Author: Official Release

COREY LAJOIE | KAZ GRALA
Martinsville Advance
Event Overview

● Event: XFINITY 500 (Round 35 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 3
● Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
● Layout: .526-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/263 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 130 laps / Stage 2: 130 laps / Final Stage: 240 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Corey LaJoie, Driver of the No. 51 Jacob Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 51 Jacob Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse, will make his 14th career Martinsville (Va.) Speedway start in Sunday’s XFINITY 500. He owns two 18th-place finishes, his best at the paperclip-shaped half-mile, and an average finish of 26.6 with 14 total laps led.

● Outside of NASCAR’s premier series, LaJoie owns a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start at Martinsille. On October 27, 2022, LaJoie started fifth and led 110 laps en route to victory. It was his lone win in three starts in 2022, all of which resulted in top-10 finishes.

● Jacob Construction returns to the No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the first time since LaJoie joined the team. Jacob is a nationally certified, WBENC, woman owned, multifaceted firm with a focus on construction, design-build services, structural concrete and technology.

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

● Kaz Grala, driver of the No. 15 Meat N’ Bone Ford Mustang Dark Horse, will make his second Cup Series Martinsville start Sunday. In his first start at the half-mile, paperclip-shaped oval on April 7, Grala qualified 31st and finished 26th.

● In addition to his Cup Series experience at Martinsville, Grala owns two starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and four in the Craftsman Truck series. His best Xfinity Series finish was his first, a 15th-place effort in April 2023. In the Truck Series, Grala earned a top-10 and three top-15 finishes, his best being a seventh-place result in October 2017.

● 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 is back in action this weekend for the penultimate event of the season, the Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Three weekends ago at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Top Fuel driver Clay Millican advanced to the final round, but points leader Justin Ashley took the win by just .022 of a second. Millican is sixth in the Countdown to the Championship playoff standings with 2,308 points, 114 out of first.

● The 2024 FIM World Supercross Championship season kicked off last Saturday with the WSX Canadian GP at the BC Place in Vancouver, where RWR WSX 450 rider Luke Clout began Saturday with a fourth-place showing in practice, qualifying and SuperPole. But, it was Mitch Oldenburg who qualified for the WSX SuperFinal and finished sixth in the 450 class. Following the WSX Canadian GP, Oldenburg is ranked sixth with 61 points and Clout is 12th with 28. In the SX2 250 class, rookie rider Coty Schock showed speed to grab the second spot in Saturday practice and followed that up with a second-place showing in qualifying. Shock finished third in the second race of the night, with teammate Enzo Lopes taking second in the third race. Both racers qualified for the SuperFinal. The RWR riders finished second and third with Lopes leading the way in the SX2 class. Overall, Lopes finished the WSX Canadian GP fourth with 76 points with Schock just two points behind in fifth. Next up on the WSX schedule is the World Supercross Australian GP Doubleheader Nov. 23-24 in Perth.

● 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

Is it easier to go into a race with more confidence when you’ve won there, like you did at Martinsville in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2022?

“Yeah, it doesn’t matter what car or series the win comes in, you’re going to have a little more confidence because you know you’ve done it at that track before. Martinsville is the same no matter what you’re driving. It’s more about trying to stay in that rhythm every lap and not letting the little things get in the way. You’re going to get roughed up, but that’s part of it. It’s short-track racing at its best and it’s that much more rewarding when you can leave with a good finish.”

Do you enjoy that type of short-track racing?

“It’s fun until it isn’t. There are so many ways it can go wrong, but I really enjoy short-track racing where the driver can make a big difference in how the race goes. You know track position is going to be important, you know there will be teams trying different strategies when we get down to the cautions that just keep coming. It just comes down to not messing up those opportunities to put your car at the front of the field. I really think we can have a strong weekend and I’m looking forward to getting to Martinsville with the No. 51 team.”

Kaz Grala, Driver Q&A

What has been the biggest change for you from the first Martinsville race to this weekend?

“Time and experience in the Cup car, I think, is the biggest difference. Everyone is on such a level playing field and it makes it that much harder to show progress. I feel like we’ve learned a lot as a team and the amount of progress from the beginning of the season to now is a lot greater than it may appear to others. I’m a lot more confident that I know what I need to do as a driver in this car to make the most out of a weekend, which is all the more important when we get to a track like Martinsville, where the race is in the driver’s hands.”

Martinsville is always chaotic, but the fall race always seems to deliver even more entertainment. Why do you think that is?

“We’re at the end of the season, that’s probably the main reason. Across the board, we’ve all had a long year. Tension begins to build up with how other drivers race throughout the year and you get to a track like Martinsville and it’s really easy to let your temper get the best of you. There is never a lap where you aren’t beating and banging against another car through the corner. Then you add in the guys who are trying to make the Championship 4 and that’s another layer of frustration. It’s the perfect combination of everything needed to make a race more volatile for the drivers and more exciting for the fans.”

JOSH BERRY
Martinsville Advance
No. 4 SUNNYD Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: Xfinity 500 (Round 35 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 3
● Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
● Layout: .526-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/263 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 130 laps / Stage 2: 130 laps / Final Stage: 240 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Josh Berry will head to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series’ penultimate race Sunday with all of his focus on redemption. In his first Cup Series start at the .526-mile paperclip-shaped oval in April, the 34-year-old rookie qualified seventh and finished 10th in the second stage on his way to taking the checkered flag 25th. The result was not indicative of the speed the No. 4 team had that day, however, as it was plagued with penalties on pit road that relegated Berry to the tail of the field on multiple occasions.

● Berry has been victorious at Martinsville in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The win came in his first Xfinity Series start there in April 2021. He netted three top-fives and an average finish of 12.8 in his six Xfinity Series starts at the Southern Virginia short track.

● With two races left in his 2024 NASCAR Cup Series rookie campaign, Berry has tallied two top-five finishes, four top-10s and led 96 laps. Last weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the driver of the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse started 12th and finished 11th, bookended by his two Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Ryan Preece and Chase Briscoe, who finished 10th and 12th, respectively.

● Berry first made a name for himself on short tracks, climbing the ranks to earn his seat in the NASCAR Cup Series by dominating at the grassroots level. During his days driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr. as part of the JR Motorsports Late Model program, Berry amassed an impressive 95 victories in his 262 starts with the team, with 189 top-fives and 219 top-10s. He was also the 2020 NASCAR Weekly Series champion, finishing all but one race inside the top-10 on his way to the title.

