WALLACE STARTS SEASON WITH BACK-TO-BACK TOP-FIVE FINISHES Two Toyota Top-10’s in the NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta
ATLANTA (February 25, 2024) – Bubba Wallace led Toyota with a fifth-place finish in a wild NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday evening. Wallace, along with many of his Toyota teammates, were involved in a lap two multi-car accident, but the 23XI Racing driver moved back through the field to earn back-to-back top-five finishes to start the season for the first time in his career.
Ty Gibbs added another Toyota inside the top-10, bringing home his Toyota Camry XSE in the 10th spot. Gibbs had to battle back from damage and made a stellar save on his way to his first top-10 finish of the season.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Atlanta Motor Speedway Race 2 of 36 – 400.4 miles, 260 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Daniel Suarez*
2nd, Ryan Blaney*
3rd, Kyle Busch*
4th, Austin Cindric*
5th, BUBBA WALLACE
10th, TY GIBBS
12th, MARTIN TRUEX, JR.
21st, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
23rd, DENNY HAMLIN
25th, ERIK JONES
30th, TYLER REDDICK
34th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 MoneyLion Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
How would you describe that race and crazy finish?
“Yeah, shout out to Daniel (Suarez). Know he needed that. He’s been in that situation before, so nice to see him rise to the occasion. What a day. I’m so glad we’re done with superspeedway racing for a while. The mental toll it takes on you, to just making sure you make the right move for 260 laps, including the race last week too, is a lot. Team did a great job. I put us behind with that speeding penalty on pit road. Never gave up, though. Came from the back. Enjoying where we’re at right now. Just can’t get complacent. We get to go race the next couple weeks and really got to dig deep and figure out where we need to be better. I thought we had a fifth-place car and came home fifth. We checked all the things off, I just got to stop making mistakes and give ourselves a shot.”
TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 10th
A wild race and you had to battle through so much to score a top-10. Can you describe what the race was like from the drivers’ seat?
“It was a pretty eventful day for us. I kind of got shuffled out a good bit and got some damage but ended up finishing well. I appreciate all of the hard work from my 54 Monster Energy Toyota crew, and now we go to (Las) Vegas.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 Qualifying | Saturday, February 24, 2024
FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE SWEEPS FRONT ROW FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK AS MICHAEL MCDOWELL CLAIMS FIRST POLE
Michael McDowell and Joey Logano flip-flopped qualifying spots from Daytona as McDowell captured the first Cup Series pole of his career.
This marks the second straight race the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse has swept the front row.
It’s also the third straight pole for Ford at Atlanta Motor Speedway after Logano and Aric Almirola claimed the top spots in the two races last year.
Ford Performance Qualifying Results: 1st – Michael McDowell 2nd – Joey Logano 4th – Todd Gilliland 6th – Ryan Blaney 7th – Chris Buescher 8th – Austin Cindric 9th – Chase Briscoe 14th – Josh Berry 15th – Noah Gragson 16th – Harrison Burton 20th – Ryan Preece 24th – Brad Keselowski 31st – Justin Haley 33rd – Kaz Grala
MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 34 Benebone Ford Mustang Dark Horse – POLE-WINNING PRESS CONFERENCE
YOU AND JOEY ON THE FRONT ROW AGAIN IS KIND OF A COINCIDENCE DON’T YOU THINK? “I don’t think it’s too much of a coincidence. I say that just because with both qualifying sessions being a superspeedway and a superspeedway package we sort of knew coming from Daytona that we were gonna have good speed because we showed good speed at Daytona, so not a huge surprise but really cool. It’s awesome for everybody, the men and women at Front Row, to come here and sit on the pole, go to Daytona and sit on the front row. It’s a big couple of weeks showing a lot of speed, so I’m really proud of everything. Yes, it is for sure my first career pole in the Cup Series. I’m proud of that, but at the same time it’s more of a testament to the team. This qualifying session you have to execute everything perfectly, but at the same time having a fast race car is what it’s all about, so I’m really proud of my guys.”
IS THERE A LITTLE BIT OF RIBBING THAT JOEY NIPPED YOU LAST WEEK AND YOU GET HIM BACK THIS TIME? “That’s fun. Obviously, it was close last week and it was close again this week. I think that it’s fun. It’s fun to be able to after qualifying we were able to announce our partnership and alliance, obviously with Ford Performance as well as Team Penske, so to have both cars on the front row again for the second time is pretty cool and it’s definitely a testament to everybody at Ford Performance on this new Dark Horse. It’s obviously got a tremendous amount of speed. We got to show that in the race for a little while last week, but didn’t get to finish it there at the end. I feel like this race tomorrow will be a little bit different than the Daytona race. I think you’ll have more control from the front and hopefully a little less chaotic at times, but it’s still gonna be a really tough race. It’s all about getting to the finish. Qualifying well is fun and it’s fun today, but it doesn’t count too much for tomorrow. You’ve got to go out and make it count and, for us, more than anything, we need to score some points. Obviously, having the issues that we had at Daytona put us behind, so we need to go out there and try to win the race and if we can’t win the race, score a lot of points and not fall too far behind early in the season because it’s hard to make it up.”
IS THIS THE TRAJECTORY YOU AND BOB JENKINS HAVE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT? “You always hope and you’re always striving for that. I think until it started to look more like a reality a few years ago that it was possible that it got everybody re-motivated for Bob more than anything just to continue to invest and continue to help us grow the race team and the program. For a while there, you were in that spot where with the old car I don’t think you could ever catch up. Even if you dumped a bunch of money into it, the big teams were developing at such a fast rate that even if you made gains, you still weren’t really closing the gap. So, I feel like this Next Gen car allowed us to close that gap and that’s also allowed Bob and the team and everybody, the partners, to see that we can do this. We just need a little bit more tools, a little bit more resources to keep it up, so it’s kind of a combination of things, but this is what I’ve always dreamed of. I can’t speak for Bob. I think Bob is thrilled with the performance we’ve had and he’s obviously spent a tremendous amount of money in this sport with the hopes of one day being here, but we still have a lot of work to do and we still have a long way to go. I try not to let the highs be too high and the lows be too low because this sport will eat you up and spit you out in a matter of weeks, so we’ll enjoy the moment today, but get prepared for tomorrow and try to execute everything as best we can.”
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FINALLY GET YOUR FIRST POLE AFTER SO MANY STARTS? “The first eight years of my career were rough, so I’m enjoying it now, having fast race cars and a great team behind me and being able to have results like this – top fives, top 10s, winning Indy last year – so it’s been fun. The last few years have been great. It’s been very rewarding, but at the same time it’s motivating too because I’m not getting any younger and I don’t want to say I’m running out of time because I still have a lot of time, but 10 years where I don’t want to say wasted because they obviously served their purpose, but I have a lot of catching up to do and now is the time to start catching up on all those areas where I couldn’t early on in my career. It’s just motivating to make the most of the opportunity we have in front of us because right now, today, we have fast cars and that’s not a guarantee six months from now and that’s not a guarantee 12 months from now. I know that because I lived the other side for a long time, so it’s making the most of the opportunity that we have right in front of us right now because right now we’re in the game and have something for them.”
IS THIS A PRODUCT OF THE PENSKE ALLIANCE OR IS IT TOO EARLY TO SAY? “Yes. Everything you said I would agree with. We aren’t there yet with how young and early this relationship is, to where we’re able to click on every piece of information that’s going back and forth and builds and all those things. So, I think we definitely have gained some very helpful things that have allowed us to increase the performance, but I don’t think we’ll see the true results of what that looks like until we get a few more months down the road. Right now, we’re just literally trying to figure out the internet and tooling. I don’t want to paint this picture that these last two weeks have been just because of this potential alliance, it’s really the hard work of everybody at Front Row. I think it’s definitely helped, but I know for sure going forward and going into the future for years to come that this is gonna be a really important part of Ford Performance and our team as well as Team Penske.”
TODD GILLILAND THINKS HE’S SEEN SOME CHANGES ALREADY. DO YOU FEEL THAT? “Yeah, definitely. I don’t want to paint a bad picture. We are definitely getting stuff from it, but we’ve had to change a lot of our procedures and a lot of our processes, which has slowed down a lot of things for us at the shop just like anything new. It’s just like moving into a new house. It’s like, ‘Yes, it’s nice and it’s clean and it’s awesome and it’s gonna be great, but right now I have 56 boxes sitting in the living room and I don’t know where my underwear are.’ That’s a little bit what we’re faced with right now. It’s gonna be good and it’s gonna get better, but such a late start has made it to where we are drinking from a fire hose and trying to maximize what we can, especially these first five weeks and then hopefully be up to speed with everything and procedures and processes to maximize it”
DO YOU FEEL THIS MIGHT BE THE MISSING PIECE THAT YOU’VE REALLY NEEDED AT FRONT ROW TO BE CONSISTENTLY WITH THE TOP TEAMS? “Our strength and relationship with Ford Performance, and I don’t even know what the technical word is, tier one, A program, whatever you want to call it, is definitely a big part of this relationship going forward and that information is definitely helpful for us to continue to be at a top level like we think we will be. So, yes, it’s gonna be good for us and we are seeing some of the results of that. I believe that this is what we needed to do, not only to be a championship contender, but to win more than a race. I’ve been talking about it for a little while. You’re not gonna sustain a race team and a career off of onesies every now and then. We’re gonna have to win multiple races in a season to really compete and contend and this is what needed to happen for us to be able to do that.”
AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Menards/Knauf Insulation Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I thought we had a little bit closer for a pole there, but obviously still solid opportunity for a good pit selection. It was another great showing in qualifying for the Ford Mustang Dark Horse. I’m really encouraged by that. It’s been a really great track for us last year at Atlanta with Team Penske and the package that we bring here, so I’m super encouraged for the race and certainly feel like we have a good shot to contend tomorrow.”
CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “The Fords definitely haven’t lost too much with the new body as far as superspeedway qualifying goes. The same guys that were on the front row for the 500 are on the front row here, so they obviously have something figured out a little bit more than the rest of us. For us, I was really happy with being fifth in the first round. The second round I don’t know if the wind got us or what, but I was really happy with ours. It was an improvement from what we had at Daytona, so hopefully we can continue to build on that.”
TODD GILLILAND, No. 38 Georgia Peanuts Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “My crew chief is the most ultra-competitive guy in the world, so I don’t even think he smiled that we qualified fourth because we still got beat by our teammate. We didn’t even bring the fastest car within our race shop, so that’s the type of stuff that’s going on at Front Row. We’re just pushing each other to be better each and every single week. To get a pole in the Cup Series just straight up like that is super hard to do, so I’m super proud of those guys. To have both of us up there is impressive also.”
CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I’m pumped with how today went. Our Build Subs Ford Mustang was really fast and it put us in the top 10 and we were able to make another run at it. We were able to gain a little bit from our original run, so that’s a heck of a start for us here. It’s a good start to a recovery from Daytona. Like I said, we were fast but didn’t love the way the race played out for any of us. I want to get into this one and be up front and try to control some of this thing. We’ve been really fast here. We’ve led a lot of laps. We’ve watched Brad be in contention to win most of these races here as well. I’m excited to get out here and see what we can do tomorrow. It’s a really good start for us.”
