, no matter what level. There are so many things that make racing at Charlotte this weekend so special, including the “Window of Hope” program that all the teams have the honor of participating in. I’m excited to have the support of Cirkul, as well as friends and family at my home track.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
Bowman the changes to the Charlotte ROVAL and final race of the Round of 12:
“This weekend on-track at the ROVAL will look a little different with the re-pave. turn seven looks a little bit like you’re making a U-turn on a one-way street, so it’s going to be a little more chaotic for sure. We don’t know how much the simulator is close to real life until you actually go do it, so we’ll see. The 48 is currently sitting good in playoff points, but certainly not close enough for comfort. Our Ally Racing team has been really locked-in throughout the playoffs and we’re going to show up ready to perform in efforts to secure a spot in the Round of 8.”
ZANE SMITH, NO. 71 AMBETTER HEALTH CAMARO ZL1
Are you looking forward to the Charlotte ROVAL this weekend?
“Yes, I really am. I enjoy racing road courses, and I know this isn’t a typical road course but it’s still a pretty fun track. My Spire Motorsports team has had solid runs on road courses this season and I’m confident heading into this weekend. Excited to see how my Ambetter Health Chevrolet stacks up with the rest of the field on Sunday.”
CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 DELAWARE LIFE CAMARO ZL1
You earned a career-best finish last time at a road course, and you will be making your first start at the ROVAL this weekend. How do you expect your day to go?
“I didn’t think we were going to run as good as we have on the road courses this year. Luke (Lambert) and everyone at Spire has put a lot of emphasis on the road course package. I think we can run really good. Not only did the No. 77 team run well at Watkins Glen, but the company got all three cars in the top 10. We have a little bit of a question mark since I’ve never been to the ROVAL, but we look to replicate the speed we had at Watkins Glen.”
How does the change in the layout of the course help you in your first start on the ROVAL?
“The reconfiguration and layout change has taken a little bit away from the guys who have experience there. It allows us to approach it with an open mind and no preconceived notion on how the track should be. On the flip side, the guys who have run there before have a couple major areas of the track in which they have to change their approach. Hopefully it takes them a little bit to forget the old and figure out the new while I am catching up on the other areas of the track!”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 CHOICE PRIVILEGES CAMARO ZL1
How do approach this weekend in Charlotte?
“This is a big week for us. We have already put in a lot of work on Charlotte on the simulator. This ROVAL race is going to be different for sure. I think the changes to the track will create passing zones. Right now, our work is in the virtual world. We are doing this on a simulator. Nobody has been running laps in real life. So we are going to find out what these changes mean on Saturday.”
Are you happy with the changes?
“It’s going to be interesting. I am actually happy. I’m happy that SMI and NASCAR are allowing these changes. We have been racing at the ROVAL for six years and it’s been an amazing race, but changes like these will spice things up even more. I’m happy everyone continues to think outside the box and makes the sport even more exciting.”
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: 14
Poles: 9
Laps Led: 3,016
Top-five finishes: 60
Top-10 finishes: 124
Stage wins: 21
· Chase Elliott: 1
· Kyle Larson: 12
· Ross Chastain: 2
· William Byron: 2
· Shane van Gisbergen: 1
· Daniel Suarez: 1
· Kyle Busch: 1
· Alex Bowman: 1
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 865 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 752
Laps led to date: 252,171
Top-five finishes to date: 4,358
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,984
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,199
Chevrolet: 865
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 837
Ford: 737
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 188
About General Motors
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