● Rodney Childers, crew chief of the No. 4 team, will make his last Martinsville start with Stewart-Haas on Sunday. He hopes to take home the grandfather clock trophy for the first time in his career. In his previous 34 starts at the paperclip-shaped oval, Childers’ drivers have earned two top-five finishes, 12 top-10s, an average starting position of 13.7 and an average finish of 15.9, and zero DNFs (Did Not Finish).

● SUNNYD returns for its final ride with Berry and the No. 4 team Sunday at Martinsville, bringing back its vibrant orange-and-blue SUNNYD colors. SUNNYD has been an associate partner of the No. 4 team throughout the season, featured on Berry’s firesuit and the team’s hauler and toolboxes.

Josh Berry, Driver of the No. 4 SUNNYD Ford Mustang Dark Horse

This is your second start at Martinsville in the NASCAR Cup Series, with your first coming in April. What are your expectations for this weekend?

“I think we expect to be better, right? We were only a few races into the season at that point and we were still developing as a team and getting to know how our program would gel, and that is hard when you go to a place like Martinsville, where the demand to be near-perfect is so high. We made some mistakes that cost us a lot of spots that day and I think since then we’ve cleaned up a lot of those errors and have a team that knows we can perform, so that gives us more confidence. In general, though, after you get a race in at a track we go to twice, you have expectations to run better because you’ve been there and have notes to work off of from the first race. Obviously, the conditions are different, and we aren’t in the same spot we were in when we went there in the spring, but the goal is to improve.”

Rodney Childers hasn’t won at Martinsville with Stewart-Haas. What would it mean to get him his first victory there?

“I think it would be a really meaningful way to almost end our season. Any time you can get a win in the Cup Series, it’s a huge moment, and to be able to score Rodney his first in a year with such adversity would make it all the more special. This group has a history of winning races and, if I can add my name to that list, it would mean a lot to me, but also would be really special to everyone on this team.”

Martinsville is a short track and it’s the type of track that’s in your wheelhouse. Is there added pressure to perform well there, knowing that is your specialty coming from your Late Model days?

“There is probably an expectation that I will do better because of that, but I don’t see it that way. I have a ton of experience in the Late Model car but not a lot in the NextGen car, which is just a different way of racing. I don’t add pressure to my own plate, but I think there are certainly eyes on me to be a guy who is expected to run well there and I like that because, ultimately, it is recognition that I have what it takes to be in the Cup Series. If we have a clean day and maximize where we can, I can see us having a good result.”

No. 4 SUNNYD Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Josh Berry

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Billy Kuebler

Hometown: Saline, Michigan

Spotter: Eddie D’Hondt

Hometown: Levittown, New York

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala

Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal

Hometown: Holland, Michigan

Jack Man: Kapil Fletcher

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Chris Capaldi

Hometown: Armada, Michigan

Tire Specialist: Zac Lupien

Hometown: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Jake Zierhoffer

Hometown: Billerica, Massachusetts

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Martinsville Speedway

 The white flag for the 2024 NASCAR season will fly this weekend as all three NASCAR national series will head to Martinsville Speedway for the final race of the Round of Eight. Chevrolet enters the elimination weekend as the only manufacturer to have an early championship bid in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, with CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger, Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill keeping the Bowtie brand undefeated in the Round of Eight in both divisions. In the NASCAR Cup Series, Chevrolet returns to the Virginia short-track with the momentum from a podium sweep in the series’ spring appearance at the track – recorded by Chevrolet’s three remaining playoff contenders William Byron, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott.

 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway:

The oldest and shortest track on the circuit, Martinsville Speedway’s rich history dates back to the NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural season (1949), with Sunday’s XFINITY 500 marking the series’ 152nd appearance at the track. Chevrolet paces its manufacturer competitors with 61 all-time triumphs in NASCAR’s top division at “The Paperclip”. Nearly half of those victories have come in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, who is also the series’ winningest organization at the track with 29 victories. The organization’s current quartet of drivers have earned victories in five of the past eight Cup Series races at the track, dating back to Chase Elliott’s walk-off win in the Round of Eight elimination race in his championship-earning season (2020). William Byron is a two-time winner at the Virginia short-track (2022 & 2024), with Alex Bowman (2021) and Kyle Larson (2023) each earning a victory.

 BYRON LEADS CHEVROLET IN FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP PUSH

The checkered flag in Sunday’s 500-lap race at Martinsville Speedway will determine the final two drivers that will compete for the coveted NASCAR Cup Series championship title. The series’ most recent Martinsville winner, William Byron, leads the charge for the Bowtie brand heading into the elimination weekend – sitting fourth in the standings with a seven-point advantage over the cutline. Former series champions, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, find themselves on the outside looking in – occupying the fifth and eighth positions, respectively, in the playoff rankings. On top of each owning a victory at Martinsville Speedway, the trio of Hendrick Motorsports drivers will return to the Virginia short-track following a podium sweep in the spring event.

Byron Back to Defend

There’s no greater confidence than returning to a track as the defending winner, and William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team have just that heading into the Martinsville race weekend. In five races in the Next Gen era at the track, the 26-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native has tallied three top-10 results, including two trips to victory lane. The driver most recently took home the coveted grandfather clock earlier this season to cap-off Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary weekend. While sitting above the elimination line, Byron is no stranger to feeling the playoff pressure in the Round of Eight. One year ago, a double-digit points cushion quickly diminished after the team struggled to find pace throughout the weekend. But the combination of continued adjustments from atop the pit box and an all-out fight behind the wheel was enough for the No. 24 Chevrolet team to point their way into the Championship Four.

Larson Finds Martinsville Success with Hendrick Motorsports

The Round of Eight has been nothing short of a rollercoaster for Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team. At Homestead-Miami Speedway, Larson found himself in the 34th position following a cut tire near the midway point of Stage One. But to no surprise, the Cliff Daniels-led team turned the misfortune into what could have been the ultimate comeback. Larson was back in position to battle for the lead with just 12 laps remaining in the race, but an unsuccessful attempt to pass then-race leader, Ryan Blaney, put the former series champion out of contention – resulting in a 13th-place finish and a drop in the standings to fifth position. A valiant effort to recover from a tough Round of Eight proves that you can’t count out the No. 5 Chevrolet team. While Martinsville Speedway hasn’t always been Larson’s best track early in his career, pairing with Hendrick Motorsports has given him a statistical turnaround at the Virginia short-track. In seven starts with Hendrick Motorsports at Martinsville Speedway, Larson has posted five top-six results, including a win and two runner-up finishes in the Next Gen era.

