Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Ford Atlanta 1 Media Availabliity
Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Zane Smith, driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse, is coming off a sixth-place finish in Sunday’s Daytona 500, a race that also saw him win the first stage. Smith, who sits fourth in the point standings after one event, spoke about The Great American Race and what he’s looking forward to this weekend at EchoPark Speedway.

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse – YOU’VE HAD A COUPLE DAYS TO LOOK BACK AT THE 500. WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU FELT YOU COULD HAVE DONE TO CHANGE HOW THAT RACE FINISHED? “So many thoughts run through your head after the race and you’re waiting to see a replay of what fully unfolded, and, to me, I felt like we were in a great position throughout the day and throughout the race. Ultimately, I found myself behind the 9 after that wreck unfolded down in turns one and two. NASCAR, I feel like, has done a good job of letting us race back to the line if it’s safe. There was no hesitation of lifting there and I got connected with the 9 pretty well. I just remember glancing in my mirror and seeing a lot of separation in the cars. I honestly just kind of thought it was about a five-car breakaway and kind of unorganized and was just mainly focused on the 9 at first, and then I think we were trying to get clear of the 45. The 9 did a good job of keeping me connected and we hooked up well down the backstretch and then my goal was just to kind of get us two away and what it looked like from my seat a lot of things were unorganized, so my goal was to shove him out and get him into a position to where he’s got no momentum and kind of a sitting duck, and then hopefully a momentum shift into my hands. I just tried to somewhat back up to get some help for the front stretch and he was really well prepared for that, obviously, and it was just a little bit too much of a momentum shift from both of our ends. I thought it was just the 45 mainly behind me. I didn’t know the 35 was that close to him and it was just perfectly timed for them of where there was a momentum shift on our end and those two were hooked up pretty good. At that time, I was just kind of hoping. I didn’t know what Fords were up there, but I think the 22 and the 6, and hoping that they would maybe pick my up, but there were coming with a lot of momentum. A block on the 45 ran through my head, but he was coming a lot faster and then you kind of think, ‘Man, do I keep pushing the 9?’ From my seat, it was really hard to stay connected from when I landed in turns three and four. I got super tight and the car did not want to turn well and just naturally there was some separation there, so regardless I don’t think I could have stayed that connected to him. Fortunately, I’m not wired that way to just push someone across the line and not go for a Daytona 500 win. If I knew the 45 and the 35 were as connected as they were, I don’t know, I guess maybe try to shove the 9 or stay as close as I can down the front stretch and hopefully them two are really connected and a bad block or two gets thrown into the equation and maybe I could go bottom or something, but that’s so hard to say. The odds are kind of stacked where I had to stay in second and wait for the 45 to come with a huge run. Who knows what happens, so I was trying to control my own destiny and try to back up to help as we did all day, and I feel like anyone would do – not just settle for second in the Daytona 500. I was really proud of my team throughout the whole day. It was really cool to get a stage win and ultimately leave with a great finish and some great points scored. It was just a great car and a lot to be proud of and it just makes me that much more excited for the superspeedways throughout this year and obviously somewhat one this weekend, but I’m gonna be really hungry for a Daytona 500 next year and hopefully we can carry this momentum throughout the year and score a win or two.”

HOW MUCH CONFIDENCE DOES THAT DAYTONA RACE GIVE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS THIS WEEKEND? “There’s definitely a level of confidence, but momentum I feel is the better word for that and it’s really important to just get off to a good start, especially with this new point format. I think I scored 41 points, which is a great day for us, and how our season starts is it’s definitely a superspeedway and somewhat a superspeedway, but what I’m getting at is a lot can go wrong in those two races how you start out, and I think we’ve got a road course next, so just a strong start is so important to get those valuable points and hopefully carry that into these more normal racetracks coming up, like Phoenix and Vegas, where hopefully we have some of that positive momentum still going where you get to go out later in qualifying. That goes a long way and just carry that throughout the year. There’s a long way to go, but definitely I feel like there’s a confidence booster there throughout the whole team and the depth of the team, of the speed that we brought, and just how our race played out. I feel like there’s a lot of confidence there, but more so a momentum shift in a good way to start the year.”