NASCAR CUP SERIES ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY AMBETTER HEALTH 400 TEAM CHEVY MEDIA AVAILABILITY QUOTES FEBRUARY 24, 2024
KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL1, met with the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series’ qualifying session at Atlanta Motor Speedway – Media Availability Quotes
From the time you come off of turn two, could you go through the process of how that all works?
“Yeah, so we’ll likely have two pages – one for under green and one for under yellow that we’ll use for different lights and what we’ll look for in the gearing, RPM ranges and whatnot. If you’re under green and you’re coming off of turn two, you have to make sure you’re on page two – whatever page it is – and then you’ll slow down as quickly as you can, as late as you can, in order to make it to the 90 mph speed zone by the first line. Carry that around the corner and then you’ll slow down through your lights and then run your pit road lights. There’s different colors – you’ve got three different sets of colors that you can go through, so there’s a pretty wide range. You’ll probably run all reds.. actually you’ll run probably four blues through the corner, and then you’ll run all reds on pit road. That’s typically what we do.”
When you were scouting talent for up-and-coming drivers, what were the factors you were looking for besides just wins?
“For us, the skill level and the background of where they come from. Racing in the super late model ranks was kind of where I got my best sense of racing against some of those younger guys and got to pick up on some of those guys. Brian Ickler was one of our early guys at KBM, and then we obviously got Erik Jones from when he beat me in super late model race down in Pensacola. You look at those characteristics. I don’t know if we ever necessarily looked at their persona, or relied on that a whole lot, or their media training and anything like that. We’d just kind of help them through some of that stuff once they got to us. Toyota, TRD and their workforce of what they all did was a huge part of all of that, as well, too. I had a couple of guys that I really liked that I picked and sold them on, and we were able to bring them in. And then they had a bunch of guys that they wanted and basically said – hey, we’re going to run these guys and we all kind of agreed and worked together on.”
You have a new jackman this week. I don’t know how involved you get in those decision, if at all, but the fact they wanted to try something different after struggle the first week – did it surprise you at all because teams tend to kind of work with the same people, at least for a little bit before trying something different?
“Well the jackman we had was the same jackman we had all of last year. We were trying to redo a few different positions over the offseason, and some of the talent we were scouting, talking to and giving offers to, they declined them and went somewhere else. We kind of just had what we had, and we’ve been working through that. It’s tough out there. It’s really hard to recruit and get guys. Especially with where RCR is based and where they’re at, it’s a long drive to get up to Welcome to pit stop practice sometimes three and four times a week, whatever it might be. I know that Ray and all the guys there in the pit crew department are working super hard. Trust me, they’ve heard it – not from me, but from Richard week in and week out. Their ears are bleeding, but I know they’re trying and I know they’re working hard. Trust me, there were plenty of offers over the offseason to try and get different talent up there, and we just weren’t able to secure it.”
There’s a lot of talk since the fuel saving last weekend. Obviously it’s always been an important part, but how much it’s grown even more so the last couple of years. What can be done, if anything, in terms of taking emphasis off of that and allowing you guys to do a little bit more and race a little bit more, as opposed to riding around more?
“Yeah, good question. We kind of talked about it in our Chevy meeting last weekend among the other drivers, and there was really no solution that came to the forefront. The only one that I really had was to reduce the fuel cell size to create more opportunities of coming to pit road to just break it up more. But then you put your pit crew and the guys on pit road in more danger.. you put twice as much emphasis on doing all of that. When you come to pit road, it kind of breaks up the field for a little while.. like you take about 10 laps to kind of get it sorted back in and get going again. We go like 30 to 33 laps on fuel. If you go 15 or 16, and it takes 10 to bunch everybody back up – well now you’re getting ready to pit again. So you’re not going to sit there and save. You’re going to be going all out as much as you can, and making sure that you’re not fuel saving in order to do the leap frog strategy. A couple of guys said – no, you’d still do the same thing, but I don’t know that you would.”
Is it a problem, or is problem the right word?
“I believe it is. I believe it’s a problem. The start of the race last weekend for the Daytona 500 – we’re all sitting around there running half-throttle; not passing and just riding in a line. I felt disgraceful, myself, being a race car driver – wanting to go fast, lead laps and win the Daytona 500, and that was our strategy that we had to employ at the start of the race because everybody was doing it. When you’re running wide open and you’re in the draft, your pace is probably a 46.30. We were running 49.80’s.. almost 50 second lap times. It was pathetic.. I was like, how slow are we going to go? I felt bad for the fans. This is not good for them. It’s not what I want to be doing. But when you kind of get in that situation, I don’t know what you do. The third lane could have developed. It was so early in the race; nobody wants to develop a third lane. We’re riding – it’s a 500 mile race, don’t blow everything up in the first stage, right? But somebody could have just pulled out into the outside lane and literally just ran to the front and done whatever they wanted to do. So I was surprised nobody did that.”
When you say disgraceful.. there were a lot of races where it’s a 500 mile race and you can’t lose it immediately; you have to take your time to kind of buildup…
“But there’s no passing.. people want to see passing. The fans are all about – hey, we want to see racing. That’s not racing.. that’s riding. Yeah, back in the days – sure, you had 500 or 600 mile races where you needed to ride for a while. The Coca-Cola 600, for instance – it’s a long race, but you’re at least still trying to pass the guy in front of you and get in position as the day goes on. You’re not just riding 15th for the first 100 laps and being like – yeah, cool, I’m good with riding 15th right now. No.. you want to get further up the ladder and run with speed, your talent, your car’s ability and everything else. Doing what we did last week, you might as well pull the cars out of the parking lot and run rental cars around.”
Was there any conversations among your team about how to approach these first two races? You’re down a car from Daytona. You’re in Atlanta and you could very easily be down a car, so how do you approach that?
“Yeah, our Atlanta car was the car that we raced in the Daytona 500. So everything kind of got pushed up a week. The Daytona 500 car that we crashed – it went back to the shop and I think we’re on a five-week cycle, so whatever the fifth race is, it’ll probably be where that one goes. But yeah, this week’s car was slated to be our Las Vegas car, so it just kind of moves everything up. The cars are all the same, so there’s not really much differences that you have. You’re talking maybe a small part on a body part that you can maybe push or pull or whatever that you can get through the hawkeye, but it’s not a lot.”
Going back to last weekend, you had the issue on the pit stop. Richard Childress comes on the radio and tells everyone to get their heads out of their butts. When you have a car owner like that, one that’s really involved, what’s that like?
“Well that’s kind of what I answered early, was Richard is very involved and wants any situation to get better. If we’re not winning every single race out of the year, then how did we lose that one race? What can we do to make it better? That’s a racer’s mentality.. that’s what we all try to strive for and try to be better at. It’s tough sometimes when you have the human element. We all make mistakes.. I made tons of them last year and my crew stuck behind me – was passionate that I was their driver and wanted to go to the next week and figure out how to win the next one. I know where Richard is coming from, and I appreciate that – the emphasis he puts on greatness and wanting to be better. It’s what we all strive for.”
With two years on this new configuration, are the ‘warm and fuzzies’ all gone? What has been gained, and what has been lost?
“Yeah, any form of restrictor plate, pack-style racing is not high on my list. I would say – obviously as much as the surface deteriorated, there comes a point where something has to be done and they went through it. I just don’t understand or appreciate why we added the banking and the stuff that they did here in the reconfiguration.. although it’s the same outside wall spacing. Would I have much rather seen them just repave what we had? Probably because you would know then that, at least when it deteriorates some, it can get back to the old Atlanta ways. This deteriorates here, I mean it’s going to be fast.. it’s going to be damn fast sliding around, like 10 mph faster through the corners sliding around than what the old track would have been. We’re racers, though. As I’ve said before, we all want to go fast and do what we can to be the fastest ones out there. It’s not that you’re scared of that, it’s just that the hits are harder.”
Later today, you’re going to make your first drafting track start in the Truck Series since 2015. What was behind the decision to run the Truck race here?
“Well watching the Truck race here last year, it doesn’t necessarily fall in line or orchestrate itself as a Daytona or Talladega-style race. It is different. So I kind of took that into consideration, that you can make some moves by yourself. Yes, you’re in a line, you’re drafting, you’re trying to hold onto the draft and all that sort of stuff. But it did seem like there were some times in which handling kind of came into play.. making some moves kind of came into play and whatnot. It’s definitely not like a Kansas, where you can be the leader, run away and go hide.
It wasn’t my first choice. Definitely wouldn’t have been at all my choice, but I’m thankful for the opportunity that Spire Motorsports and Group 1001 gave to me to be able to come out here and run the five truck races that I’m allowed to do. This was the fifth one that was available on the list that I could do. I didn’t have much pick. It’s tough of a pick with all of the regulations and things that I have with NASCAR and all that sort of stuff, which the triple-truck challenge races, the playoff races. I don’t do speedway races, so my pick of the litter was I think literally eight or nine races that I could do. It gets small.”
What is your thought on the current state of the Truck Series?
“You know, you could talk about the current state of NASCAR. I feel like the current state of NASCAR is healthy and strong. You look at the Cup Series – having all of the things that are kind of happening behind the scenes, with big team owners coming in and being a part of all of that, and it just trickles down. Being able to get a new TV deal and all that sort of stuff, with NASCAR and the TV networks – we’re all grateful and thankful for that, and the hard work that was put in behind-the-scenes. It trickles down into the Xfinity Series and it trickles down into the Truck Series. Would I say that there are 500 ‘Fortune 500’ companies that are all out here participating in our sport? No, there’s not. So the sponsorship landscape is absolutely the toughest landscape in our sport, but I don’t know that’s any different than what it was in the high time.. in the mid-90s to the mid-2000s. I think you still saw cars that were in the back of the field that were under funded or had a struggling time being able to find big name sponsors to be able to get them to the track or to get them a better footing within the series to withstand and have some strength to their company.”
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.
NASCAR CUP SERIES ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY AMBETTER HEALTH 400 TEAM CHEVY MEDIA AVAILABILITY QUOTES FEBRUARY 24, 2024
COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 CELSIUS CAMARO ZL1, met with the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series’ qualifying session at Atlanta Motor Speedway – Media Availability Quotes
YOU HAVE ONE YOUNG TEAMMATE AND ANOTHER COMING IN. AS A VETERAN, WHAT FACTORS DO YOU WANT THEM TO BRING TO THE TEAM?