Elliott Channeling ‘Must-Win’ Confidence

Despite still facing a ‘must-win’ situation to fight for their second championship title, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team put together a strong 49-point race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to prove they are still in the fight. Another boost of confidence for the Alan Gustafson-led team comes from past experience in a similar position during the 2020 season. Also entering the elimination race with a double-digit deficit, Elliott led nearly half of the race en route to his first victory at Martinsville Speedway and his first berth into the Championship Four – ultimately paving the way to his championship title.

HOCEVAR CLOSING IN ON ROOKIE TITLE

Heading into the Martinsville race weekend, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar has the opportunity to complete an early clinch of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year title. With 34 races complete, the 21-year-old Portage, Michigan, native holds a monstrous lead in the standings with a 110-point advantage over second-place Josh Berry. Hocevar has been the top-placing rookie in 14 races this season. The Chevrolet driver has tallied six top-10 results thus far in his rookie campaign – recorded on three different track configurations, including four different intermediate ovals, a short-track and a road course.

HILL TAKES CHEVROLET TO SECOND CHAMPIONSHIP BERTH

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill made one of his most memorable trips to victory lane last weekend – earning his fourth victory of the season and a ticket to his first Championship Four appearance. The 30-year-old Winston, Georgia, native earned the first playoff berth of 2024 with his victory in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. Hill went on to sweep the pair of races at his home track of Atlanta Motor Speedway, with his victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway making Hill the series’ winningest driver this season. The No. 21 Chevrolet team delivered the Bowtie brand its second automatic bid into the Championship Four, with Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger securing his spot in the championship-deciding race with a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Allgaier Leads in Fight for Final Two Spots

Four Chevrolet playoff contenders are left to vie for the final two positions in the Championship Four. Leading the charge for the Bowtie brand is JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, who will enter the elimination weekend ranked third in the playoff standings with a 35-point cushion over the cutline. Despite a disappointing opening round, the 38-year-old Riverton, Illinois, native has turned his postseason performance around in the Round of Eight – driving his No. 7 Camaro SS to a pair of top-10 results, including a podium finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. While already sitting in a favorable points position, Allgaier also has past success at Martinsville Speedway on his side – earning the victory and a Championship Four berth at the track one year ago. The veteran is the only driver among the remaining playoff contenders that have found victory lane at “The Paperclip”.

Jesse Love, Sam Mayer and Sammy Smith sit in the sixth through eighth positions, respectively, in the playoff standings and are faced with a ‘must-win’ situation. The trio of young Chevrolet drivers are coming of strong performances in the series’ spring appearance at the Virginia short-track, each earning top-10 results.

ENFINGER BUILDING CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENTUM

With a combination of experienced strategy calls from atop the pit box and veteran moves behind the wheel, Grant Enfinger took the checkered flag at Homestead-Miami Speedway to keep the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet team undefeated in the Round of Eight. The second-half of the season has proven Enfinger’s true championship potential – earning nine top-10 results in the past 11 races, including two wins and six podium finishes. This season will mark Enfinger’s third Championship Four appearance, with the Chevrolet driver coming off his career-best points finish of second last season. Enfinger could be setting up for his best shot yet at the championship title. Crew chief, Jeff Stankiewicz, knows what it takes to call a championship-winning race at Phoenix Raceway – previously leading Sheldon Creed and the No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet team to the title in 2020.

Eckes Adds to Top-10 Streak, Points Cushion

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes is one step closer to turning a career season into his first appearance in the Championship Four. Earning his 19th straight top-10 result of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the 23-year-old Middletown, New York, native was able to build his points cushion to 38-markers heading into the elimination weekend. Among the three playoff contenders that have a Martinsville victory to their name includes Eckes, who drove his No. 19 Silverado RST to the win in the series’ last appearance at the track (April 2024).

Also eyeing a victory for a Championship Four berth includes Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth (fifth; -22 points), McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum (seventh; -41 points) and Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez (eighth; -43 points).

THAT’S A WRAP ON 2024 ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER’ CAMPAIGN

For the 14th consecutive year, Chevrolet has partnered with the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative. The specially-themed pink Camaro SS served as the official pace vehicle for two NASCAR Cup Series races during the month of October, including Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. For every caution lap the pink Camaro SS completed, Chevrolet will make a donation of $350 (up to $50,000) to the American Cancer Society to honor the ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative.

Heading into the Homestead race weekend, the running total sat at $8,400 following the first race of the campaign at Talladega Superspeedway. With 30 laps made under caution during the Cup Series’ penultimate race of the Round of Eight at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Chevrolet will contribute an additional $10,500, bringing the campaign’s total to $18,900 for 2024.

 
BOWTIE BULLETS:

· With 87 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has earned a winning percentage of 50.6% with 44 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – 15 wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – 18 wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – 11 wins).

· In 16 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 Martinsville Speedway:

Kyle Busch – two wins (2016 & 2017)

William Byron – two wins (2022 & 2024)

Kyle Larson – one win (2023)

Chase Elliott – one win (2020)

· In 151 NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 61 victories and 57 pole wins – both of which are series-leading records.

· In 106 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 52 victories – a winning percentage of 49.1%.

· 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.

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 1240
Ford: 1195 (-45)
Toyota: 1195 (-45)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 1158
Toyota: 1098 (-60)
Ford: 999 (-159)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 785
Toyota: 736 (-49)
Ford: 705 (-80)
 
TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series

Round of Eight: Elimination Race

XFINITY 500

Sunday, Nov. 3, at 2 p.m. ET

(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Round of Eight: Elimination Race

National Debt Relief 250

Saturday, Nov. 2, at 4 p.m. ET

(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Round of Eight: Elimination Race

Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200

Saturday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m. ET

(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 MOOSE FRATERNITY CAMARO ZL1

What do you think about Martinsville?

