TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Michigan International Speedway
August 17-18, 2024
Chevrolet’s drivers and teams in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will head to the Irish Hills of southeastern Michigan this weekend for NASCAR’s annual appearance at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). After sitting idle for nearly a month, the NXS will return to regular season competition in Saturday’s Cabo Wabo 250 to kick off the doubleheader weekend. The NCS will cap off the weekend with the FireKeepers Casino 400, where Chevrolet will be vying to bring the prestigious Michigan Heritage Trophy back to Detroit.
Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway:
Located just outside of Detroit – the home of General Motorsports’ headquarters – Michigan International Speedway has over 55 years of experience hosting NASCAR’s top division, with Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 marking the series’ 107th appearance at the track. Chevrolet’s first NCS victory at MIS came courtesy of Cale Yarborough in June 1977, and the manufacturer has since collected 26 all-time NCS triumphs at the track. Among the list of Chevrolet’s past winners at MIS includes Kyle Larson, who has tallied three wins at the venue throughout his storied career – a record that leads the series’ active drivers.
Battling for the Michigan Heritage Trophy:
An additional award will be up for grabs at the conclusion of Sunday’s 400-mile event: the prestigious Michigan Heritage Trophy. Unique to Michigan International Speedway, the award was introduced to the series in 2013 to recognize and honor the winning manufacturer of each NASCAR Cup Series race. Since its debut, Chevrolet has brought the Michigan Heritage Trophy back to Detroit six times. Jimmie Johnson delivered the Bowtie brand its first trophy in June 2014, with Jeff Gordon (Aug. 2014) and Kurt Busch (June 2015) giving the manufacturer three-straight victories. The honors returned to Chevrolet when Kyle Larson drove the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet to the win – his first in NASCAR’s top division – in Aug. 2016. The Elk Grove, California, native went on to make it three-in-a-row with a sweep of the victories in 2017.
LOOKING BACK ON LARSON’S ‘FIRST’
For Kyle Larson, a trip to ‘Motor City’ in Aug. 2016 ended with the Chevrolet driver becoming a first-time winner in NASCAR’s top division. The victory came in the Elk Grove, California, native’s 99th career NASCAR Cup Series start. Behind the wheel of the No. 42 Chevrolet for car owner Chip Ganassi, Larson led 42 laps en route to the victory over his now Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott. To date, Larson is one of only two drivers in series’ history to claim their first career NCS win at Michigan International Speedway – joining the likes of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett. Returning to the two-mile oval to sweep both NCS races the following season, Larson is one of just 10 drivers to record consecutive wins at MIS.
In addition to his three trips to victory lane, Larson has tallied seven top-fives and nine top-10s in his 15 career NCS starts at MIS. Consistency has been key for the former series champion at MIS over recent seasons – collecting results no worse than seventh in his last four starts at the track.
HOCEVAR HEADS HOME WITH ROOKIE STANDINGS LEAD
Chevrolet’s Carson Hocevar is on the horizon of his first career NASCAR Cup Series start at his home track of Michigan International Speedway this weekend. The 21-year-old Portage, Michigan, native has just one start in the NASCAR national ranks at his home track, which came in a Spire Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series last season.
Hocevar enters the Michigan race weekend with an extra boost of confidence after a strong performance at Richmond Raceway – netting an eighth-place result to match his career-best finish in NASCAR’s top division. The result was enough to move Hocevar to the top of the series’ rookie points standings, with the Chevrolet driver now sitting at a two-point advantage over fellow ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender Josh Berry.
ALLGAIER LOOKING TO CLOSE IN ON REGULAR SEASON TITLE
With a trio of off-weekends in the rearview mirror, the NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to action this weekend with Saturday’s Cabo Wabo 250 – marking the six-race countdown to the end of the series’ regular season. Heading into the Michigan race weekend, eight drivers have already claimed a win and a playoff berth, with five coming from the Chevrolet camp: Kaulig Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen; Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and Jesse Love; and JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier and Sam Mayer.
Earning his 12th top-10 finish of the season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Allgaier was able to maintain the second position in the series’ regular season points standings with a 56-point deficit to reigning champion Cole Custer. The two-mile Michigan oval has proven to be a strong track for the No. 7 JR Motorsports Camaro SS team, with Allgaier tallying three top-fives and seven top-10s in 12 career NXS starts at the track.
Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Michigan International Speedway:
The NASCAR Xfinity Series turned its first laps at Michigan International Speedway in Aug. 1992 – an event that saw Todd Bodine power Chevrolet to the inaugural victory. Since then, the Bowtie brand has reeled off victories in 17 of the series’ 31 appearances at the track – earning a winning percentage of 54.8%. Among those victories includes three-in-a-row by Richard Childress Racing (Austin Dillon – June 2018; Tyler Reddick – June 2019), and most recently, AJ Allmendinger and Kaulig Racing in Aug. 2021.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Chevrolet will pace the field in the doubleheader race weekend at Michigan International Speedway. The Camaro SS will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Saturday’s Cabo Wabo 250, and the Camaro ZL1 will lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400.
· With 60 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has a winning percentage of 51.7% with 31 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – 11 wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – 11 wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – nine wins).
· In 106 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Michigan International Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 26 victories and 27 poles.
· Since the Michigan Heritage Trophy was introduced to the series in 2013, Chevrolet has taken the honor six times, with the last three courtesy of Kyle Larson’s three-peat (Aug. 2016, 2017 sweep).
· NASCAR Cup Series victories by active Chevrolet drivers at Michigan International Speedway:
Kyle Larson – three wins (2016, 2017 sweep)
Kyle Busch – one win (2011)
· In 95 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 48 victories – a winning percentage of 50.5%.
· Team Chevy’s Kyle Larson and William Byron are the only two drivers with a double-digit win record in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen era – each recording 11 victories since the vehicle’s competition debut in 2022.
· With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 862 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 Michigan International Speedway.
- Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Traverse Z71,Tahoe Z71, Silverado 1500 ZR2, Silverado 2500 LTZ Diesel, Colorado Trailboss, Equinox EV RS, Corvette Z06, Equinox, Trax, Silverado EV.
- Fans can also view William Byron’s No. 24 Camaro ZL1 show car.
Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:
Friday, August 16
- Andres Perez: 3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Lavar Scott: 4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
- Connor Zilisch: 4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 17
- AJ Allmendinger: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- Jeremy Clements: 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Shane van Gisbergen: 1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Sunday, August 18
- Zane Smith: 10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
- Daniel Suarez: 11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
- Ross Chastain: 11:25 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.
- William Byron: 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Kyle Busch: 12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
- Friday, August 16: 12 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday, August 17: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Sunday, August 18: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 839
Toyota: 821 (-18)
Ford: 796 (-43)
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 745
Toyota: 708 (-37)
Ford: 644 (-101)
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 603
Toyota: 561 (-42)
Ford: 523 (-80)
TUNE-IN:
NASCAR Cup Series
FireKeepers Casino 400
Sunday, August 18, at 2:30 p.m. ET
(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Cabo Wabo 250
Saturday, August 17, at 3:30 p.m. ET
(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Busch Light Peach Camaro ZL1
What can we expect at the Michigan race?
“There are some unknowns going into Michigan because we only go there once a year. I’ve been there virtually this week with the simulator and we see a lot of speed. This is our third trip there with this car and last year we led some laps there early and were in the mix so we hope that we take more steps forward. We’ve had two at-bats at Michigan with this version of the car and we hope to continue to make our cars faster.”
What is the racing like at Michigan?
“We are always evolving. A lot will depend on the weather. The cooler the temperatures, the more on throttle time we will have and high speeds. We basically want to end the race almost out of fuel and tires about as old as you can stand and still compete for the win. When you lose grip at Michigan there’s no catching it. There’s no sliding – it’s either all grip and going fast or sliding somewhere you don’t want to be.”
Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Garner Trucking Camaro ZL1
You brought home a solid finish in last season’s trip to Michigan. How do you look to build on that this time around?
“Last year we finished 15th and had some speed in our No. 7 Chevy. I’ve had a lot of solid runs there in the past, so I’m looking forward to getting out there. Thanks to Sherri (Garner) and everyone at Garner Trucking for hopping on board this weekend. Hopefully we can bring home a good finish for them.”
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Lucas Oil Camaro ZL1
Is there any track on the schedule that you can compare to Michigan International Speedway? Auto Club Speedway was similar.