“I think for us, its consistent feedback in those two cars. Where its really been a one-car team that has more or less functioned as a two-car operation the last couple of years. But there were part time guys, and some crew chief turnover throughout the course of last year on the 77. I don’t think Ty (Dillon) had a great shot at it. There was just a lot of inconsistency with the other car, so if we could just get a little consistency there. Carson (Hocevar) has been doing a majority of the simulator time for us and validating the tires and things like that, that allows me to be at home a little more with the kids and then when I can go on a Thursday evening for two-and-a-half hours, I can really plug in and focus and fine tune and get our stuff ready for the weekend. So, for us, just consistency in the 77 and consistency in the 71, will help the baseline of our team collectively which is something we have had a hard time with the last couple of years.”
ARE THERE THINGS YOU CAN TEACH THEM AS THEY ARE COMING IN, JUST BASICALLY LIKE PIT STALL ENTRY AND THINGS LIKE THAT?
“Those guys are pros. They are championship guys from the Truck Series, and I don’t have the credentials next to my name statistically for those guys to listen to what I have to say, but I have been doing this for a long time, and they have asked some good questions. But at the end of the day too, it’s just like when you’re dad tells you to do something, they aren’t going to listen to you. You kind of have to figure out how to do it yourself. But those guys have a lot of good people in their corner whether its Josh Wise, Scott Speed, and everyone from GM to just help prepare those guys for Sunday. It is a large learning curve, and we are getting the better parts of people to compete on Sundays as well. The learning curve is much steeper if you’re cars aren’t fast. So, if we bring fast cars to the racetrack, then that learning curve flattens out a little bit and I think those guys can succeed.”
DID THE NEAR WIN HERE AND OTHER GOOD RUNS AT RESTRICTOR PLATE TRACKS GIVE YOU AND EXTRA SENSE OF CONFIDENCE?
“I have a lot of confidence every week, but drafting tracks isn’t such a handicap for what I have had to drive the last couple of years. But after the reconfiguration here I have run well and Talladega and Daytona is somewhere where you can play chess with a little bit slow remorse and take advantage of some guys that might get too greedy or something like that. Where those were my only opportunities to succeed, but now we are going to succeed on short tracks, intermediates, and road courses as well. Going in here, you don’t want to circle a speedway as your chance to win, because a lot of it is out of your control. You can do your best to put yourself in position to win, but sometimes it doesn’t bounce your way. We know we have done it pretty much every race here, put ourselves in position to win, so I think we are going to do the same thing here tomorrow.”
HOW DIFFERENT IS THAT CHESS GAME HERE IN ATLANTA COMPARED TO DAYTONA OR TALLADEGA?
“It’s like speed chess. Talladega is chess, but you have to see runs happening, see runs forming, but the energy of lanes coming or going is a bit slower here. Runs come and then they close. Openings come and then they close, probably double the speed they do at Daytona or Talladega. And I think much more of it is handling here at Atlanta. With a good handling car, you can be aggressive. Where some guys will have to roll out (of the throttle) if their cars are all trimmed out and they are hanging on halfway through a run. We have passed some really good driving cars here. And you have to have some friends, because if you make that move to the bottom for the lead, and the guy behind you goes with the guy you are trying to pass, its not going to work out. So, all of those deposits you make in the bank like at Daytona last week to make buddies, trying to push the right guys at the right time….seems like guys are more apt to stay on my rear bumper now, after all the success we have had at the speedways. So, hopefully that continues here tomorrow.”
IT WAS SAID THAT RACING WAS A BIT SKETCHY HERE, EXCEPT FOR THE TWELVE GUYS THAT CAN HOLD IT WIDE OPEN AROUND THE TRACK. ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE 12?
“I was one of those 12, and I qualified 30th. So, for whatever reason, it doesn’t translate. Sometimes the ones that drive good are a little slow. I have also had bad driving ones here too. So, I anticipate the Fords being strong and as strong as they were in qualifying last week, and I think the Penske cars qualified 1-2-3 here last race. So those guys are going to be tough to beat as always, they know how to make a race car go fast in a circle. That hasn’t been our strong suit, qualifying at any speedway. I don’t think we have qualified within two of the front at all ever. If we can do that, that would be a huge win and give us a little bit more pace to be offensive in the race. But you think it looks easy, just going around there by yourself, but the guys have all the rounds taken out of it for qualifying and you are essentially sitting on three bump stops with, I don’t know, 60 pounds of air in the tires and you are on the razor’s edge of grip by yourself. They make them a little less sketchy to drive for the race, but you still can put yourself in a bad spot pretty quick.”
DO YOU LOOK AT SPIRE IN ITS CURRENT SITUATION AS SPIRE 2.0 COMPARED TO WHERE YOU WERE A YEAR AGO?
“Oh yeah, it’s a totally different team. The transition of the shop, and the shop is one thing, right? But the Gainbridge relationship, the new teammates, the added engineering, the more help from GM and Hendrick Engines, and Hendrick pit crews, it’s not even remotely the same team. The addition of Doug Duchardt too. It would be nice to come to a situation like this, but I was at the dry erase board with the Expo marker trying to figure out how to get to this point. So rarely does it work out where a vision where TJ or someone like that has grandiose visions come to life. It’s pretty cool to be a part of that and it’s almost like we just started being like a legitimate race team. The last three years have been like, how can we just go put a car on the racetrack. So, the intention in going to the racetrack is a little bit different and the expectations are different also.
FOR WHAT YOU HAVE JUST SAID, IS THAT WHY THIS YEAR WILL BE THE NEXT STEP FORWARD THAT YOU HAVE SEEN COMING?
“We have been taking steps forward every year. We have had some good runs on occasion, but not very frequent and not very consistent. In every measurable category statistically last year, we were better than the year prior. And I don’t anticipate this year being any different and we are going to take a step now. Taking a steps in this garage isn’t like 10 places. It isn’t like going from a 25th place team to a Championship Four team overnight, that is not how it works. A tangible step forward might be one spot, two spots, because now there are 24 factory teams essentially between Toyotas, and Fords and Chevrolet. Those are key partner teams. So, for us to be in that 20th to 16th playoff team on points, you are beating eight teams that are fully funded, fully resourced, and we are still on the outside looking in when it comes to key partner information. So, I feel like we have done a great job so far and especially overachieving for the resources that we have and we are going to continue to take…..it may not be noticeable to any of you guys in here, but we are going to be better in the amount of top fives we have, in the amount of top tens we have. There is not a measurable amount, but there is going to be more. We just have lofty goals in terms of……I can’t calculate it right now, but we have for the bonus structure for the guys in the shop, we separate the Daytona 500 as its own race. You race that one different because you want to have a good points day and you want to cash a check. So we essentially start this season as a team here in Atlanta and we break the season up in seven, five-race mini seasons. And if you have a better finish than an average finish over those five races better than 20th, you acquire a certain amount of points, its like 80 something. We set the benchmark of all these with 19th or better metrics with laps led, laps completed, average finish position. If you hit those markers for the five-race mini season, then everybody in the shop gets a bonus. Even the Truck team gets a bonus if the Cup team hits it. So, we introduced that last year and it made the season much more palpable. You know it gets long and grueling, but it allows you to reset and kind of attack each race segment with attention and some attainable goals. I think we hit two out of the seven last year and came up a little short on two more, so if we can hit all those little mini season benchmarks then that should put us up in the conversation as right on the fringe, right on the outside looking in of pointing our way in the playoffs. But obviously you feel pretty good about it if you can get a notch on that column and be in the playoffs.”
IS IT PLAYOFFS OR BUST AND IS THAT LOOKING REALISTIC FOR THIS TEAM?
“I think there are a couple of us internally, particularly Doug, myself and Sparks, and Dickerson, that we feel like that if we execute, we can be in the playoffs. That is a reaching goal, but the only way you can score it is if you have a goal. The goal is also a goal that we set out for the team three years ago, and some of them were let’s just finish the race here. Literally. So, we continue to move the benchmark and raise the bar for our goals. The bar for this year, for our team, is the playoffs. If we can get close to that, it would make a lot of guys, myself included, really happy. I have matured as a driver behind the wheel as well as off, and I think it will be a dogfight. It will be an absolutely dogfight, but I think if we execute for the next 20 weeks, 24 weeks, I think we can be in the conversation.”
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO LESSEN THE FOCUS ON FUEL SAVING OR IS THIS WHAT EVERYBODY HAS GOT?
“I don’t know. I think everybody seems to have a quick fix and not much thought behind it when it comes to the people that actually have to make the decision, those guys are the ones looking at the data. Because sometimes you think its going to be a fix and you create four more problems. Because there are world class crew chiefs and engineers that will sit there and nitpick thousands of an inch, or thousands of a mile in terms of miles to the gallon to try and make the races as advantageous for themselves as possible. Do I like trying to work to get the lead and then get yelled at by our crew chief because you are burning too much fuel? No. But what do I do? Just let six or seven guys go by me so I can ride at 60%? No. So, I don’t love that its how its kind of worked. I understand that it’s kind of the game that is presented right now, and with everybody as equal as it is, you want to be on pit road or in your box the least amount of time possible to leapfrog the guys you are in front of. I don’t look at enough data to be able to make a fix and I think anybody that sits here and says they have a fix probably is not correct. But I do know that NASCAR doesn’t like the fact that the entire field was running 51.50s and a guy in a single car qualified two seconds faster than that. So that’s something they are going to be looking at.”
REGARDING THE MOUTHGARD DEVELOPMENT YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH.
“I am glad I haven’t been the crash test dummy before, or too much like Ryan Blaney has been lately. I appreciate him collecting the data for us. When they first came out, they have been working with Wake Forest and those guys are top notch. I think really and truly it speaks to the investment that NASCAR is making in the health of the drivers and seeing how much….especially with the Next Gen stuff and speaking about the comments about how stiff and rigid the car was, they actually wanted to see how much of the energy was transferred to the drivers. The first couple of mouthpiece designs were pretty clunky and sat in the top of your mouth and you sounded like you were talking with a mouthful of peanut butter. Something we came up with was to wear it like a night guard, like an Invisalign at night, and we actually put all the hardware on the outside of your teeth. Which is something they hadn’t done before because normally with football players you want everything inside and in the top of your mouth, so for now with the way the races are and no contact with the helmet, we are able to put the hardware on the outside of your mouth. There are probably 15-18 guys interested in wearing them because you can talk, and it’s comfortable. So, we have continued to evolve that and they have some really cool stuff like the bus stop at Watkins Glen, and some other areas of the race track where they were really high G load, whether it was left to right or up and down. And we have really worked hard on the headrest surround foam, so its all correlating and that has been a really big piece to understand head knocks in our sport.”
YOU HAVE COME SO CLOSE HERE AND YOU HAVE SAID YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO, ARE YOU CONFIDENT YOU WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO IF PUT IN THAT POSITION AGAIN?
“Well, I can assure you this Bob. I don’t think any situation is the same, but the characters, the players and the point in the racetrack and how much run you have, will never be the same. So, I have relooked at that lap here a couple years ago here at Atlanta and I was trying to get to Chase’s right rear, and the moment that I kind of thought it was a racing thing. It was probably one-half step over the line of what would not be considered dirty, but nonetheless, he did what he had to do to win. With experience here now at speedways, there are things that I am going to do different. Preferably be the one in front. It is much easier to defend than to be on offense on the last lap. So, we are going to do all we can to put ourselves in that position here tomorrow.”