“I like Martinsville and can’t wait to get there this weekend. Obviously, it’s a special place for me because of the wall ride, but it’s a great, old track. It’s great to drive up there from Mooresville, walk down the hill into the track and have a hot dog after the race. It’s certainly important to get a good qualifying spot because it’s such a small track and the pace is quick.”

It has been a couple of years now, but it’s still talked about and will be forever, but what made you decide to ride the wall at Martinsville?

“I thought about a lot of the negatives in my head and none of them seemed really bad, so I did it. I hope it’s a single line item in a long list with all kinds of wins and different things.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Larson on Martinsville Speedway:

“We’ve got a win and a couple second-place finishes I think at Martinsville since I joined Hendrick Motorsports. It’s not always been a great track for me, but I think that Hendrick Motorsports has a great package for the track and it has definitely helped me. Hopefully, we can battle for stage wins and the victory on Sunday.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 7 OPTIC GAMING / GAINBRIDGE SPORT CAMARO ZL1

How do you look to flip your recent momentum and end the season on a high note?

“The season is coming to an end fast and I’m motivated to get the momentum rolling on the No. 7. It has been a learning experience to this point, but I feel if we unload a fast OpTic Gaming/Gainbridge Camaro on Saturday, we have a shot at a great day on Sunday.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL1

How important was it to participate in the recent tire test at Martinsville Speedway? Are you pleased with the tire compound chosen for this race?

“Anytime you’re able to get that added track time is definitely beneficial. Track time is limited this day and age with not much practice and no open tests for everyone. I think we learned a few things at the test that will hopefully help us at the race. I feel like the tire compounds that were chosen are going to be better than what we had before.”

How rewarding would it be for you to put together a strong run at Martinsville Speedway?

“It would certainly be nice to get back on track with a good short track package and find some success at Martinsville again. I feel like my notes and laps at the recent test from Martinsville should help pay dividends for our team and have a strong run.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Elliott his mentality heading into this weekend’s elimination race:

“I try hard not to overthink the situation. To be candid, we’ve been in this spot before, so it’s not like this is the first time I’ve been through this or had to experience this. Having done that before and been in this spot, I think that it gives you a little bit of a sense of peace and just kind of knowing how to handle it and knowing that your team can get it done.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1

Byron on racing at Martinsville Speedway:

“It’s a place that I know everyone at Hendrick Motorsports puts a lot of emphasis on being competitive at. I know last fall isn’t what we wanted and I’m hopeful that when we go back this time in the fall we’re really competitive. We know what the mission is for the weekend and it’s our job to execute and make it happen.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Bowman on racing at Martinsville Speedway:

“I think we probably should have finished a little better than eighth there (Martinsville Speedway) in the spring. We kind of got run over every which way at the green-white checkered (flag). I think we can be strong there, for sure. Obviously cheering hard for my Hendrick Motorsports teammates to go make the Champ. 4. We are doing everything we can to go run up front and maybe come home with a trophy. I love Martinsville. It’s become an entirely different animal with this Next Gen. car. It will be interesting to see what this new soft tire does too- it’s supposed to have a lot of fall off. If it falls off like predicted, we will see a lot of green flag pit stops, which we rarely see at Martinsville (Speedway).”

ZANE SMITH, NO. 71 FOCUSED HEALTH CAMARO ZL1

After Homestead, what can you look forward to at Martinsville this weekend?

“We had a lot of positives at Homestead. I think the positive momentum will continue in Martinsville this weekend. Last Sunday, we were making progress until the contact with the wall, but that’s just part of racing. My Spire Motorsports team never gives up and they work hard to give me a fast Focused Health Chevy Camaro each week. I’m really looking forward to finishing the season strong with these next two races.”

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 PREMIER SECURITY CAMARO ZL1

The short tracks have had a learning curve for you this year. How do you look to flip the narrative this weekend at Martinsville?

“I am still learning and getting my feet under me at short tracks like Martinsville. It’s hard to make up ground when you lack grip, and aggressive moves can easily damage the car. On mile-and-a-half tracks, I can manipulate the air to my advantage, even if I lack grip. You can’t do that as easily at short tracks, so I rely on the car’s strength. Our team’s overall strength can compensate for my lack of experience at the short tracks. We’ve been strong on all track types recently, so I’m confident in our ability to run well at Martinsville and closing out the year strong.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 JOCKEY OUTDOORS BY LUKE BRYAN CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts on Martinsville and Phoenix?

“These races in Martinsville and Phoenix are important races to us. They say you are only as good as your last race so with the off-season coming up we want to close this season out well and have a good feeling about going into next year. Last year we qualified well in Martinsville with top-10s so we need to do that again on Saturday. I feel like we have had good race cars and expect that again on Sunday.”

 
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: 3,265

Top-Five Finishes: 67

Top-10 Finishes: 138

Stage Wins: 22

· 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

· 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: 252,420

Top-five finishes to date: 4,365

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,998

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,200

       Chevrolet: 866

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 838                                                           

       Ford: 738

       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.

Martinsville Speedway
Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024
0.526-Mile Oval
2 PM ET
Location: Martinsville, Virginia
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (Race 35 of 36)
RADIO: SiriusXM

5 KYLE LARSON
 Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Week: 13th (Homestead-Miami)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 3rd (-29)

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Martinsville
Races	33	364	19
Wins	6	29	1
Poles	5	21	2
Top 5	13	117	5
Top 10	16	180	7
Laps Led	1,616	9,172	296
Stage Wins	12	62	1
Average Finish	13.5	14.2	16.7

• Kyle Larson has run a NASCAR Cup Series-high 4,344 laps in the top five through 34 events in 2024 and his 10.45 average running position is tied for the series lead.
• The 2021 Cup Series champion is seven markers below the elimination line entering the final race of the Round of 8.
• Since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, there have been a total of 11 elimination races in the Round of 16, Round of 12 and Round of 8. Larson has won four of those events (36%) including the last two (Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte ROVAL).
• Earlier this year at Martinsville Speedway, Larson won the pole, finished second and scored the most points (53) in Hendrick Motorsports’ historic 1-2-3 finish.
• There have been six short track races this season and Larson leads the series in points earned with 260.
• The 32-year-old driver has 12 stage wins in 2024 – one more than any other competitor. Larson’s 1,616 laps led is 614 more than any other driver. His 12 stage wins are one more than anyone else.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
 Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last week: 5th (Homestead-Miami)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 8th (-65)