FUEL SAVING AT DAYTONA IS A BIG TOPIC THESE DAYS. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THE RACING WE’VE SEEN AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT’S BEEN PUT OUT THERE SOMETHING YOU LIKE? “I don’t really have an opinion to give on that because I feel like I don’t have enough experience of what it used to be. I’ve obviously raced in the Truck Series where fuel-saving isn’t really a thing and you’re just battling throughout the whole stage, which is fun, but I just feel like in every situation we’re always gonna be trying to save more fuel than the next guy, so I don’t know the solution to that. From a tire fall off standpoint, I don’t want to speak for everyone else, but at the end of the stages my car was a complete handful, and then with the combination of the wind, it looked like a lot of guys had their hands full, so I don’t know if that’s the answer to everything. Like, more power? I don’t know about that. I felt like it was somewhat like the other fuel-saving races, but at the same time I felt like there were more people in different situations. I remember there were a couple guys who could possibly make it to the very end there and that kind of changed the strategy for everyone. All of our teams and everyone is communicating that, so the pace got picked up. I just feel like people maybe have to understand the strategy side more of that. They’re definitely not the most fun thing to find yourself just riding in line and trying to save more fuel than the next guy, but I don’t know the answer to that and I don’t really have an opinion to give. I’ll leave that up to the guys who have been doing this a lot longer than me.”

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT DRIVERS WILL GENUINELY FEEL BAD FOR ANOTHER DRIVER, AND IS THERE AN EXAMPLE WHERE SOMETHING HAPPENED AND YOU FELT BAD FOR ONE OF YOUR COMPETITORS? “Yeah. I definitely feel like we’re all selfish, but I certainly felt bad for Denny Hamlin this year in the championship. That’s painful, and that’s a long career he’s had with a lot of success and a lot of wins and in contention to win one. I forgot what it was, but he was like literally one lap to go with plenty enough of a lead to go win his first championship and with everything going on in his life, I felt that one for him. But, that’s racing. A lot of us, I feel like, go through a lot of ups-and-downs and it’s always the one that never gives up will ultimately win in the end. In that situation, that’s the first one that comes to mind for me.”

IS IT RARE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF EMOTION AS A RACE CAR DRIVER? “It’s certainly rare and it’s hard to have close friends in this industry because we’re all competing against each other every week. In that scenario where I’m not competing for a championship and I don’t have a teammate that’s competing for it, you kind of see what unfolded at the end of the race and you’re like, ‘Holy cow.’ You kind of try to put yourself in his shoes and it’s hard to fathom with what he’s accomplished, but you try your best to put yourself in his shoes and that was painful for him, especially with just going back to everything that unfolded in his personal life throughout the offseason. I feel he deserved that, but that’s my opinion. It doesn’t matter. He’s had a lot of success in this sport, and I feel he should definitely have a championship, or multiple, and, unfortunately, things just haven’t gone his way, but that is literally the definition of racing.”

YOU AND YOUR TEAM STEPPED UP YOUR PERFORMANCE AND CONTINUED THAT IN DAYTONA. DID ANYTHING HAPPEN IN THE OFFSEASON TO KEEP THAT MOMENTUM GOING? “Yeah, I feel like the easy thing that stands out to me is the chemistry that we got to have throughout the year. I spoke about this a lot throughout our couple media days that this is my second year with this team and that’s a really valuable thing to have in our industry and our sport. I haven’t really had that since the Truck Series. You look at these guys on Sunday that have a lot of success each and every week, when you look at their whole team, a lot of it is the same guys. I feel like that chemistry of working alongside of each other, I feel like speed naturally comes. Everything throughout the race weekend flows a little bit smoother and I feel like it’s a product of some of that. It’s the second year working with my spotter. I feel like we’ve communicated great. It’s a combination of things, but I feel like the easy answer is a year of experience together and we’re off to a strong start.”