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.
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 Media Availability | Saturday, February 24, 2024
Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang, is the defending winner of this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He stopped by the infield media center before qualifying to talk about the start to his season in last week’s Daytona 500 in addition to his hopes for Sunday’s race.
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE EXCESSIVE FUEL SAVING WE’VE SEEN? “We talk about all the time how the draft evolves and how people evolve over time and you can’t unlearn things. Well, this is kind of the next step of speedway racing as the field is closer and closer it’s harder and harder to pass. How do you cycle yourself ahead of the pack? Well, it’s pretty obvious what the answer was last week. It was where only a couple of teams were doing it, but now it’s all of the teams doing it. How do you fix it? I don’t know if there is a fix besides doing something to eliminate stage cautions or something like that, like we tried at the road courses, or just adding more stages, which I don’t know if I really want that. I don’t know what the fix is. I do think it adds a different storyline for sure. There was that first stage where we were going so slow that everyone behind us was about to be able to bridge it to where they didn’t have to pit and at that point we took off and left. To me it was like the Tour de France is what it felt like to me. Everyone was in this peloton and a couple of runners take off and you’re like, ‘What are they doing? Why are they doing that?’ Trying to drag the pack along and get them up to speed and then everybody did kind of get up to speed after that. It’s a different strategy. It’s interesting. It’s a different way of racing. It’s still a race. It’s still part of the race it’s just a different way of doing it and it’s up to everybody in this room to really educate the fans on what this next step is and why we’re doing it. As much as we want to say we want to run 100 percent all the time, it’s all well and good, but there’s also just a strategy race that sometimes is pretty interesting.”
FROM A STRATEGY PERSPECTIVE IS IT BETTER TO BE LEADING OR BE A LITTLE FURTHER BACK? “It’s a little different here. You’ve got to look at it that the further back you are the more fuel you can save, but the less control you have. So you can’t control the speed of the pack anymore, so you’re kind of at the mercy of what’s going on in front of you. You’re in a little bit more of a danger spot at that point of the race. I’m gonna choose more towards the front, maybe not the leader, but towards the front. Sometimes you are where you are and there’s not much shuffling. A few laps after the restart it was kind of like this is where everyone settled in and they were content with what they were doing, so that can continue here, maybe. It’s not as wide of a racetrack. It’s a little harder to gain track position. It takes a little longer to move through the field. You see some restarts last week where if you went for it, you could go from the back to the front really quick if everyone is saving fuel and you can kind of catch them off-guard a little bit, but I don’t know if that happens as much here.”
DO YOU AS A DRIVER WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL YOUR OWN RACE? “I don’t know if you ever do completely. It’s still a team sport. We talk about that all the time. I’m not just gonna go pull my own strategy out at any track and say it’s the right one. Those guys have way more data in front of them than what I have. I have some interesting things around me and things that they can’t see, but they also have a lot of things that I can’t see and the best thing we can do is communicate and be on the same page together. For the driver to just go rogue and do whatever he wants, I don’t know if that’s quite the good call. I don’t know if it’s gonna work out every time.”
COLEMAN MENTIONED BRAD A LOT LAST WEEK IN THE CLOSING LAPS. WAS THAT PART OF YOUR STRATEGY TO BE WITH HIM? HOW DO YOU WEIGH GETTING THE BEST RESULT FOR YOURSELF? “There were points that I could have left Brad to go block another lane and you can probably debate this either way on what the right thing to do is there, but I felt like it was too early in the race to bail on him. I know there was like eight to go and he ended up bailing on me anyway, but I had my teammate behind that with Blaney and that’s one I can trust. So, I’d rather be sitting second in line behind Ross with Blaney behind me with eight to go. I feel like I have a better chance at that point because I have some loyalty behind me. The last lap, maybe things change. The moves you make the decisions you make have to change, but with eight to go it’s a long way to go in the race. If you lose your help at that point, you’re on your own. I’ve been on my own at the end of these races before and if they gang up on you, you’re a sitting duck. You’ve got nothing. So, I was being patient and just waiting. I knew eventually Ross was gonna miss a block and I was gonna slip him again. It already happened once towards the end of the race, so it was gonna happen again. I was just being patient and unfortunately got wrecked before we could really see things through.”
FORDS DOMINATED QUALIFYING HERE LAST YEAR. WITH THIS NEW MUSTANG CAN THE SAME THING HAPPEN THIS TIME? “I’d like to think so. That’s the thing these days with no practice you go straight into qualifying. I don’t know, but I’d say all signs are showing good for qualifying today considering what we did last year here and what happened in Daytona, but you never know. Speeds should be fast though and we should be. It’s a lot different here, though. Everybody trims their cars differently and looks for different things, so it could be a little different.”
CAN YOU TELL HOW GOOD THIS MUSTANG IS GOING TO BE? “It’s still early to tell, but so far, so good.”
DOES YOUR APPROACH TO THIS RACE CHANGE SINCE IT’S NOW A PLAYOFF RACE IN THE FALL? “No. Our approach is the same. It doesn’t really change. The goal is to win, whether it’s a playoff race later or one coming up to it, or is not in the playoffs at all. It doesn’t really matter. Our approach is the same and our preparation is the same.”
CAN YOU GIVE A SENSE OF WHAT YOU LEARN AND PICK UP AS A TEAM AND WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR WHEN THE SERIES GOES TO VEGAS AND PHOENIX? “The season starts when the green flag drops in Daytona. I would even argue sometimes it starts at the Clash. It’s a race and I kind of look at that as the beginning. As far as knowing what you have in your car, to answer the question of what do you think of the new Dark Horse Mustang, I can’t answer it completely yet. So far, all signs are showing great, but we don’t know that until we get to Vegas and Phoenix and Bristol and kind of see where we’re at from a speed perspective, but as far as the season started, yeah, they’re giving points out, they’re giving trophies out, and they’re giving money out, so we better go get it. It doesn’t really matter all the other stuff. It’s interesting with two speedways to start. That does change the game some, but there’s still the execution. The team is still here. Everybody is here. There’s a lot going on still.”
NASCAR CUP SERIES ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY AMBETTER HEALTH 400 TEAM CHEVY MEDIA AVAILABILITY QUOTES FEBRUARY 24, 2024
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTOR HIGH HEAT CAMARO ZL1, met with the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series’ qualifying session at Atlanta Motor Speedway – Media Availability Quotes
I think the consensus is that you’re one of the more quiet guys in the garage. From the Netflix show to doing all of the media in New York after winning the Daytona 500, how has that experience been for you?
“Yeah, it’s been fun. I enjoyed all of the stuff that I got to do this week, especially because it’s something unique and different, and I felt like it was really interesting. There were a lot of interesting questions and just different outlets trying to learn about the sport. I tried my best to do a good job. Obviously I was running off adrenaline for two or three days, and we’re back to the race track now and ready to get to work.
I enjoyed it. As much as I am quiet, I feel like most of my quiet time is spent at the race track when I’m trying to do my work and focusing on my job.”
It was referenced that you were in New York. I want to say you’ve been there before, but I know this is a pretty intense experience for you. How as the media tour and how did you enjoy your experience in New York City?
“Yeah, so my sister lives up there and I go up there and visit her probably once a year. But yeah, I enjoyed it a lot. Like I said, there were a lot of cool outlets. I think the best way to go around New York is in a car service with going place-to-place (laughs). We didn’t have to walk anywhere, so it was a very unique situation. But very cool and just thankful for NASCAR that they put that together. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go getting on the plane Monday night. I was a little nervous about it all, but I thought they managed it really well. It was super smooth. The Empire State Building was probably one of the coolest aspects, just being able to go up there and see the views.”
You mentioned all of the different media outlets trying to learn about NASCAR. The thing about winning the Daytona 500 is that it’s really transformative, in the sense that it takes someone in the sport to entirely new level and you’re serving as an ambassador for NASCAR. Have you started to grasp exactly what being the Daytona 500 Champion has done and will do for you?
“I don’t think so.. not yet. There’s just a lot of different aspects to it. I feel like the big thing for us is being able to start the year like that with a lot of momentum, for a lot of different reasons – for our team and to be able to lock ourselves into the Playoffs, and also for sponsor engagement and things like that. I feel like for me personally, it’s a huge relief and something I’m really excited to carry down the road.”
You’ve had great success here at Atlanta Motor Speedway. How do you negotiate the two different pit road speeds – from the time you get off the track, how do you know how fast you’re going? Do you have two sets of lights? Do you downshift during the 90mph section, that sort of stuff?
“That’s a great question. You know, what I vividly remember from last year – it’s just coming off turn two, there’s a couple of brake markers. I feel like they did a good job last year kind of bringing those brake markers into play. Typically we don’t use the left-side of the track to really judge where we’re going to brake for pit road on an oval. It’s very unique. And like you said, you’re not getting down to 45 mph.. you’re getting down to 90 mph, so the gearing is a lot different. The lights are built way differently. I think we chose to go with third gear this time. Last time, we were in fourth. So I feel like just trying to understand the cadence there. My engineers sent me a bunch of stuff.. some layouts to make sure I’m aware of what lights I need to run. But the biggest thing is don’t speed because under green, that section is not that important in comparison to being a couple of laps down here. If you go a couple of laps down with how long that pit road is now, your race is ruined. So you just have to not speed.”
Your father couldn’t be at Daytona. What was it like when you finally saw him for the first time?
“Yeah, so I didn’t see him until later in the week. He’s better now, he just had a pretty severe cold. But yeah, the coolest part was I was driving home from the shop on Wednesday afternoon after we did the toast. It was maybe our second or third conversation on the phone, but we were just talking about the race and something came up about racing for Dale Earnhardt Jr. – how in 2014, that was the last time that Hendrick Motorsports had won a Daytona 500, and that’s when I was driving for Dale in the late models. He was just super emotional. I’ve never really heard him get that choked up over the phone, but it was really special to hear that. Just having been through this journey with him and going to the race track every weekend together starting out, it was very special.”
I was told it took the Netflix deal for you to get into the door with LEGO. Is that accurate?
“Yeah, I mean we’re working on it, for sure. I’d love to have a LEGO car out there. I think they do so many unique things with that design. Certainly, still going to build.. need to work on my next project here soon. I have some ideas. They are going to send me quite a few sets, so that’ll be nice. No more eBay.. I usually go on eBay and get the LEGO sets because they’re backordered.”
You have two wins here at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the reconfiguration, so obviously you’re comfortable with the high banks on a 1.5-mile track. I get the idea that maybe that’s not the consensus in the garage. Do you hear varying views on this track?