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Martinsville
Races	34	320	18
Wins	1	19	1
Poles	—	12	1
Top 5	10	103	6
Top 10	17	169	11
Laps Led	295	5,390	1,104
Stage Wins	1	37	6
Average Finish	12.1	12.9	12.7

• Heading into this weekend’s elimination race, Chase Elliott is eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings. He’s 43 points below the Round of 8 cutoff point to advance to the Championship 4.
• Elliott has won the season’s penultimate event to advance to the Championship 4 before. In 2020, he led 236 laps en route to a win at Martinsville and proved triumphant at Phoenix Raceway the following weekend to capture the Cup Series championship.
• The 28-year-old is the only driver to finish inside the top 10 in all six short track races this season. His streak of six straight top 10s on tracks less than 1 mile in length is his personal best in the Cup Series. Elliott’s points earned across those races (230) are third best.
• Elliott has the fifth-best average finish (12.67) at Martinsville Speedway among active Cup drivers with at least two starts. He’s led a career-high 1,104 laps at the Virginia short track and his 11 top-10 finishes are his second most on current tracks. His six stage wins at Martinsville rank second in the field.
• In the Next Gen era at Martinsville, Elliott has spent the most laps inside the top five (1,336) and he’s led the second-most laps (386).
• His average finish on short tracks in the Next Gen era is second best at 7.87.
• In his most recent start at the paperclip-shaped track, he was part of a historic 1-2-3 finish for Hendrick Motorsports in its 40th season, with Elliott placing third after leading 64 laps.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
 Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Week: 6th (Homestead-Miami)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 2nd (-22)

No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Martinsville
Races	34	250	13
Wins	3	13	2
Poles	1	13	—
Top 5	12	53	5
Top 10	19	102	7
Laps Led	287	2,908	309
Stage Wins	2	23	0
Average Finish	13.4	15.3	13.8

• In the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, William Byron quickly powered his way inside the top 10 before the end of stage one, picking up crucial points in both stages. Byron went on to finish sixth, his fifth consecutive top-six finish.
• Heading into the final race of the Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway, Byron is fourth in the points standings, seven tallies above the elimination line.
• So far in the 2024 playoffs, Byron has accumulated 77 stage points (most by a playoff driver) and 293 points total (second most among playoff drivers).
• The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has at least one victory at each of the remaining two venues (Martinsville, Phoenix Raceway).
• Byron has two wins at Martinsville including earlier this season when Hendrick Motorsports celebrated its 40th anniversary with a 1-2-3 finish. His two victories are tied for his most at a single track (Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway) and is ranked fourth in the organization’s history for most Martinsville wins behind three NASCAR Hall of Famers – Jeff Gordon (9), Jimmie Johnson (9), and Darrell Waltrip (4).
• The 26-year-old driver also has five top-five finishes at the paperclip-shaped track with seven top 10s with 309 laps led, his most laps led at a single track. He also has an average finish of 13.85, eighth among active drivers with at least two starts.
• During the Next Gen era, Byron has two wins on short tracks, as well as an average running position of 11.88.
• In 2024, Byron has 12 top-five finishes (third most) and 19 top 10s (tied for the third).

48 ALEX BOWMAN
 Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Week: 7th (Homestead-Miami)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 9th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Martinsville
Races	34	322	16
Wins	1	8	1
Poles	1	5	—
Top 5	8	40	1
Top 10	17	95	5
Laps Led	66	1,367	10
Stage Wins	1	7	—
Average Finish	14.8	19.4	18.9

• Alex Bowman finished seventh at Homestead-Miami Speedway last Sunday, his best showing in nine starts at the venue. The 31-year-old now has 17 top 10s, his most in a season and good for a tie for the fourth-most in the NASCAR Cup Series this season. He also currently has eight top fives, tied for his most in a season (2021).
• This weekend, NASCAR returns to Martinsville Speedway where Bowman scored a victory In October 2021.
• On short tracks in 2024, Bowman has four top-10 finishes and 37 laps led, his most in a single season. Prior to this year, Bowman had led 29 laps on short tracks in his Cup Series career.
• Bowman and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates rank in the top 10 for most points earned on short tracks this season. The driver of the No. 48 ranks ninth with 174 points collected.
• Ally and Hendrick Automotive Group have teamed together to celebrate Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary by giving away a 40th Anniversary Edition Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE through the Ally “Win Your Wheels fueled by HendrickCars.com” sweepstakes. Five finalists will visit the organization’s campus this week for a meet-and-greet with Hendrick Motorsports executives, drivers and a tour. All finalists will receive key fobs to try to start the special edition Camaro in hopes of being the lucky individual with the winning fob in hand.
• For four years, Bowman and Ally have teamed up to support Best Friends Animal Society and its vast network of partners. Every race weekend, the pair donates $4,800 to help homeless pets. This weekend, the charitable donation will go to Angels of Assisi located in Roanoke, Virginia.

Hendrick Motorsports
 

2024	All-Time	Martinsville
Races	34	1,379	81
Wins	11*	312*	29*
Poles	7	253*	20*
Top 5	43*	1,275*	93*
Top 10	69*	2,181*	150*
Laps Led	2,264	82,021*	10,852*
Stage Wins	16	114	8

*Most
**Tied for most

• Hendrick Motorsports has won five of the last eight races at Martinsville Speedway with all four active drivers winning at least once.
• The organization leads in most statistical categories at the 0.526-mile short track, including wins (29), poles (20), top-five finishes (93), top 10s (150) and laps led (10,852). A Hendrick Motorsports driver has finished in the top two at Martinsville in nine of the last 11 events.
• A Hendrick Motorsports car 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.
• Hendrick Motorsports has gone to victory lane 60 times in playoff races, 23 more than any other team. The organization’s 11 wins in 2024 are the most by five.
• 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 10.83 seconds.