COTA FOLLOWS ATLANTA AND THERE’S A NEW PACKAGE FOR THE CARS. DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN OR IS IT MORE OF AN UNKNOWN? “I think tire fall off is definitely gonna be a big thing and the guys that are just naturally smoother and maybe don’t abuse stuff as much as the others will shine later in the race and later in the run, especially if it’s a hot day at COTA. We’ll see, but I’m excited for the changes. It’s always exciting to get to go to COTA, but I’m curious with this change coming up. I feel like when we tested at Wilkesboro I got to feel some of it, but it was also about 30 degrees, I think. It will be a lot different – I feel like it will really stand out if it’s a warmer day.”

BEING FOURTH IN POINTS, DOES THAT CHANGE THE AGGRESSION METER KNOWING THAT IF YOU STAY IN THE TOP 16 IT CHANGES YOUR SEASON? DOES THAT ALTER THE STRATEGY? “To me, I’m looking for my first win, so I’m as hungry as ever and gonna be as aggressive as ever to accomplish that, but, at the same time, I sound like a broken record saying it, but consistency is gonna be everything this year. I feel like those days of guys who maybe have a ton of speed every week and then wreck and not really care because they can, I feel like those days are just long gone. I’m trying to take advantage of that and just maybe try to be smarter and make my bad days not so bad and making my good days good, where we get some stage points like we did and putting ourselves in contention. I feel like that’s all I can do. I would love to be a name in this Chase, but, at the same time, we’re taking it one week at a time and just trying to roll with them on that.”

IS THERE A BETTER WAY OF DOING SUPERSPEEDWAY RACING IN THE DAYTONA 500 OR THIS JUST WHAT IT IS? “It’s a combination of both. I feel like anytime we’re gonna race on a superspeedway, no matter what package or anything, there’s a level of luck that’s gonna be involved. I feel like that race at the very end looks completely different if Chase Elliott has a Hendrick car behind him, and it looks completely different if I have a Ford that’s closer to me. It’s so situational on a superspeedway. I think we can do a better job of lowering the luck level that you need to win the Daytona 500, but at the same time, the vibe and how electric it was this past weekend was awesome. That was my fourth Daytona 500 and that was the coolest one I’ve ever been at. That’s what makes it so crazy. The vibe that it brings is electric and you feel that from the moment you start qualifying on Wednesday night and then the amount of people that are there Sunday at driver intros is just next level, so that part is what makes it so special. So, I think it’ll always be that way, but I feel like we could certainly do something. I don’t know what to lower that amount of luck you need to win the Daytona 500, but I feel like what you could do from a driver standpoint is consistently put yourself in contention and hope eventually that one goes your way.”

HAVE YOU HAD THE DISCUSSION IN PREPARING FOR ATLANTA ABOUT HAVING FORD HELP THROUGHOUT THE RACE? “There hasn’t been any of it, yet. I don’t want to speak for the other manufacturers, but there was a ton of communication this past week and I feel that all of the Fords worked well together. It’s just that it’s coming to the end of the Daytona 500. It’s tough to get us all in line in a perfect world, and then talking about Atlanta it’s just a whole other animal. The runs are gonna be 10 times as big and you’re gonna do something with it. You can play teamwork some in the stages, but it gets pretty tricky and sometimes you don’t want to do too much or else you can get you and all of your teammates and all of your other Fords in a bad situation of just trying to make it a perfect world for everybody. I feel like there’s definitely some good teamwork to discuss for the stages and hopefully scoring some stage points amongst us, but at the end of the race at Atlanta is always crazy with the amount of runs that you get and it’s just constant sliders. You’ve got to do something with your run or else you get passed, so I don’t know how you control that for a whole race without getting wrecked or getting yourself in a bad spot. I might get proven wrong, but until then I’m gonna do something with my run.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
EchoPark Speedway
February 21-22, 2026

NASCAR is set to face yet another weekend of superspeedway-style racing as all three national touring series will head south to the suburbs of Atlanta to take on the 1.54-mile oval of EchoPark Speedway.

Chevrolet Newsroom

The tripleheader weekend will kick-off with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) on Saturday afternoon, where the event’s defending winner, Kyle Busch, will return to the seat of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet to make his first NCTS appearance of the season. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS) will then take its turn later that evening as Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill looks to continue to stack onto his already impressive superspeedway stats with back-to-back victories to open the 2026 season. Rounding out the weekend on Sunday is the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), with hometown hero, Chase Elliott, looking for redemption after a heartbreaking end to his pursuit for his first Harley J. Earl trophy last week at Daytona.