“Yeah, I mean look – we’ve been really fortunate that it’s worked out for us a couple of times. The first win, we were pretty dominate here – led over 100 laps and put ourselves in a good position. But since then, it’s gotten even more chaotic. It’s two to three wide and it seems like everyone has really figured out the draft here. It’s unique, for sure. I wouldn’t want to do it every week, but I do enjoy the challenge of it. I think it’s a super exciting show for the fans. If you think about the attendance here when it was the old layout, and seeing how packed it was here in July – it seems like the fans like it. Like I said, I don’t want to do it every week, but I enjoy the aspect of drafting, lifting a little bit and all the different things that come with it.”
With two superspeedway, drafting tracks, back-to-back – do you anticipate it will be a bigger mental or physical toll after tomorrow’s race?
“Yeah, I mean look – in the offseason, I was like man, don’t crash in the first two races because you’re going to be pretty beat up. Yeah, I think it’ll be physical, for sure, if you’re in some crashes. But this track isn’t overly physical.. it’s kind of right there in the middle, I would say. But as we get to some of the short-tracks, really the schedule in March and April, you’ll need to be prepared for those. But we’ve got a little ways to go, so there’s still some training and preparation to try and get ready for that stretch.”
For the fact that this track is now in the Playoffs and you’re locked-in, does that allow you to try something or does that change the dynamic at all for you?
“Yeah, I mean it just makes the race a little more important for us. We just have to have a notebook for this race, so we need to understand what our setup needs to be and kind of tinker with that going back here in the fall. We can’t really try much here because we want to have a good data point for the fall and know – hey, our car drove pretty well. A lot is out of your control here, but hopefully we can have a good driving Chevy, good strategy and just get a little bit of an idea for the fall.”
If it wasn’t in the playoffs, you could potentially experiment more?
“Yeah, I think you wouldn’t put a whole lot of weight on it, especially coming off a win. Last year here, we just had the point penalty, so we had a lot of making up to do. But this year and already being locked into the playoffs, there’s a new importance to it.”
Is there anything that can be looked out or considered that would allow you guys not to be as focused or concerned about fuel saving in a speedway-type of race?
“Yeah, it’s a very complex problem because I think anytime you shorten the amount of fuel that you have in the cars, you’re just going to make the windows smaller. And then you’re going to have the same issue or the same thing happening, where you’re trying to have a shorter pit stop. It’s just evolution and technology.. it’s really just us figuring out what the best strategy is. I’m surprised it wasn’t more of a thing earlier on, but I think with this package and with track position being so important with there being so much drag on the car and really two-wide – it’s very difficult just to shoot your way to the front from the back. I don’t know what the adjustment is that needs to be made. It’s not the most fun thing to do, but I’m going to do whatever it takes to win the race. I feel like we were pretty smart about it. If you look at our average running position last week, it wasn’t what people would think. But we would always cycle forward; have a chance to race it out for the stage win and have a chance at the end. I’m just going to do whatever the rules tell me to do.”
As you look at someone trying a similar career path as yours and not getting directly in a car first, what do you see as far as that next group of drivers coming up? What would be advice to them as they start their career and the path you did, versus being in a car first?
“I think just having fun with it. Like what I see from a lot of young kids, going to the carting track and racing on iRacing – people are just taking it way too seriously, way too soon. I feel like you just have to really enjoy what you do – try to learn and try to get better as a driver and learn more about the sport. And then eventually, by the time you get to this level, you’re going to feel a lot of pressure. I think not putting too much pressure on yourself at an early age to try to be the best. I think just try to get out there and experience things; enjoy driving the race car and see what you can do with it.”
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.
Toyota Racing – John Hunter Nemechek NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
ATLANTA (February 24, 2024) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver John Hunter Nemechek was made available to the media prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
How important was getting off to a fast start for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB?
“Yeah, very grateful we came out in one piece, for sure. I’m excited for this year, getting the year kicked off in Daytona. It’s been a lot of hard work in the offseason at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB with the manufacturer swap to Toyota, lot of new personnel hired, bringing the pit crew in-house, and myself being new to the team. There are so many things that are new, so to be able to go down to Daytona and have a solid run and show some speed in the Duels and race and come out of there with clean car and finish top-10 is pretty good. Not just myself, but for the 43 guys as well. Two cars in the top-10 is a pretty good start for us.”
Can you speak to the mental difference here compared to Daytona or Talladega?
“I don’t think that this place is as treacherous as Daytona or Talladega. Things do happen a little bit faster here than at Daytona or Talladega. I don’t know about the Cup car yet, but on the Xfinity side, runs are a little bit bigger, but you tend to stall out a little bit faster as well. It‘s trying to pick and choose your runs, battles, and it seems like more one-lane dominant here at Atlanta than Daytona or Talladega. You can definitely get multiple lanes going, but I’m going to say it’s pretty much one preferred lane here.”
Why run double duty so often in your return to the Cup Series?
“Why not?! I like to race. I like to be in race cars, and I think getting more laps is more beneficial for myself. Being able to work with the same group of guys at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) that are on the 20 car besides two positions, I think, everyone is still the same. It’s big for me to come back this year and have fun and try to go win races. Not really knowing what the Cup side has in store for the first few as far as speed and other things. For myself, I wanted to put myself in a situation where I can gain confidence on Saturday and go into Sunday and be able to go out there and strive, learn some things from Saturday to try to apply to Sunday. I’m a race car driver. If we could run all three series every weekend, I’d be raising my hand to be into that.”
Are you finding yourself reaching for something different with the cars being so different?
“Not necessarily. I think it’s just remembering what transmissions are in each, where the switches are. Yesterday, I went to kill the ignition switch after finishing my qualifying lap and I reached to where my Cup one is, and it wasn’t in the same spot. So, small things like that. But as far as everything else, it’s similar so far. Daytona and Atlanta will be similar, we’re going to have more differences between the two cars when you get to (Las) Vegas, Phoenix, COTA (Circuit of the Americas), places like that.”
What was the biggest thing you learned from your time going back and racing in the Xfinity and Truck Series?
“I think the biggest thing for me was regaining confidence in myself. I felt I could go win races, but at the same time, I had to go prove that to myself and the rest of the garage and have Toyota and TRD as a manufacturer who believed in me was great validation in that sort. But I think race craft wise, getting smarter, more mature with the positions that you put yourself in. I think every young kid as you grow up running through the ranks, you learn some things the hard way, and some things you learn the easy way, but the hard ones, you will typically remember a little bit more than you were the easy ones, but for myself, it was focusing on completing the tasks at hand, and that was trying to go win races and try to put us in the best possible spots and not getting ahead of ourselves if we got a penalty on pit road or whatever and had to go back and work your way back through. Most of all, just trying to be the veteran in those series, and now the roles have reversed a little bit and I’ve got some learning to do.”
What are the biggest changes you have seen with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB from last year to this year?
“To be honest, I wasn’t super involved last year, so I don’t really know what was going on, what the biggest significant changes were. I feel like Erik (Jones) could probably answer that a little bit better than myself. For me, it has been a great experience so far being able to have LEGACY M.C. work with Toyota, TRD, from a resource side to a motor side, body side – the new Camry body. There are so many different things that I feel like LEGACY M.C. didn’t necessarily have the keys to access that information, and I think it showed. They still had speed last year at quite a few race tracks and they ran well and different things of that sort, but this year, with the alliance with Toyota, TRD – I think we should be able to be competitive most weeks. I feel that deep down, so I would say the biggest change would be resources and then personnel are another big one. Quite a number of new faces to LEGACY M.C. this year. Cal Wells (CEO, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB), now running the team with Jimmie (Johnson) and the other Hall of Famer faces that are involved as well. It is great to be a part of that organization to have so many great people around you. I’ve always been told you are only as good as the people that you surround yourselves with, and I feel like there is some greats at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.”
Have you spent any time with Matt Kenseth since coming on board to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB?
“Yeah, I have. Matt (Kenseth) is a really funny guy. I’ve enjoyed Matt. I’ve enjoyed working with Matt and talking with Matt and I’ve spent quite a lot of time with him, getting to know him better each and every time I go and spend time with him. He’s a funny dude. I’m going to leave it at that, but it’s been great to spend time with Matt so far.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 22, 2024) – The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Peach State and the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Showing much improvement with the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse, both Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland proved they are a force to be reckoned with at high speed, drafting tracks.
McDowell and Gilliland look to make up lost points after their finish in Monday’s Daytona 500, using the same drafting techniques to secure stage points and hopefully the win. McDowell returns to the 1.5-mile track after a fourth-place finish last summer, his best finish at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Gilliland will make his fifth career start at the track, building on momentum after leading a career-high 16 laps last week.
Track activity will begin with qualifying on Saturday, February 24th at 11:30 a.m. ET. The Ambetter Health 400 will take place Sunday, February 25 at 3:00 p.m. ET and will be televised live on FOX. Fans can also listen in on the action live from Sirius XM and the Performance Racing Network.
No. 34 Benebone Ford Mustang Dark Horse:
DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:
“I’ve always believed being up front is best in these races. We just need to have a great handling Benebone Ford Mustang Dark Horse, because you need to be able to make moves. With the racing grooves, you must be fast and handle well in both, and that’s what we’ve been working on for this weekend and hope we can run up front.”
CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:
“We are looking forward to rebounding at Atlanta, we had a great finish in the second race there last year and showed a lot of speed in Daytona before our issues. The team has built just as good of a car for this weekend, and we expect to be able to run up front again. Hopefully we can stay up front and avoid any issues that take us out of the race, the front is the safest place to be.”
No. 38 Georgia Peanuts Ford Mustang Dark Horse:
DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:
“I’m excited for Atlanta, especially after leading laps at Daytona. I get to carry that momentum from the (Daytona) 500 to another high-speed, drafting track. I know Ryan (Bergenty) and the team will bring me a fast Georgia Peanuts Ford Mustang Dark Horse, I just have to go out there and execute.”
CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:
“Drafting plays a big role in Atlanta just like it did at Daytona. Todd (Gilliland) showed that he can be trusted as a drafting partner at these high-speed, high-stress tracks and proved that he deserves to be up front. I liked what we had in Daytona, but unfortunately got caught up in the “Big One”. We’ll make up for it this 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.
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway… In 162 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned nine wins and three pole awards, including Kevin Harvick’s emotional victory in 2001. Dale Earnhardt won eight times at the Hampton, Ga., track under the RCR banner (1984-fall, 1986-fall, 1988-spring, 1989-fall, 1990-spring, 1995-fall, 1996-spring, 2000-spring). The Welcome, N.C., team has 30 top-five and 61 top-10 finishes at Atlanta and has led a total of 3,020 laps at the 1.54-mile oval.
RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway… RCR has recorded five NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway, led by Austin Hill (2022 and 2023) and Jeff Burton (2006 and 2007). Kevin Harvick (2013) also has a victory at Atlanta with RCR. RCR as an organization has racked up 16 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes over a span of 60 starts at the Peachtree State track.