 QUOTABLE /
 
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on Martinsville Speedway: “We’ve got a win and a couple second-place finishes I think at Martinsville since I joined Hendrick Motorsports. It’s not always been a great track for me, but I think that Hendrick Motorsports has a great package for the track and it has definitely helped me. Hopefully, we can battle for stage wins and the victory on Sunday.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his mentality heading into this weekend’s elimination race: “I try hard not to overthink the situation. To be candid, we’ve been in this spot before, so it’s not like this is the first time I’ve been through this or had to experience this. Having done that before and been in this spot, I think that it gives you a little bit of a sense of peace and just kind of knowing how to handle it and knowing that your team can get it done.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Martinsville Speedway: “It’s a place that I know everyone at Hendrick Motorsports puts a lot of emphasis on being competitive at. I know last fall isn’t what we wanted and I’m hopeful that when we go back this time in the fall we’re really competitive. We know what the mission is for the weekend and it’s our job to execute and make it happen.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Martinsville Speedway: “I think we probably should have finished a little better than eighth there in the spring. We kind of got run over every which way at the green-white checkered (flag). I think we can be strong there, for sure. Obviously cheering hard for my Hendrick Motorsports teammates to go make the Championship 4. We are doing everything we can to go run up front and maybe come home with a trophy. I love Martinsville. It’s become an entirely different animal with this Next Gen car. It will be interesting to see what this new soft tire does too. It’s supposed to have a lot of fall off. If it falls off like predicted, we will see a lot of green flag pit stops, which we rarely see at Martinsville.”

Martinsville Speedway Competition Notes

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 30, 2024) – The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Martinsville Speedway for the second-to-last race of the 2024 season. In his return to the famous Virgina short-track, Todd Gilliland will bring a new Ruedebusch Development & Construction scheme to his Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

As the season winds down, Gilliland and the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse team look to increase their points position. Gilliland and the No. 38 both sit 23rd in driver and owner points. Gilliland finished 13th in the spring race and has had three Cup Series Top-15s at the track, including a 10th-place finish in the fall race last year.

The NASCAR Cup Series will practice & qualify on Saturday, November 2nd at 1:00 PM ET. The 500-lap event is scheduled for Sunday, November 3rd at 2:00 PM ET. Fans can watch the action live on NBC or listen in via the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 38 Ruedebusch Development & Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:

“I like Martinsville. I have a clock in my living room from when I won in the Truck Series, and I would like to add another. There’s still plenty to race for—two more races to win and two more to increase our points position.”

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

“The next two races are big for us. I want to look back on the season and know we didn’t leave anything on the table. We’re bringing a fast Ford Mustang Dark Horse, we just need to focus on executing and minimizing mistakes. If we can do that, it will be a good weekend.”

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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Media Availability | Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Martinsville Speedway

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the NASCAR Cup Series for Team Penske, comes into this weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway 38 points below the cut line. He’ll be looking to duplicate his victory at the half-mile track from a year ago in the elimination race and clinch a spot in the Championship 4. He spoke with members of the media today on a NASCAR conference call about his situation.

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse – HOW MUCH DOES LAST YEAR’S WIN GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE? “I feel like you’re constantly learning race to race at that track and short tracks and stuff like that. Thinking what we learned from this tire from Wilkesboro and Richmond maybe you apply just little things here and there, but we built off of the November race last year. The fall race last year to the spring race this year and then we built off both of those for this race and then what we’ve also learned from this tire and at other short tracks so you’re always kind of building. I don’t think you can just unload with the same stuff you were successful with there in the past. Even if it was the same tire, I feel like we’d always change some stuff up because it can be a little different and you learn things through the year that might help you. Little pieces and you just hope you hit it right.”

DO YOU GO BACK AND STUDY WHAT HAPPENED AT HOMESTEAD ON THE FINAL LAP? “I worried about it enough Sunday night and Monday morning. I rewatched it when I got home Sunday night. I rewatched the whole race and rewatched the end of it and lost some sleep over the end of that race. I mean, it’s so easy to go back and watch it from the broadcast or re-live it in your head of, ‘Gosh, if I would have just done this different it would have been a different outcome.’ That’s easy to do, but in the moment it’s really hard to make the right decision. You’re making decisions every lap. You’re making a lot of decisions every lap and I look back on that and I talk about in some scenarios, whether it’s speedways or end of these races things, whether you’re leading or second or whatever you’re guessing in some situations on what lane is gonna be better, where the car in front of you is gonna go, where the car behind you is gonna go. You’re guessing and sometimes you guess right and sometimes you guess wrong. In that scenario, I guessed wrong on where he was gonna go. Yeah, I wish I would have done something different the whole last lap. I didn’t get through one and two very good. It started there and then I didn’t get to the right lane in three and four and I just guessed wrong of what he was gonna do and he did a great job of going where I wasn’t and carried just a ton of entry speed to get there and it stuck for him. I didn’t stew on it for too long. I feel like, ‘OK, here are some scenarios maybe you’ll be in in the future and let’s try to change it up,’ but I try not to lose my mind over that stuff. Even though it’s hard and it’s difficult to accept losing a race like that on the last corner, but you just try to put that in the memory bank of if you’re in that scenario again maybe do something different.”

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE KEYS TO YOU BEING SO GOOD AT MARTINSVILLE A YEAR AGO? “I feel like what made us really good last year at that race was we didn’t have great qualifying speed. We didn’t qualify very good, but our race pace was really solid, especially after 20 or so laps. I feel like I could move around where I needed to after 50 laps, but my strong suit was just kind of running where I needed to – kind of low and out of the rubber, but also being able to move around. I passed a handful of guys on the top of the racetrack when they got slowed up in lap traffic or rubbered down on the bottom I could be pretty versatile. I think that versatility in our car really helped out. I was kind of racing the 11, who is really good there, the whole race and kind of seeing where our strengths were compared to his and just being able to kind of move around with our car, where I feel like some guys were maybe a little bit more locked into their lane that they were running. I had the ability to move around and that helped me a lot in traffic, so that’s something I hope we have again. The tire is gonna be interesting. It’s nice to have a longer practice on Saturday. Hopefully, the track gets rubbered in to where the race is gonna be as far as the rubber goes and what it does. Does it lay down? Does it kind of snake up a little bit to where you’re gonna have to be below it or above it? I feel like you’re gonna be able to make both lanes work and it just depends on how you adjust your car and your driving style to make both lanes work, but that versatility, I feel like, was a huge advantage for us.”

IF YOU WERE TO GET TO PHOENIX WITH A CHANCE TO REPEAT, WHAT DID YOU LEARN THERE A YEAR AGO ABOUT HANDLING THE PRESSURE GOES THAT WOULD HELP AGAIN? “Like you said initially, I’m just focused on Martinsville. We’ll figure out Phoenix if it happens for us, but 100 percent of the focus is Martinsville and how do we perform on Sunday to try to win the race and get there, and then we’ll deal with Phoenix after that. I haven’t put any thought into Phoenix because the next task is Martinsville.”