Entering its fifth season of competition on the track’s reconfigured surface, Chevrolet continues to be the only manufacturer to find victory lane in all three national divisions – entering the weekend with five NCS wins, six NOAPS wins and three NCTS wins.

Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at EchoPark Speedway:

The 2022 NASCAR season saw a new evolution of racing at EchoPark Speedway with a complete reprofiling that saw the 1.54-mile venue produce superspeedway-style racing. The Bowtie brand quickly made a statement with the pair of Hendrick Motorsports teammates, William Byron and Chase Elliott, driving Chevrolet to a sweep of the track’s two dates that season. Now, with four seasons complete on the configuration, Chevrolet has paid at least one visit to victory lane at EchoPark Speedway each year – most recently by Georgia native, Elliott, in the series’ most recent appearance at the track (June 2025). Among Chevrolet’s other notable triumphs at the track includes Daniel Suarez’s victory two years ago – an ending that went down in history as the closest three-wide finish in NASCAR’s top division.

ELLIOTT EYES REBOUND AT HOME

Coming off of Turn Four to the checkered flag, Chase Elliott sat in the catbird seat with hist first Harley J. Earl trophy in reach. But in true Daytona fashion, a crash in the tri-oval saw the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team take home a fourth-place result. Despite a heartbreaking end to his Daytona Speedweek, the 2020 champion proved to be a contender all week long. With a top-10 qualifying effort, Elliott went on to capture the win in Duel No. 2 to secure a second-row starting position for the 68th running of the DAYTONA 500. Amassing a 33-point day, the 30-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native will head to his home track sitting third in the driver’s points standings.

What better way to get redemption than in front of a hometown crowd. Elliott already has the momentum on his side – returning to the Georgia venue as the track’s most recent winner (June 2025). The victory made Elliott just the third two-time winner on the track’s superspeedway-style configuration, joining the company of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, William Byron, and Joey Logano. Elliott also paces the series with a best average finish of 11.357.

 STATEMENT SEASON-OPENER IN THE NOAPS

Coming off a record season in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Chevrolet picked up right where it left off with a near-dominate performance at Daytona International Speedway. With a front-row sweep in qualifying courtesy of the pair of Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet’s, Austin Hill went on to take both stage wins en route to the organization’s fifth-straight season-opening race win. On top of the victory, the manufacturer led all but two laps of the event with seven Team Chevy drivers tallying a combined 118 laps led. At the checkered flag, it was the Bowtie brigade that swept the top-20 positions of the final running order – a feat accomplished by 11 different organizations that are competing under the Chevrolet banner.

RCR Continues to Stun on Superspeedways

The Richard Childress Racing stable is always a frontrunner at drafting-style tracks, and the start of the 2026 season proved no difference. Once again, ECR power prevailed in qualifying at Daytona with the teammates, Austin Hill and Jesse Love, taking the top-two positions on the speed chart. The duo went on to lead 87.5 percent of the laps en route to the organization’s fifth consecutive win in the series’ season-opening event – a feat that ties the record previously set by Dale Earnhardt Inc. (1990-1994).

Hill quickly found his footing post-reconfiguration of EchoPark Speedway – earning wins in five of the series’ past eight races at the venue. His most recent came one year ago in the track’s spring date – a victory that was solidified by an impressive 146 of 163 laps led. Returning to his stomping grounds, Hill has the perfect opportunity to add onto his already storied superspeedway legacy with last weekend’s victory bringing his career total to 11 victories on the series’ drafting-style tracks.

BUSCH IS BACK

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winningest driver, Kyle Busch, will climb back behind the wheel of a Silverado RST this weekend for his first of eight starts in the series this season. A 67-time NCTS winner, Busch’s most recent trip to victory lane in the series came one year ago at EchoPark Speedway. Since pairing with Spire Motorsports for his NCTS effort over the past two seasons, the 40-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada, native has scored three wins, five top-fives and six top-10s in 10 starts.