“Fontana was the closest just because it was a two-mile racetrack. It was special to win the last Cup race there in our Lucas Oil Camaro, but the asphalt, grip level, and banking level is entirely different between Michigan and Fontana. Kansas has really aged well and has progressive banking from the bottom to the top so you can run all over the racetrack. You can run to the top, right up against the wall for the majority of the day at Kansas. Michigan is not quite there yet. I’m not really sure anywhere compares entirely to Michigan.”
How big of a factor is the draft at Michigan?
“Over the last couple of years with this new Next Gen car, the draft at Michigan has become less effective in my opinion. These cars don’t quite suck up on the straightaways the way the old cars could.”
Is it refreshing to race at a place like Michigan where you can move around the track and find a line that works?
“Michigan over the years has been pretty lane dominant, but with the addition of the traction compound through the corners, it has led itself to widening out and allowing you to try different grooves. It still isn’t as wide as it once was back in 2013 when you could race along the wall, but it’s getting better and going in that direction.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1
“I’m looking forward to running both races at Michigan this year. On the Cup side of it last year, I had a lot of fun driving the car. It’s a lot of speed, a lot of on throttle time and if you get the car right, you’re running wide open. It’s a race track you definitely have to get you courage up for. We had good speed last year, so I’m looking forward to that. On the Xfinity side of it, winning in 2021 will always be a great memory. This year will be a little different with the aero package. It will be new with learning what we have to do to race the racetrack but it’s a fun place, I always enjoy going there and I think we can have a couple of good runs.”
Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Poppy Bank Camaro ZL1
“Michigan is a place that we all look forward to going to. It’s a track where you get to truly feel the speed, grip, and all the things that make NASCAR racing what it is. This will be my first trip there in this car, so I’m really excited to get on track. It’s always a battle of manufacturers and bragging rights, so hopefully all of us on team Chevy can do our part.”
Zane Smith, No. 71 Focused Health Camaro ZL1
Michigan is the site of your first NASCAR national series victory. How special is the venue to you and your career?
“It’s going to be awesome to get back to Michigan this weekend. I haven’t been back there since my first Truck Series win in 2020. That track is a special place to me, and it holds a lot of great memories that I will always remember. I’m really excited to race there in the Cup car and see what my No. 71 Focused Health Spire Motorsports team can accomplish. Looking forward to Sunday’s race.”
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Premier Security / Zeigler.com Camaro ZL1
Sunday will mark your first NCS race at your hometown track. What are your expectations and what are you looking to accomplish?
“Michigan is a place that has been calling my name for a while. I love the thrill of racing there. Last year, I only got a few competitive laps in the Xfinity race before a wreck, but I have been having a blast in the simulator getting ready for this weekend. We’ve put a ton of effort into this race, especially with setup. Hailing from Michigan, and with Ziegler Auto Group and Premier Security involved, there’s a lot of hometown pride. We know anyone can win on the right day, so we’re giving it our all. Our cars are strong, and if we can get the perfect setup and opportunity, nothing can hold us back.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Jockey Infinite Cool Underwear Camaro ZL1
What do you think of NASCAR offering option tires?
“Richmond was a fun race! If NASCAR and the fans didn’t like the option tires, I don’t know what they would like because they were amazing. The strategy played a huge role in what everyone was doing; what we were doing and everyone’s different agenda. It was fun.”
Momentum going to Michigan:
“We had a really good run in Richmond. We were fast in practice on Saturday and again on Sunday. My guys did a good job with the strategy on Sunday. It was good to be leading laps. That’s two top-10s in a row. We need to be hitting our stride right now because we have three races remaining before the playoffs begin.”
What are your thoughts on Michigan?
“I like Michigan. It’s a very fast track and I feel like we have had great cars there lately. We have big expectations on Sunday. We came close to winning the second stage last year and in 2022. There is a lot of racing left in 2024.”
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: 11
Poles: 7
Laps Led: 1,801
Top-five finishes: 41
Top-10 finishes: 88
Stage wins: 13
· Chase Elliott: 1
· Kyle Larson: 8
· Ross Chastain: 1
· William Byron: 1
· Shane van Gisbergen: 1
· Daniel Suarez: 1
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 862 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 750
Laps led to date: 250,956
Top-five finishes to date: 4,339
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,948
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,196
Chevrolet: 862
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 833
Ford: 733
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 187
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