YOU AND JOEY HAD TO GO WITH TWO TIRE STRATEGIES FOR TRACK POSITION IN THE FIRST RACE THIS YEAR AT MARTINSVILLE. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF WHAT THAT WAS LIKE WITH TWO TIRES AND WHAT COULD THIS NEW TIRE DO IN TERMS OF A TWO TIRE STRATEGY? “It was a good call that Jonathan made in the spring after we lost some track position after we had to come down pit road again. I kind of got stuck in the teens or wherever we were, low teens, and the two-tire strategy was good because we didn’t see a ton of fall off in the spring and I don’t know. We’ve talked about all these different scenarios this week and it’s just a lot of unknown with what the tire is gonna be like, how much does it fall off? Those are the decisions you make a little bit after practice, but also through the race. How does it rubber down? Can you go anywhere? If you’re mired back in those positions do you feel like you can move forward? If not, maybe you do throw the tire-tire strategy at it, but a lot of that is just tire fall off. If they fall off a cliff, then maybe that would be like a big home run move, kind of a Hail Mary if you want to put two tires on it. It just depends on where you’re running, so it’s just one of those tough decisions that crew chiefs have to make and drivers have to assess of how competitive you think you are and how much you think tires are worth and where you’re running at the time. That’s why crew chiefs get paid the big bucks to make those decisions and I can just give them all the feedback that I can on that, but Jonathan does a great job of trying to understand what we need to do at the time and how I react to where we’re running. In the spring, I felt like I was pretty good, but I just got stuck where I was running and couldn’t pass anybody, so it was like, ‘Alright, let’s just throw two and see what it does,’ and we were able to hold on and that set us up for the end of the race. Those are live decisions that you have to decide on and he chose right on that one. You never know this weekend what people are gonna come up with.”

EVEN WITH THE SUCCESS THAT YOU’VE HAD, HAVE YOU LEARNED ANYTHING ON HOW TO HANDLE THOSE DISAPPOINTING SITUATIONS AND NOT LETTING IT EAT YOU UP? “I’ve just tried to move on from them quicker. I feel like it gets easier as you get older and you are in those scenarios more. You’re gonna lose races that you feel like you should have won – woulda, shoulda, coulda kind of deals. If it’s a situation like Gateway, we talk about it like, ‘Hey, what could we have done different or what are the mistakes that we made?’ It’s the same as Homestead. What could I have done different? That was purely on me of just making the wrong decisions at the end of that race and how do you learn from it and put it in the back of your head, and then you just move on. What’s the next job? We can’t do anything about it now. I used to stew over that stuff for a long time when I was younger and I’ve just learned to let it go after you’ve learned. You can’t just throw it out the window like, ‘Yeah, whatever.’ You’ve got to learn from that stuff, so I try to do that and then just, ‘OK, what’s our new job?’ And then fully focus on that and I feel like our group does that really well too as the 12 team, so those things sting, but you can’t just tear your mind apart thinking about them over and over, especially when we have a massive race coming up this weekend. I think it’s just something I’ve worked harder on and it’s gotten easier with time, just natural aging, I feel like, helps that out.”

CAN YOU TALK THROUGH LEAVING REDDICK THE HIGH LINE AND BEING WORRIED HE MIGHT DIVE BOMB YOU? WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND TO MAKE THE DECISION YOU DID? “That’s the difficulty of, and I can only speak on pro sports because I’m part of one and I watch a lot of the others. When I watch a football game I’m like, ‘Why didn’t he just do that?’ I become that person and in the moment when you’re that person and you’re that athlete living in that time, it’s so much harder than being on the outside and watching on TV with all different angles and things like that. When you’re making real-time decisions in the moment, you don’t have any time to process, think about it, go through other options. It’s just boom boom boom. It’s all happening super fast and it’s just a wrong decision that you make. You’re never gonna be batting 1000 for making the right decision or the right call. That’s the difficult of sports is – can you make the right decisions and how often do you make the right decisions, so, honestly, in my mind going down the back in the moment I’m seeing the run that he’s got down the back and the timing of it. I’m like, ‘OK, I think he might pull a slider here.’ That’s what I made my mind up on was that he was gonna pull a slider. I kind of entered where I did and slide up the track and then if he did pull a slider, maybe I can pull under him or where I kind of entered I was like, ‘Well, I’m gonna cut a little distance off the racetrack here to where maybe I can still be on his outside if he did pull a slider and I can drive back around him and it was just the wrong move. He did a good job of countering what I decided of, ‘Oh, there’s a lane and a half up top. I’m gonna send it in here and hopefully it sticks,’ and it did. It’s so easy to be like, ‘He should have done this or he should have done that,’ but it’s so hard in the moment. I guessed wrong. Like I said, I had probably four lanes that I could have chosen between two lanes off the wall, one lane off the wall, the wall or the bottom and I just picked the wrong lane. I had a one in four lanes that I could pick and I just chose the wrong one and he chose the right one, so those things are hard to do in the moment, but when you’re seeing it from the outside or looking back on it it’s like, ‘Well, that should have been easy,’ but I encourage anybody to try to get in those scenarios and make the right decision It’s very very hard to do. It’s just one of those things to where I try to just live in the moment. You just try to make the right calls and I just made the wrong one.”

HOW DO YOU DEAL MENTALLY WITH ISSUES LIKE THAT? “It’s mental and you try not to let it spin you out. When I talked earlier about not festering over things. You could get in a downward spiral pretty quick of just like going over all that stuff, so it’s a lot of just mental toughness and how can you react to these moments that stink. That sucked losing that race like we did and how do you get over it and how do you just prepare your mind for the next job and try to take the good things. We did a great job all day. Those guys were awesome on pit road. They kept us in the game. The car was fantastic. I ran I felt like a really good race and I just didn’t close it out. It’s just a lot of moving on and understanding where you want to be better as a driver. You’re always wanting to get better even if you dominate a race or not, you’re always wanting to get better, so it’s one of those things. It’s not only physically demanding, but I feel like the mental side is the toughest part about our sport especially is just how do you mentally stay in it and how do you adjust to what you need to do week in and week out and in the moment and then for the future, so I try not to dwell on the past too much and just learn from it and move on. It’s funny, I heard people talking like, ‘Oh, Reddick ran the top the whole last run. How did Blaney not know that?’ I’m not watching it on TV. I’m worried about myself. I’m trying to figure out how to pass the 11. I’m not paying attention to where the 45 is running or how he got to be in second or the laps before. I’ve got so much stuff going on behind the wheel that I don’t know. Timmy can only tell me so much of where the 45 has run at the time, so it just goes back to how hard it is in the moment. I don’t have the bird’s-eye view. I have the straight ahead view and I have so much stuff going on behind the wheel that I have to worry about me and that’s just the nature of everything.”