STENHOUSE JR. WITH STRONG NCTS DEBUT

Fresh off a strong sixth-place finish in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will return to the reigns of the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet for back-to-back double-duty efforts. The 38-year-old Olive Branch, Mississippi, native is coming off another masterful superspeedway performance – coming just one spot short of his second DAYTONA 500 title. While it might be his first NCTS start at EchoPark Speedway, Stenhouse Jr. has proven to know his way around the 1.54-mile Georgia venue – earning top-six results in each of the Cup Series’ visits to the track last season.

 
BOWTIE BULLETS:

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

Chase Elliott – two wins (July 2025; July 2022)

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

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

Daniel Suarez – one win (Feb. 2024)

· In 123 NASCAR Cup Series races held at EchoPark Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 46 victories. Since the reconfiguration of the 1.54-Georgia venue prior to the start of the 2022 season, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer to reach victory lane in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions – leading the way with five NCS wins, six NOAPS and three NCTS wins.

· Since the debut of the Next Gen Cars in 2022, Chevrolet has won 13 of the 25 superspeedway-style races in the NASCAR Cup Series – recorded by seven drivers from four different Chevrolet teams:

· In 145 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 67 victories – a winning percentage of 46.2%.

· Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.

· With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 881 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

 
TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series

Autotrader 400

Sunday, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m. ET

FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series

Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250

Saturday, Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. ET

CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Fr8 Racing 208

Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1:30 p.m. ET

FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

What is your most memorable moment racing in Atlanta?

“Before I ever drove, I went and watched a race that Kyle Busch won, I think it was 2008. Another memorable moment was backing up to Christopher Bell off turn two to get some energy to make a run for the win on big Will Byron.”

What is the key to winning at Atlanta?

“At EchoPark Speedway, to finish first, first you must finish. We’ve seen big crashes with the new reconfiguration. So my goal is to have air in all four tires and have them pointed somewhat in the right direction toward the end of the race to give us a shot at the win.”

Are you looking forward to EchoPark Speedway after Daytona?

“Having one race under the belt with my new crew chief, Brandon McSwain, is great. I feel like everything went well in Daytona. We don’t have any practice at Atlanta but I’m confident the car will be good. It’ll be a little more traditional weekend at EchoPark since we aren’t there for a week (laughs), but it’s great to have the season started and get back into a routine. It’s the first Wendy’s paint scheme of the year which is cool. They always have fun promotions in their app so I hope everyone takes advantage of them.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

EchoPark Speedway changed a lot with the repave and the reconfiguration, but how has it changed since? Where are we with the evolution?

“I think EchoPark Speedway is gaining character from the winters, and just the passing of time. That place is so banked, and you’re starting to find little bumps and stuff that were in it from the beginning that are getting bigger. It’s a cool style of racing. It’s a lot different than what we all envisioned a repave of EchoPark Speedway would be, I think. It’s speedway racing but with an important handling component. Handling is going to become more and more important as the track wears. I had a lot of fun in previous races there, even though we’ve been caught up in some messes.”

It’s very easy to get caught up in somebody else’s problems at EchoPark Speedway…

“It seems like it is, because two years ago that was probably the best car I’ve had going there. We were just riding along and the wreck happens and you’re in it. I mean, if you’re within a car length, it’s very tough to get away from the wreck at EchoPark Speedway.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

How do you view Atlanta? Is it a superspeedway or an intermediate racetrack?

“I don’t think it’s either in my opinion. I think it’s a hybrid track and the reason why I like it so much is because it is very different. It doesn’t race like a 1.5-mile track but it also doesn’t race like a superspeedway, either, because everything happens so quick. The way the track is built, the speed in the corners, the banking is just completely different when you compare it to another 1.5 mile track, for example, Kansas Speedway. So, the way I see it, yes maybe on paper people call Atlanta a superspeedway with that style of racing, but to me it’s a hybrid.”

How mentally taxing is Atlanta compared to other tracks?