Catch the Action… The Atlanta 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, February 24 beginning at 5 p.m. ET on FS1. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
The Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, February 25 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Atlanta Motor Speedway… In 14 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Dillon’s best finish is a sixth-place effort in March 2021. In four NASCAR Xfinity Series and four NASCAR Truck Series races at the Georgia oval, Dillon has earned seven top-10 results and never finished worse than 11th-place.
BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Team Up with Dillon… Dillon and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team will be supported by BREZTRI AEROSPHERE®, an AstraZeneca product, at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This partnership is about more than just racing. You can learn more about Austin Dillon and his family’s personal connection to the brand at Breztri.com. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and Biopharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
With the hybrid that is Atlanta Motor Speedway now, what did you have to learn to be successful at that track given the change in the track and change in the car?
“I haven’t been as successful as I’ve wanted to be at Atlanta Motor Speedway, so I’ve got to go to work on that one. In the first race we competed in on the new Atlanta Motor Speedway configuration, we were pretty good. I got turned at the end of the stage, and if we didn’t, we would’ve finished second or third. That was probably one of the best cars I’ve had there. Past that, Atlanta has been difficult because I’ve had some massive hits there.”
What is your plan for tackling Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend?
“I think this time around, it’s coming up with a game plan. When you don’t have a game plan going into one of these races that you can’t truly commit to, you kind of get stuck in the middle and you don’t know what you’re doing, and it usually doesn’t turn out good. You’ve got to be committed to strategy and stick to that strategy. That’s a part of speedway racing. Am I going to go all out and try to lead every lap or am I going to ride around and make a charge? You can’t just be in the middle trying to figure it out. Sometimes that works, but I feel like you need to be decisive on which one of the two places you want to be. Atlanta has been really weird, and it’s still changing. I think the track with another winter on it, it could be slicker. But we’re going to be there when it’s probably cold and we’ll have grip. You’ll be in between trying to take as much downforce and drag out as you can. We just haven’t been great there yet, but we’ve just got to figure it out.”
You’ve talked about Atlanta Motor Speedway being a hybrid and taking a massive hit there, but is the crashing the same? Meaning, there’s usually not a single-car crash at Daytona. Is it the same way at Atlanta?
“If you’re involved in a wreck, it’s going to suck either way. Atlanta is similar to crashing at Daytona. The field did spread out on the long green flag run in the second race when pit stops started happening. But it seems to kind of yoyo back together.”
What did you learn from Kyle Busch last year during his first full year at RCR?
“I think just his competitive nature. He truly eats, sleeps, and breathes racing. When he’s not at a NASCAR track, he’s at a dirt track with his son, Brexton, and racing when Brexton isn’t racing. He is just a competitor, and he’s very good at explaining what he wants in the racecar. What we need to do to get better. He’s one of those people that at all costs, he’s trying to make things better.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Atlanta Motor Speedway… Kyle Busch enters this weekend with two wins (2008 and 2013), nine top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 28 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He scored a fifth-place finish in his most recent NASCAR Cup Series start at the track in July 2023. The driver of the Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet won the pole at Atlanta in 2018 and ranks second among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led at the 1.540-mile speedway with 558. He has three victories in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at the Hampton, Ga., track and six victories in the NASCAR Truck Series.
Solid start to the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season…Busch has enjoyed a solid start to the 2024 Cup Series season. He scored a second-place finish in the Busch Light Clash (his third top-three finish in three seasons). This past weekend at Daytona International Speedway, Busch posted a 12th-place finish in the Daytona 500 in a backup car. He is eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series driver points, 17 points behind the leader.
Did You Know? Busch is the youngest winner in Cup Series history at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Busch was 22 years, 10 months, and 7 days old when he won the spring event in 2008. The Las Vegas, Nevada native also leads all active drivers with 22 lead lap finishes at the 1.54-mile oval.
Meet Kyle Busch…Busch is scheduled to visit the Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen location in McDonough, Ga., at lunchtime on Friday to bring recognition to Cheddar’s new weekday lunch specials. Starting at $8.59 and featuring items like a Classic Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Pot Pie, Cajun Chicken Bowl and Philly Cheesesteak, guests can skip the drive-thru or the brown-bagged lunch for a classic homestyle meal at a comforting price. Cheddar’s has steadily grown its relationship with Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing, and the No. 8 team each year of their partnership. Kyle and his family have also embraced Cheddar’s as a meal fit for champions, with their homestyle favorites frequenting the Busch family’s dinner table. And to kick off a memorable meal, every guest is welcomed with a warm Honey Butter Croissant on the house.
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen – Cheddar’s serves American classics and homestyle comfort food in a feel-at-home atmosphere. Guests get a lot, for not a lot with homemade entrees like hand-breaded Chicken Tenders, homemade Chicken Pot Pie and slow-smoked Baby Back Ribs so big, they almost fall off the plate. To kick off a memorable meal, every Guest is welcomed with a warm Honey Butter Croissant on the house. Cheddar’s operates more than 180 restaurants in 27 states and employs more than 15,000 friendly and passionate team members. Cheddar’s is open for lunch and dinner, now featuring new weekday lunch specials, starting at just $8.59. For more information or to locate the nearest restaurant, visit Cheddars.com. Fans can like or follow Cheddar’s on Facebook, X , and Instagram.
KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on Atlanta Motor Speedway, especially with the relatively new configuration?
“Driving on the new Atlanta Motor Speedway configuration is definitely challenging just due to the fact that it’s really, really fast and it’s a mile-and-a-half, so it seems like the superspeedway speeds that you get at a mile-and-a-half make everything go by really quick. Things happen quick, faster than a superspeedway. That’s definitely the challenging part. Understanding the grip level of what the cars have in the draft and the moves you can make is also pretty challenging. It’s easier for everybody to go fast with it being restrictor plate style racing and everybody being able to hold it wide-open for the most part is what makes it a plate race.”
Last year you won early and often. How important is it to get that out of the way early, then concentrate on what’s next?
“Yeah, winning early is huge for your season. It sets the tone and gives you a chance to know you’re in the NASCAR Playoffs. You just have to make sure you keep everything else in order. If you’re getting into the July, August months, and you don’t have a win yet, it gets stressful. That’s not going to be a place where you want to get to.”
You had two top 10 finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway last year. You seemed to take to the track reconfiguration quickly with a different car. Is there an element of the track that works with your driving style or can you acclimate quicker than others?
“We got lucky last year with the fifth-place finish, because we stayed out on fuel mileage and when the rain came, it gave us that opportunity. Track position is hard to get there. It’s hard to pass with two lanes running two-wide. I felt really good about my car. I could go to the bottom and rip the bottom better than anybody, but then there wasn’t any room to get back in line on the top to get the straightaway speed you need. I kept getting sucked backwards every time I would try to pull out of line and make a move. The confidence I had in my car was net hurting me. Just hard to be patient in those situations and sit and ride.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro SS at Atlanta Motor Speedway… Jesse Love will make his inaugural start at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Saturday. The 19-year-old has never seen the 1.54-mile oval in person and Friday’s qualifying session will mark his first lap on the surface.
First Pole, First Stage Win… During Love’s Xfinity Series debut at Daytona International Speedway, the Menlo Park, California native earned his first career pole position, putting the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet on the front row for the season opening event. Love led the most laps (34) and captured his first career stage win.
Did You Know? Love is the third youngest pole winner in Xfinity Series history at Daytona International Speedway and just the 14th driver to claim the first starting position in their series debut.
About Whelen Engineering… Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.
JESSE LOVE QUOTES:
Describe your NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Daytona International Speedway.
“I thought it was a productive debut. It was nice to get our first pole, win a stage, and lead the most laps. The stage point that we earned could go a long way in a few months, so I’m glad to have a playoff point secured already. It was pretty cool to edge my teammate, Austin Hill, at the line to win the stage. At the same time, I do think he cut me a little bit of a break to let me have a moment of glory. After we lost our track position at the end of Stage 1 – which was part of our overall plan – I wanted to be aggressive and get back to the front as fast as I could. I thought I made smart decisions that were aggressive but calculated from a timing perspective. I just got a bad push from the No. 20 and that spun us around. Looking back on it, I’m not sure if I should have put myself in that spot, but there were a lot of good cars in the line that I was in, and we were rolling on the bottom. Traditionally on superspeedway races, you are safest out front so I wouldn’t take any of it back. In the future knowing how fast of a car I had though, I could have been more patient.”
What did you learn at Daytona International Speedway that you can apply to Atlanta Motor Speedway?
“For Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend and when we go back to superspeedways later this season, the key is going to be putting myself in safe positions. With how fast my Whelen Chevrolet was in Daytona, I could have been safer than other people and still had the same result. The goal for this weekend is to do the same thing as Daytona though, except not get wrecked and have a better outcome. I need to be aggressive. Hopefully, we will be able to sit on the pole again and keep that first pit stall. From there, we will try to stay out front. At some point we will lose track position and when that does happen, I need to take my time a little more than Daytona. The racing at Atlanta is a little less tight than Daytona, so I can be safer with my moves, still go forward, and be in position to have a shot at the win at the end. In the back of my mind, I can be more passive than others and still get to the front with how fast our No. 2 car is.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Atlanta Motor Speedway… Austin Hill has four career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, earning two wins and a second-place finish while piloting the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet. Hill has led at least one lap in each of his four starts, totaling 204 laps pacing the field. In addition, Hill has six NASCAR Truck Series starts at the Hampton, Georgia facility, posting one pole (2019), two top-five (2020, 2021) and three top-10 results (2019-2021).
Three-Peat at Daytona… After starting from the second position, earning a stage win, and capturing the checkered flag at Daytona International Speedway, Hill is now the back-to-back-to-back victor of the season opening event in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. With the win, Hill has successfully locked himself into the Playoffs for the third time in as many years.
Did You Know? Hill is only the fourth Xfinity Series driver to win at least three consecutive February races at Daytona International Speedway, joining Dale Earnhardt (five), Tony Stewart (four), and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (three).
Defending Race Winner… Hill enters Atlanta Motor Speedway as the defending race winner. Last spring, the No. 21 Chevrolet started from the third position, led 103 of 163 laps, and captured the victory at Hill’s home track. This marked Hill’s third victory of the 2023 season, where the then-sophomore driver won three of the first five events.
Georgia Boy Returns Home… Hill is a native of Winston, Georgia, sited 60 miles from Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 29-year-old started his motorsports career racing bandolero and legends cars on the frontstretch quarter-mile oval at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hill’s family continues to live in the Peachtree State and will be in attendance for Saturday’s race.
Bennett Home Race… Located a short 15 minutes from Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bennett Transportation and Logistics’ headquarters are based in McDonough, Georgia. Celebrating their 50th Anniversary in 2024, Bennett Family of Companies will have over 250 guests on site to watch Hill compete. The No. 21 Camaro features Bennett’s special anniversary logo and gold accents throughout the design.
About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 14 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Bennett has 4,625 drivers/owner-operators, over 1,000 employees and 600 agents located across the United States. For more information, visit www.bennettig.com.