IS THIS A CUTOFF RACE AT MARTINSVILLE THAT IS PROBABLY THE BEST TEST FOR THE DRIVER BECAUSE IT’S NOT REALLY A WILD CARD RACE LIKE TALLADEGA OR THE ROVAL? “I think it’s great when they, I forget what year they made – a handful of years ago – they made Martinsville the final race of the Round of 8. It used to be the first one and I feel like it’s the perfect final race for this round because it’s a grueling 500 laps around that place. It’s really really tough to mentally and the physical side of it – you’re worn out after this thing – so I think it’s a perfect race for it. It always puts on a good show. You’re gonna have contact through the race between a lot of drivers just because the place is so tight and you’re gonna have people be aggressive and then with the hype of that race being your last shot for six other guys to get in, you’re gonna have a lot of intense moments. I feel like that’s what it should be. That’s what the playoffs are for – having these really hard races and a place like Martinsville being the last shot for six guys to do it and have a shot at a championship, it’s the perfect scenario. I love Martinsville. I’ve loved it ever since I was a kid. I went there a lot watching my dad race. It’s one of my favorite race tracks and just to compete there is a pleasure, so I look forward to that. I think people look forward to that pressure of how low you can run at this really hard racetrack and hopefully we can accept that pressure and rise to the occasion.”

WHAT DOES THE PRESSURE FEEL LIKE GOING INTO MARTINSVILLE? “There’s pressure in everything. There’s pressure in everyday life, how you’re gonna live and there’s pressure in your profession. I feel like if anyone asks you in certain moments that they don’t feel any pressure when it comes time to do this, I think they’re not telling you the whole truth because everyone feels it. This is your livelihood and this is what you love to do. There’s a lot of people counting on you that work for you and work for your race team and things like that, that they expect you to perform and it’s how do you handle it? How do you accept all the pressure that is given and how do you rise above it and how do you enjoy pressure? I feel like you have to enjoy that because it’s a privilege that you get to feel that pressure. Guys who aren’t in the playoffs right now and your championship hopes are not there anymore if you’re not in the eight, so all six of us who aren’t locked in, they’re feeling pressure and that’s with everything. It’s just how do you and your team approach the weekend understanding that it’s there and really not let it get to you too much, and how do you use that pressure that can motivate you internally to where I want to be the team and the guy that overcame all that pressure and succeeded and I think we have that mentality like we did last year. There was pressure going into Martinsville last year. Yeah, we were in a better spot on points, but there’s pressure of are we gonna throw away these points that we got and not make it there? So, I think it’s the same kind of situation, honestly, as last year.”

WHAT IS THE SECRET BEHIND DOING WELL AT MARTINSVILLE? “Martinsville used to be a place kind of up until the fall of 2017 that I really struggled at. I just couldn’t really figure it out and just could never get the timing as a driver that I needed to for there, and then in that Fall of ‘17 race with the Wood Brothers it just kind of clicked. It’s like, ‘OK, we ran pretty good here. I think I kind of know now what I need to be competitive here,’ and that’s just gotten better year in and year out. It’s funny when things click at a racetrack where you maybe don’t run great at, like, ‘Oh, this is how I need to feel and how I need to approach it and how I need to drive it,’ and ever since then I feel like we’ve done a good job. As a driver, I feel like I have a decent understanding of what I need through practice and then the race to be good there, and it’s just kind of how you want your car to drive. It’s how you drive the racetrack and how you adjust as the track changes. The track changes a ton through the race and through a single run with the concrete corners, where it kind of gets darker and rubbers down, and I feel like it’s just clicked. It’s one of those places I love going to. We always seem to bring some good stuff and hopefully that continues, but I really enjoy that place. It was a tough few years before that in trucks and my early years of Cup racing, but once I understood you’re like, ‘Oh, OK. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before,’ and you hope you continue to evolve your skills to adjust for the new tire, or a different car or different situations. It’s been a pretty solid place for us, so hopefully that continues.”

WHAT MADE THAT PLACE SO MEMORABLE WHEN YOU WERE A KID GOING TO MARTINSVILLE? “I think multiple things. I grew up in High Point, so like 45 minutes away from there, so we went there a lot when I was younger. It was a place that we would always go to twice a year as a family, just because it was easy to get to and you’d drive to it, and I just thought the racetrack was incredibly neat, and it reminded me, it’s a really small short track and it reminded me like, ‘Oh, I can kind of relate to this because I’m running Legends cars and Bandoleros,’ and even started my late model career. Like, ‘OK, I can kind of relate to this short track style of racing.’ And I just loved how the cars were so close together and you could see everything as a kid. We’d go sit in the stands and you could watch the whole racetrack and there was always something going on no matter where you looked, and I liked that as a kid. I enjoyed the noise of it as a kid and the smells that were right there, and then I remember watching – I think it was 2011 – fans don’t like it but I think Harvick passed Dale Jr. with like six to go and I was sitting on my dad’s pit box. He was running for Baldwin at the time and I remember watching that race, our pit stall was right off of turn four and I remember watching the cars come off turn four and that was the first time I really understood and could watch them from the inside of the racetrack and really get a good picture of how the cars looked and how they drove and it just intrigued me as a kid. I think it was just a lot of relatability from what I was racing at the time and I just loved how small the track was and you could see every little bit of the racetrack and you could walk around in the infield and go to different parts of the track and see whatever you wanted to see, and it was just a close place. I honestly named that as my home track because I honestly grew up closer to Martinsville than I did to Charlotte from High Point, so it’s just one of those things that just grabs you as a kid and you have these core memories when you were growing up.”