“Atlanta is very mentally exhausting. At most 1.5-mile tracks, you usually get some space after five or 10 laps to move around, and at superspeedways, it’s intense but mostly in the first 15 laps. At Atlanta, you never get space—you can’t relax or reset. Even running 25th, it’s still super intense. You have to go full speed and constantly learn and adjust during the race. There’s no time to think about what just happened because everything happens so fast.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Talk about racing at EchoPark Speedway and what it’s like.

“EchoPark Speedway is an entirely different track than what it used to be. No more old age asphalt and running and strategy to have the best tires at the end. It’s a speedway race. It’s all everybody on top of one another and there’s a lot of chess matches going on. So trying to figure out the best lane to be in, where you want to be on that last lap, do you want to be leading, do you want to be second, it just kind of depends on the situations and the runs and the energy that is happening behind you from the other cars to push you forward.”

Talk about the chaotic nature of racing in Atlanta.

“Atlanta has gotten pretty chaotic, anything can happen. Any moment, we’re pushing each other, bumping each other, and more times than not we’re crashing down the straightaways. It’s a tricky little racetrack because it’s a mile-and-a-half. So the superspeedway aspect of it, at a mile-and-a-half, the speed sensation is so much higher. So, it’s really a fun place to race, but yet a big challenge on the drivers.”

How do you balance the aggression of racing there, and surviving?

“You want to be aggressive at Atlanta because you want to get up towards the front. You want to make those moves to get yourself in position, and everybody else is also trying to do that, so you got 30-40 drivers vying for that number one position, and it gets a little bit hectic. But, you know, you’ve got to wait. It’s a long race, you can’t be wrecking and piling up 30 something cars in Turn 3 in the first stage it just makes zero sense. So trying to find a way to make it through the wrecks and not get caught up in one.”

Do you like just getting up and rolling, or would you prefer some practice when it comes to speedway racing?

“I would like practice. I feel like us being able to get out there, make a couple of runs and shake things out, finalize your heights and put everything where you want it to be, and then go qualify. I feel like that’s okay, we’re talking 20 minutes of practice we get every week anyway, so let’s just do it.”

Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Thoughts after Daytona?

“I’m really happy after Speedweeks. We showed great speed in every session and race. A top-15 after everything that went on Sunday around us is pretty good. Our team worked well together, communicated like we should and had a really good strategy. We have some things to clean up on the execution side, but I know we will fix that. I expect we’ll run well this Sunday in Atlanta.”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

“It’s kind of a quasi-superspeedway, I mean everybody’s running in a pack, and it’s intense. It definitely feels as fast inside the race car as the racetrack looks from the outside. It’s probably one of the most intense races we have, mentally and even somewhat physically.

In the past, we’ve had good cars there and some strong finishes. At the end of the day, it’s the same deal, put yourself in the right position, try to miss the wrecks, and hopefully go there, be strong, and execute the race weekend the way we need to.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

“Coming out of Daytona with a second-place finish gives our whole team a lot of confidence heading into Atlanta. We had a fast race car, executed well, and that momentum is something we want to keep building on. Atlanta races a lot like a superspeedway now, so drafting, track position, and making smart decisions all day are going to be important. Having Chef Boyardee on the car makes it even more fun and we’re ready to go fight for another strong finish.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

“Hendrick Motorsports had a strong showing in Daytona, which is really positive to see with the new Chevrolet body. Obviously, for our No. 48 Ally team, being in the wrong place at the wrong time ended our day early last weekend. With what we saw out of the car, we’re ready to get to Atlanta, another drafting track, and see what we can accomplish. We have shown speed there, had good runs in the past and we’ll look to continue building on that.”

Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet

“At Atlanta, you’re laser-focused on the racetrack and what’s going on directly in front of you. You don’t have time to think or even breathe. It’s more difficult than Daytona in that regard.

Atlanta takes superspeedway racing to the extreme, where we’re drafting on an even smaller, tighter track. It makes the margin of error razor thin, almost non-existent. You’re basically at the whim of everything going on around you.

You want to know that you’ve got a racecar that’s going to stay underneath you as the tires wear off throughout the run. It’s about having a good-handling, well-balanced racecar.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

What did you learn during Atlanta last year that you can use for this weekend?