Meet Hill… On Saturday, February 24 at 2:10 p.m. ET, Hill is scheduled to make an appearance at the Bennett Family of Companies display in the Fan Zone at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Stop by to meet and get an autograph from the defending race winner.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:
What will it take for you to get win number three at Atlanta Motor Speedway? Similar racing to Daytona International Speedway, but not the same.
“A lot of what is going to determine our outcome is how our Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet drives with the new rule change of adding slits to the back glass. We did see the car drive differently at Daytona when in the pack and when leading up front. Knowing the car handled differently at Daytona, determining what it is going to take to make it handle well at Atlanta is a big question. Are we going to need the car to be looser or tighter? We won’t know those answers until we get into the race and through Stage 1, to truly see how our car is driving. With no practice and only one or two laps of qualifying, there will be a lot of learning happening in Stage 1. The more that you can learn early is going to propel you through Stages 2 and 3 to put yourself in the right position at the end. If we can get the car driving well, it will put us in a good position to win the race.”
Atlanta has hard winters and hot summers, so you don’t know what the pavement will be like when you hit the track. Without having practice, how hard do you send it into Turn 1 during qualifying?
“My team and I have talked about this quite a bit leading into this weekend. We are going to unload the same way we have for the last two years, since it has worked for us. Our car traditionally handles well at Atlanta. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, but it does handle well. The one thing that does help us is from what I’ve been seeing with the temperature is it’s not going to be hot. It’s going to be on the cooler side, which is going to add grip to the track. Going into qualifying, the job is simple – hold it wide open and don’t lift. You have to be 100% throttle and hope it sticks. If it doesn’t, you have to be ready to catch it. How much of an angle you take on entry during qualifying is going to be a decision made on the fly once we determine how our car will handle.”
Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 1.54-Mile Oval 3:00 PM ET Location: Hampton, Georgia TV: Fox logo Event: NASCAR Cup Series race (2 of 36) Radio: SiriusXM logo PRN logo
DAYTONA RECAP: On Monday during the rain-delayed DAYTONA 500, Kyle Larson was involved in a multi-car incident on lap 192 but recovered to finish 11th in the 200-lap race. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, who led seven laps in the season-opening event, is tied for sixth in the points standings and 17 markers behind the leader (Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron).
ALMOST IN ATLANTA: At Atlanta Motor Speedway, Larson has led the most laps (423) of Cup Series drivers without a victory. He also has two runner-up finishes at “The Peach State” venue – in 2017 and 2021. Atlanta is eighth among tracks where Larson has led the most laps.
STARTING STRENGTH: Larson has started in the top 10 in 10 of the last 11 races on drafting-style tracks (Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta). His streak of 10 consecutive was snapped last weekend at Daytona when he posted the third-fastest qualifying time but started 17th in “The Great American Race” after finishing ninth in the first Duel at Daytona race on Thursday night.
SINCE JOINING HENDRICK: Larson, who began racing for Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 and delivered the Concord-based organization its record 14th Cup Series title later the same year, has amassed 17 Cup victories over that span. Byron, winner of last weekend’s DAYTONA 500, now sits second in that statistical category with 10.
HIGH LIMIT RACING: The 2024 High Limit Racing Series began with a weather-delayed event on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at East Bay Raceway Park in Florida. Larson, the inaugural series champion in 2023, won the season-opening event. He will compete for the Midweek Money Series championship in the No. 57 entry sponsored by HENDRICKCARS.COM.
CLIFF’S NOTES: No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels and Larson have teamed up for 16 wins since Larson joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 – the third-best total among active driver and crew chief pairings. Daniels and Larson have teamed up to accomplish those wins in 101 races while the best active combination has posted 19 victories in 174 starts.
HENDRICKCARS.COM IS HOME: With Hendrick Automotive Group operating nine dealerships in the Atlanta area, Larson and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM crew will wear their white “home” fire suits for the first time in 2024. For its home races (15 total this season), sponsor HENDRICKCARS.COM releases a unique cap, which are for sale trackside and available to win on HENDRICKCARS.COM. Less than 100 of each limited-edition hat will be made available to the public the week of the race. This week’s ATL hat was released today and can be found here.
ATLANTA AUTOMOTIVE NEEDS & BEYOND: The extended Atlanta market is home to nine Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships including Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Duluth, Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Buford, Rick Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Duluth, Gwinnett Place Honda, Rick Hendrick Buick GMC, Mall of Georgia Mazda, Mall of Georgia MINI and Honda of Newnan. By visiting HENDRICKCARS.COM, customers not located in Georgia can choose from any of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealerships nationwide. Shopping from the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model, and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HENDRICKCARS.COM.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 4th
No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
SETTING THE STAGE: In Monday’s DAYTONA 500, Chase Elliott claimed the very first stage victory of the NASCAR Cup Series season, capturing a coveted playoff point in the process. While the 28-year-old driver earned a 14th-place finish in the 500-mile event, he led 13 laps on the day and earned enough points to leave the track fourth in the Cup Series points standings.
WINNER WINNER NO. 9: This weekend, NASCAR’s premier series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway, Elliott’s home track. In the 2022 summer race at “The Peach State” track, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native drove to the win after starting from the top spot and sweeping the first two stages. In all, Elliott led 96 of 260 total laps en route to the popular victory. That day, he became the second Georgia-born driver to win at Atlanta, joining his father Bill Elliott, who is a five-time Cup Series victor at the track.
CHASE IS TOPS: Since the reconfiguration of Atlanta before the start of the 2022 season, Elliott leads all Cup Series drivers in average finish (6.67) on the 1.54-mile track across three starts (he missed last year’s spring race due to injury). In fact, since the start of 2022, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has led a total of 125 laps at the Hampton, Georgia, oval.
DRAFTING STRONG: Elliott is one of only two drivers with multiple victories on drafting-style tracks since the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022, second only to Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron (with three). In addition to his win at Atlanta, the six-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award winner emerged victorious at Talladega Superspeedway in October of 2022. For his career, he has three wins on drafting tracks, first earning a triumph at Talladega in April of 2019.
AG IN GA: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 28th Atlanta Cup Series race in his 20th full-time season atop the pit box. Gustafson has two wins at the track – the first he earned on the old configuration with Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon in 2011 and the second with Elliott in 2022. Gordon, a four-time Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer, led 146 of 325 laps en route to his historic 85th victory, which placed him third on the all-time Cup Series wins list. Across 27 starts, Gustafson has 419 laps led, five top-five finishes and 11 top-10s with five different drivers (Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin, Gordon and Elliott).
DYNAMIC DUO: Elliott and Gustafson are in their ninth season together and are currently the longest active driver and crew chief combo in the Cup Series garage. The duo is ranked second among active pairings with 18 points-paying victories. Gustafson and Elliott earned their first Cup Series title in 2020 and the team captured the regular-season championship in 2022.
HOME GAME: Four of Elliott and the No. 9 team’s partners are based in Georgia, with NAPA Auto Parts, Hooters, Kelley Blue Book and Coca-Cola all headquartered in Atlanta. This weekend, the No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 makes its 2024 debut for its first of three races this season. Get a look at all the angles of the Hooters Chevrolet here.
WHEN CHASE WINS, YOU WIN: Fans can visit Hooters on Mondays after Cup Series races this season and ask their server for free fried pickles (with a drink purchase) when Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team finishes in the top 10. If the No. 9 team wins, customers receive 10 free wings with any 10-wing purchase. Get more details at hooters.com/racing.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 1st
No. 24 Raptor High Heat Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Raptor High Heat Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the Atlanta Motor Speedway media center on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 10 a.m. local time.
DAYTONA 500 CHAMP: William Byron won the 2024 DAYTONA 500 to become the latest champion of “The Great American Race” at Daytona International Speedway. Before the race, Byron had to start at the rear of the field for going to a backup car from damage sustained in his eighth-place finish in the second Duel at Daytona race. The 26-year-old driver overcame that and scored stage points in both stages. On the final restart with four laps to go, Byron lined up second and controlled the inside lane. He surged to the point position and then held off a host of challengers in the closing laps, including Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman, for the victory. The win also came on the 40th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports’ first start. It is Byron’s 11th victory in the NASCAR Cup Series and his second Cup Series points win at Daytona.
KING OF THE QC: Byron’s victory in the DAYTONA 500 saw him become the first Charlotte, North Carolina, native – NASCAR’s hub – to win the crown jewel race. There have been 19 winners of the prestigious race from North Carolina, but none hailed from the Queen City before Byron’s win.
WHAT’S IN A NUMBER: With his win at Daytona, Byron continues to extend the history and legacy of the No. 24. The iconic car number is third on the all-time list with 104 Cup Series wins, trailing only the No. 43 (200 wins) and the No. 11 (231 wins). Four of the No. 24’s wins have come in the DAYTONA 500 – Byron in 2024 and team vice chairman and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon in 1997, 1999 and 2005. All of Byron’s 11 premier series wins have come in the No. 24, while Gordon accounts for 93 wins in the number.
TWO FOUR SANDWICH: Byron has nine Cup starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with four occurring on the 1.54-mile track after its reconfiguration prior to the 2022 season. He has two victories in those four starts and has paced the field a series-high 171 times over that span. Byron was the first winner on the newly configured track in March of 2022 and the most recent in July of 2023.
DRAFT DAY: When it comes to drafting-style tracks (Daytona, Atlanta and Talladega Superspeedway), Byron normally runs upfront. He has four wins on this type of track – Monday’s DAYTONA 500, his first Cup Series victory at Daytona in August of 2020 and two wins at Atlanta. He has also led 230 laps at drafting tracks since the start of the 2022 season. In fact in the Next Gen era (since 2022), Byron (three) and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott (two) are the only repeat winners on drafting-style tracks.
STREAKING: Byron’s five straight top-10 finishes on drafting tracks is the longest active streak in the Cup Series. It also marks the longest streak by a Hendrick Motorsports driver since Ken Schrader had five straight in 1994 and 1995. During this stretch, Byron has won twice (Atlanta 2023 and the 2024 DAYTONA 500) and posted a runner-up finish (Talladega in October of 2023).
NEXT GEN DUO: Since the introduction of the Next Gen Cup Series car in 2022, Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle have a series-leading nine wins. The duo leads Hendrick Motorsports teammates driver Kyle Larson (seven wins) and crew chief Cliff Daniels (six wins).
RUDY RUNS THE ATL: Sunday will mark Fugle’s sixth race at Atlanta in the Cup Series and his fifth after the track’s reconfiguration. In four starts since the beginning of 2022, the crew chief of the No. 24 Raptor High Heat Chevrolet has led Byron to two victories. Fugle has seven additional national series starts with six of those coming in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. In those six Truck Series events, he has a pair of wins, four top-five finishes, five top-10s and a pole.
RAPTOR® TOUGH: At Atlanta, Byron will sport a special paint scheme with the No. 24 Raptor High Heat Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. RAPTOR® is a durable protective coating that is designed to tolerate the toughest climatic conditions and can be applied to a wide range of items, including truck beds, lawnmowers, outdoor furniture and more. With 16 pre-mixed colors available, it’s easy to personalize anything you want to protect. RAPTOR® is available at local paint distributors, auto parts stores and online retailers. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 Raptor High Heat Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, click here.
48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 30 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 2nd
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
CAREER-BEST D500 FINISH: Alex Bowman missed the front row for the start of the DAYTONA 500 for the first time in seven years but still holds the record for the most consecutive front-row starts (2018-2023) in the event. Bowman finished third in the first Duel race to earn the seventh spot on the grid for the 66th running of “The Great American Race.” At the end of the 500-mile race, the 30-year-old driver raced neck-and-neck with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron for the lead. Ultimately, the No. 48 team was scored as the runner-up, which was both Bowman’s second consecutive top-five finish and a career-best result in the iconic race.
DRAFTING SUCCESS: Bowman has two second-place finishes on drafting-style tracks without a win, tied for the most among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers. He finished second to a Hendrick Motorsports teammate both times – first to Chase Elliott at Talladega Superspeedway in April of 2019 and most recently to Byron in Monday’s DAYTONA 500. The No. 48 team is hoping to draft a successful race strategy for this weekend in “The Peach State.”
STRONG START: In their second year together, Bowman and crew chief Blake Harris are looking to better their fast start from the 2023 season. Last year, the pair opened with a fourth-place run in the exhibition Clash at the Coliseum and then three straight top-10 finishes to open the points-paying part of the schedule – including a fifth-place result in the DAYTONA 500. This year, the No. 48 team placed sixth in the Clash before Monday’s second-place finish at Daytona International Speedway.
ATLANTA ARCHIVES: The Tucson, Arizona, driver finished in the top five in the last two races at Atlanta Motor Speedway on the old configuration. Since the track was repaved and reconfigured just ahead of the 2022 season, Bowman has one top-10 finish at the 1.54-mile track.
“WIN YOUR WHEELS” SPEEDSTAKES: Ally is constantly looking for ways to be an Ally to No. 48 fans and what better way than rewarding Ally Nation fandom with a new car – specifically a special edition Chevrolet Camaro! To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports, a limited line of Hendrick Motorsports 40th Anniversary Edition Chevrolet Camaro street cars will be sold exclusively through select Hendrick Automotive Group Chevrolet dealerships. One lucky fan will win a 40th Anniversary Edition Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE. Enter to win at Ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar or visit the Ally Fan Zone at select tracks, the next being at Phoenix Raceway. The promotion will end Sept. 20, 2024.
FIRST LAP: This Sunday, Ally Financial, the Official Consumer Bank of NASCAR and primary sponsor of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team, will bring its First Lap program to Atlanta for the first time. The program, which is in its second year, focuses on introducing motorsports to new, diverse fans with track tours, driver meet-and-greets and other customized experiences. This weekend, Ally will be hosting Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Atlanta. LISC is the nation’s leading community development investment organization that focuses on creating and supporting inclusive communities of opportunity across the United States.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS /
Hendrick Motorsports
2024
All-Time
Atlanta
Races
1
1,346
70
Wins
1*
302*
17*
Poles
0
246*
5
Top 5
2*
1,234*
65*
Top 10
2**
2,114*
102*
Laps Led
24
79,781*
3,642*
Stage Wins
1**
99
5**
*Most **Most (tie)
FABULOUS 40: In 2024, Hendrick Motorsports is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Among the categories that the Rick Hendrick-owned organization holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for are all-time wins (302), poles (246), laps led (79,781) and championships (14). With its win in the 2024 DAYTONA 500, the organization has now won at least one race in each of the last 39 seasons.
1-2 FINISH IN DAYTONA: William Byron and Alex Bowman finished first and second in the 2024 DAYTONA 500 and the result came on the 40th anniversary to the day (Feb. 19) of Hendrick Motorsports’ first start. This was the fourth time in team history that Hendrick Motorsports swept the top-two spots in “The Great American Race” and the win is the ninth in the event for the organization (which is tied with Petty Enterprises for the most wins by a team in the DAYTONA 500). The Rick Hendrick-owned team also became the first to win the Harley J. Earl Trophy in five decades.
SIGN OF THE FUTURE: In three of the last six instances that Hendrick Motorsports has won the DAYTONA 500, the driver that was victorious in the event went on to win the championship in the same year. Team vice chairman Jeff Gordon accomplished this in 1997 and Jimmie Johnson did it in 2006 and 2013.
PEACH STATE POWER: Hendrick Motorsports has seen eight of its drivers win at Atlanta Motor Speedway – the most among all organizations. Gordon and Johnson each won five times at the Georgia oval. Byron has two wins at Atlanta. Darrell Waltrip, Ken Schrader, Jerry Nadeau, Kasey Kahne and Chase Elliott have one victory apiece. Gordon (23 years, 7 months and 8 days) and Byron (24 years, 3 months and 20 days) stand as the second and fourth-youngest Cup Series winners in track history.
GEORGIA ON THEIR MINDS: Hendrick Motorsports has been to victory lane 17 times at Atlanta. The total is the most among all Cup teams and is the fifth-most for the organization at any track. Martinsville Speedway (28), Dover Motor Speedway (22), Charlotte Motor Speedway (21) and Pocono Raceway (19) are the only venues where Hendrick Motorsports has more wins.
DRAFTING DOMINANCE: Hendrick Motorsports has 33 all-time wins on drafting tracks (Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta), which is 13 more than the next-best teams. Three of those victories have come at the 1.54-mile Georgia venue since its reprofiling ahead of the 2022 season. The team also has 16 wins at Daytona and 14 at Talladega.
RECONFIGURATION ROUNDUP: Since Atlanta reconfigured to a drafting track ahead of the 2022 season, Hendrick Motorsports has found great success. Over the last four races there, the Concord, North Carolina, team has the most wins (three) and led the most laps (301). Byron and Elliott swept the 2022 Cup races and Byron won the rain-shortened summer race in 2023. Since the reprofiling, Byron and Elliott rank first and third, respectively, in laps led and have led 29% of the laps run.
NEXT GEN NUMBERS: Hendrick Motorsports has been strong on drafting tracks in the Next Gen era. Since 2022, the organization has the most wins (five), top-10 finishes (19) and laps led (584) on that track type. In addition, Byron and Elliott are the only repeat winners on drafting tracks in the Next Gen era.
WINNER WINNER: With 22 Cup Series wins, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in the Next Gen car. Three of the team’s drivers rank in the top five in victories. Byron is first (nine wins), Kyle Larson is second (seven wins) and Elliott is in a five-way tie for third (five wins).
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing on superspeedways: “One of these (drafting-style) races it will all come together for us. Our cars are definitely showing speed – we just need to make it to the end with track position. Cliff (Daniels, crew chief) and the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization have done a great job with strategy and putting us in position. I hope it continues this weekend.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on last weekend and speedway racing: “I thought we did a good job of executing the race to get the car upfront. We just lost track position at a crucial time on Monday, but who knows. If we had kept it, we could have been in the eye of the storm and been involved in the “big one” in a bigger way. We’ll go into Atlanta (Motor Speedway) with the same mindset of executing well the entire race to give Kyle (Larson) the best opportunity to battle for the win.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway after the DAYTONA 500: “I wasn’t a huge fan of that when we just had one event there, but I think having two events (at Atlanta Motor Speedway), it has a really nice balance to it. I think it’ll be a nice mix because the weather, with what it’s going to be in February versus what it’s going to be when we come back in the playoffs is going to be totally different. And I think you’ll be surprised at how different the race might look between those two. So, I think the big thing is just having two events and I feel like that is a positive. There’s been a lot of work and a lot of effort put in at the track for not just the competitors but for the spectators too. Personally, I’m a little biased, but I think they deserve two races and I’m looking forward to going there twice.”
Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on takeaways from Daytona International Speedway heading into another drafting-style race weekend: “Daytona (International Speedway) was smooth. Our Chevrolet had a lot of pace and drove really well. The execution was good by everybody and the team and strategy and Chase (Elliott). I think getting back in that groove of drafting and how to exploit good finishes from that was good. I think we learned a few things we can apply to Atlanta (Motor Speedway). It’s pretty different from Daytona. The biggest unknown for Atlanta is the surface. The surface is new, so you kind of expect that the first year it’s going to be okay, but that it should kind of consistently lose grip and get slicker. So what kind of race are we going to see? That’s the biggest question.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how it feels to be a DAYTONA 500 Champion: “It’s still pretty surreal and it’s starting to set in now just experiencing all the different things that come with being a DAYTONA 500 winner. It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You don’t know if you’re ever going to have a chance to win that race again. It’s made for a short week this week to get ready for the next race but I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Byron on what he thinks this year has in store for the No. 24 team: “We need to continue the course we’ve been on. Last year was really valuable, getting to Phoenix (Raceway) and having a chance to race for a championship. This year, the hunger and drive are really high. We have a lot more to accomplish. This is a good start and we have a lot to be proud of but we want more. We always want more and that starts this weekend in Atlanta.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on if winning the DAYTONA 500 has set in yet: “It’s amazing. What a race. I can’t believe it. It’s a special one especially to see all the excitement from everyone involved. It just means so much. We haven’t won this race at Hendrick Motorsports in 10 years, so it’s a big deal. I’m proud of William (Byron), I’m proud of my guys and just everyone here. It still really hasn’t set in after a couple of days.”
Fugle on what he expects for this weekend at Atlanta: “Overall, the track has given up a lot of grip since the repave. It’s a whole different animal. Its got a lot of character already and the cars are lifting a lot. I think we will have a little less, if not the same, amount of grip from the summer. Either way, it’s going to be hard to drive. The cars were hard to drive in the summer and it made for some awesome racing. It reminded me of the late 2000’s Daytona (International Speedway) where you had the packs and big drafts but it was impossible to stay wide open all the way around and two wide. I think it will be a lot like that this weekend.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his strong start to the 2024 season: “Last week at Daytona (International Speedway), I think the No. 48 team really showed that we have what it takes and are ready for 2024. Blake (Harris) and our Ally team put together a fast car and we executed a great race strategy – the timing just didn’t workout for us in the end. We still had a strong finish and we plan to carry that momentum to the next drafting-style track this weekend at Atlanta (Motor Speedway) with another fast Chevy. Our heads are held high.”
Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the No. 48 team’s momentum heading to Atlanta: “We have good momentum right now. We’re sitting better in points (second) than we were compared to last year. The No. 48 team is starting off as good, or better, than last year and we’ll try to carry our momentum from Daytona (International Speedway) into Atlanta (Motor Speedway). We had a really strong spring race (in 2023) but didn’t have the finish to show for it. We got shuffled trying to make some moves in the last couple laps. We were strong in the second race too. Alex (Bowman) drove into the top five several times and then just ended up getting crashed without the finish that we wanted. Hendrick Motorsports has really fast cars in Atlanta. Our company has won three of the last four races there since the repave, so our team has this one circled as a track that we want to go back to and run strong at.”