“I am looking forward to going to Atlanta with B’laster on our Spire Motorsports Chevy.
We obviously had some troubles there on the No. 71 last year and rallied back to the lead lap, but 77 had a great run there at the end of the race; Carson was one of the fastest cars. So, we have a good notebook and good momentum coming off Daytona with having cars that had lots of speed and handled well, now going to another drafting semi-speedway track to hopefully redeem ourselves from Daytona.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

What about the new configuration at Atlanta has clicked for you?

“I’ve been envious and watched a bunch of races at the old bumpy Daytona. Every time I get to run Atlanta it just makes me think about bumpy Daytona where you can draft by yourself. You don’t need anybody. You can just make moves and time things. It’s basically all offense. It just works for me. If this move didn’t work, I’ll get back in line and make the next one. And if that didn’t work, I’ll make the next one. Eventually, one of my six moves is going to work and I’ll gain spots. Ultimately, I’m just smiling the whole time because it reminds me of those nostalgic 2000s era races at Daytona. Atlanta provides the opportunity and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, so that’s the best thing we got.”

How do you balance the disappointment of the finish of last weekend’s Daytona 500 with the optimism of Atlanta this weekend?

“Well we ran second in the Duel on Thursday, and were right where we needed to be on Sunday. We were leading coming to the white, but obviously, things just didn’t work out. I’m not too disappointed knowing we were where we needed to be and there isn’t really anything I could have done to prevent the outcome. If anything, I am more confident for Atlanta this weekend.”

Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

After a busy week in Daytona, are you looking forward to getting back to more normal race weekend at EchoPark Speedway?

“It’s going to be nice to have a nice, short weekend. Atlanta is a really chaotic racetrack. I’ve got Tootsies on my car for the first time which is really cool and getting to experience what it’s going to be like to get in the rhythm of things and understand what it’s like to be a full-time Cup driver and that starts this weekend. It’s going to be a long season but I’m excited for each and every weekend.”

How big of a factor is handling at EchoPark Speedway?

“Every time we go back to EchoPark Speedway it gets harder and harder to hold it wide open around that place. When it’s three-wide and you’re hanging on to your racecar it’s superspeedway racing but your car isn’t handling well it makes for some pretty crazy racing and it’s certainly intense behind the wheel too. Everything happens quicker but it makes for a lot of fun behind the wheel.”

What is the racing like at EchoPark Speedway like in a Cup car?

“You’re on the edge of being flat-out the entire time. It’s very, very close quarters racing and everyone is in a pack. Anything can happen at any time, and we saw that last year. It’s a very exciting race and it opens up a lot of opportunities for guys who maybe don’t have the chance to win every week.”

How much did you learn at Daytona that will help you this week?

“A lot of things, just understanding how these Cup cars race in the draft and just how different they are. It’s a big learning curve for me so figuring that out is crucial. I had a good day in Daytona and learned a lot.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

What does race at EchoPark Speedway compare too? Do you like the racing there?

“It’s kind of like a mile and a half, the way it kind of drives but the racing is one of the most fun ovals, I think. You’re always jockeying for position and trying to put yourself in the right spot. I really like the racing there.”

How intense is it racing there (EchoPark Speedway)? Is it more mental or physical?

“Oh, it’s all mental. You’re trying to think, and I always find myself getting too excited, then you end up going bottom of three, then you have no help down the straights, and you just get shucked back. It’s a real challenge to have patience there.”

Is the drafting hard for you? Or do you feel like you kind of got that down?

“No, I’m still learning and trying to make friends, I guess. People leave you for no reason, or you do something wrong and lose the trust of people. It takes a while to understand how to put your car in the right place.”

 
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturer Championships:

Total (1949-2025): 44

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

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

Most recent: 2025

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

Driver Championships:

Total (1949-2025): 34

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

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

Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)

Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29

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, 2025

Event Victories:

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

2026 STATISTICS:

Wins: 0

Poles: 1

Laps Led: 67

Top-Fives: 2

Top-10s: 2

Stage Wins: 0

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 881 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 767

Laps led to date: 256,801

Top-fives to date: 4,438

Top-10s to date: 9,153

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,215

       Chevrolet: 881

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 847                                                                               

       Ford: 747

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 204

 

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