Category: NASCAR Cup PR

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE

Kansas Speedway

 The second stop of a trio of tripleheader weekends will see NASCAR make its final trip to the Midwest this season, with Kansas Speedway set to host a playoff race for all three national touring series. The weekend gets underway under the lights Friday evening with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Kubota Tractor 200, marking the series’ first playoff elimination race of the season. On Saturday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will make its first and only appearance at the 1.5-mile oval to kick off its postseason competition with the Kansas Lottery 300. Capping off the weekend will be NASCAR’s top division with Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 – the first of three races in the Round of 12.

Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway:

The NASCAR Cup Series’ last appearance at Kansas Speedway saw Chevrolet’s Kyle Larson make a historical trip to victory lane. In an overtime attempt, Larson battled side-by-side with fellow competitor, Chris Buescher, all the way to a photo finish that saw the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team take the victory by a mere 0.001 seconds – a victory that went down as the closest finish in NASCAR history. The victory extended Chevrolet’s series-leading win record at Kansas Speedway, with the manufacturer heading into the weekend with 14 victories at the 1.5-mile oval.

With the victory, Larson also delivered Hendrick Motorsports the title as the winningest organization in Cup Series’ history at Kansas Speedway, with the team now sitting at nine all-time triumphs at the track. Hendrick Motorsports got an early start to its winning ways at Kansas Speedway when Jeff Gordon captured the victory in the series’ first two events at the 1.5-mile oval (Sept. 2001-02). To this day, the career Chevrolet driver is one of only four drivers in series’ history to post consecutive wins at the track.

TEAM CHEVY SET TO TACKLE ROUND OF 12

The opening round of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs was nothing short of dramatic, but Chevrolet was the only manufacturer that saw each of its title contenders advance into the Round of 12. Team Chevy’s playoff contenders will face yet another set of diverse tracks in the second round, including an intermediate oval (Kansas Speedway), a superspeedway (Talladega Superspeedway) and a road course (Charlotte ROVAL).

With the playoff rankings restacked, Kyle Larson has found his way back to the top of the leaderboard – heading into the Round of 12 with a strong 39-point cushion over the cutline. Carrying the momentum of a dominant victory at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend, the 32-year-old Elk Grove, California, native returns to Kansas Speedway as the series’ most recent winner at the track. Larson’s victory in the May event marked his sixth-straight top-eight finish at the track, which also included another victory that came in his title-earning season (Oct. 2021).

Top Point Getters

Alex Bowman started out the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs as the 12th-seeded driver. But with a combination of good execution and strong points days in the first three races, the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team was able to clinch their berth into the next round mid-way through the first elimination race. Overall, Bowman led the entire Cup Series field in points accumulated in the opening round with 120 points, which included a top-five finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway and a ninth-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Daniel Suarez proved that every point matters in playoff competition. The 32-year-old Monterrey, Mexico, native entered the elimination weekend with a 36-point advantage over the cutline after a pair of strong performances at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen International. Despite a dismal night at Bristol Motor Speedway, the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team took advantage of a strong points cushion to still punch a ticket into the next round. At the conclusion of the opening round, Suarez also netted out in the top-10 of total points accrued with 79 points.

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1

1st in Playoff Standings (+39)

2024 Season:

Victories: 5

Top-Fives: 11

Top-10s: 14

Laps Led: 1,551

Average Finish: 13.9

Stage Wins: 12

At Kansas Speedway:

Victories: 2

Top-Fives: 8

Top-10s: 11

Average Finish: 12.316

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 4th in Playoff Standings (+14)

2024 Season:

Victories: 3

Top-Fives: 8

Top-10s: 14

Laps Led: 261

Average Finish: 15.1

Stage Wins: 1

At Kansas Speedway:

Poles: 1

Top-Fives: 2

Top-10s: 7

Average Finish: 14.769

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 7th in Playoff Standings (+6)

2024 Season:

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 8

Top-10s: 14

Laps Led: 213

Average Finish: 11.4

Stage Wins: 1

At Kansas Speedway:

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 7

Top-10s: 11

Average Finish: 10.176 (series-best)

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 10th in Playoff Standings (-6)

2024 Season:

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 3

Top-10s: 7

Laps Led: 152

Average Finish: 18

Stage Wins: 1

At Kansas Speedway:

Top-10s: 2

Average Finish: 20.867

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 11th in Playoff Standings (-7)

2024 Season:

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 7

Top-10s: 14

Laps Led: 54

Average Finish: 14.9

Stage Wins: 0

At Kansas Speedway:

Top-Fives: 3

Top-10s: 9

Average Finish: 15.176

NEXT GEN NUMBERS ON INTERMEDIATES

The NASCAR Cup Series’ first three outings on 1.5-mile ovals this season saw the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 make its way to victory lane, courtesy of victories by Team Chevy playoff contenders Kyle Larson (Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway) and Chase Elliott (Texas Motor Speedway). On the circuit’s non-drafting intermediate ovals, ranging from 1.25 to 1.5 miles in length, Chevrolet owns a winning percentage of 50 percent in the Next Gen era with 15 victories in 30 races. Those victories have come at seven different venues, recorded by eight drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations:

Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-miles)

Oct. 2022: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kansas Speedway (1.5-miles)

May 2024: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-miles)

Mar. 2022: Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Mar. 2023: William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Oct. 2023: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Mar. 2023: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-miles)

Sept. 2022: Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Sept. 2023: William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

April 2024: Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

World Wide Technology Raceway (1.25-miles)

June 2023: Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Nashville Superspeedway (1.333-miles)

June 2022: Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

June 2023: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Darlington Raceway (1.366-miles)

Sept. 2022: Erik Jones, No. 43 Petty GMS Chevrolet

May 2023: William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Sept. 2023: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

EIGHT TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS TO CHASE XFINITY SERIES TITLE

As the checkered flag flew at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend, the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ 12-driver playoff field was set as the series begins its seven-race stretch to the championship. A dominating force of Team Chevy drivers have earned a postseason position, with eight drivers representing four different Chevrolet organizations remaining in title contention.

Despite a tumultuous regular season finale, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier will enter the playoff opener as the top-seeded driver with a 27-point cushion over the cutline. This season marks Allgaier’s ninth appearance in the Xfinity Series playoffs, keeping the veteran as the only driver in series’ history to compete in all nine playoffs (2016-2024). Among those playoff appearances includes a series-leading six trips to the Championship Four, scoring a career-best second in the final points standings on two separate occasions (2020 and 2023). A steady stream of postseason stats could very well steer the Jim Pohlman-led team to the long-awaited championship title this season.

“I really believe that he (Justin Allgaier) is in the best possible position to win it,” said team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. “He and Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) have a past and a trust in each other. When he asked to have Jim as his crew chief, I was like – alright, you’re picking your guy. And man, it’s been as good as you could hope.”

Joining Allgaier in the quest to deliver Chevrolet its 22nd Xfinity Series Driver Championship includes fellow JR Motorsports teammates Sam Mayer and Sammy Smith; Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and Jesse Love; Kaulig Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen and AJ Allmendinger; and Big Machine Racing’s Parker Kligerman.

ECKES, SANCHEZ LOCKS-IN AHEAD OF ELIMINATION RACE

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has approached its first elimination race of the 2024 playoffs, with Friday’s 134-lap race determining the eight drivers that will continue on in the chase for the championship. Among the three drivers that have already pointed their way into the next round includes Team Chevy’s Christian Eckes and Nick Sanchez.

Eckes and the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet team continues to prove to be a championship favorite, entering the weekend with now seven-straight top-four finishes. The 23-year-old Middletown, New York, native heads to Kansas Speedway at the top of the playoff standings with a monstrous 95-point cushion over the cutline. Looking to build on his points advantage, Eckes returns to a track where he has found recent success, including a trip to victory lane one year ago (Sept. 2023).

Sanchez and the No. 2 Rev Racing Chevrolet team already punched their ticket into the next round after a pair of top-five finishes to start the postseason competition. In just three career starts at the 1.5-mile Kansas venue, the 23-year-old Miami, Florida, native has finished no worse than eighth, including a sixth-place result earlier this season (May 2024).

With five positions still up for grabs, three Team Chevy playoff contenders will enter the elimination weekend above the cutline. Leading the charge for the Bowtie brigade includes Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth, who netted his first career stage win and a podium finish at Bristol Motor Speedway, putting him fifth in the playoff standings with a 35-point advantage over the cutline. McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum heads to the Midwest in the sixth position (+25 points), with former Kansas Speedway winner, CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger, rounding out the top-eight (+7 points). While on the outside looking in, Daniel Dye and the No. 43 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet team remains in striking distance, entering the weekend in the ninth position and just seven points below the cutline. The 20-year-old DeLand, Florida, native posted a top-10 effort at his last appearance at Kansas Speedway, while also scoring a career-best runner-up finish on an intermediate oval during the summer stretch (Nashville Superspeedway – June 2024).

BOWTIE BULLETS:

· In 13 tripleheader weekends this season, Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to earn a weekend sweep – accomplishing the feat three times (Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway).

· With 74 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has earned a winning percentage of 47.3% with 35 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – 12 wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – 14 wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – nine wins).

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

Kyle Busch – two wins (2021, 2016)

Kyle Larson – two wins (2024, 2021)

Chase Elliott – one win (2018)

· In 37 NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 14 victories – including both the series’ inaugural race (Jeff Gordon – Sept. 2021) and the most recent race (Kyle Larson – May 2024).

· Since the debut of the 16-driver playoff field and elimination rounds to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014, at least five Chevrolet drivers have been represented in the playoffs each season.

· Following the first elimination race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Chevrolet is the only manufacturer with all of its playoff drivers advancing to the Round of 12.

· In 101 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 49 victories – a winning percentage of 48.5%.

· With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 863 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 1054
Ford: 1019 (-35)
Toyota: 1019 (-35)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 965
Toyota: 926 (-39)
Ford: 835 (-130)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 671
Toyota: 628 (-43)
Ford: 603 (-68)
 
TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series

Playoffs Round of 12: Race One

Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN Bet

Sunday, Sept. 29, at 3 p.m. ET

(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Round of 12: Race One

Kansas Lottery 300

Saturday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m. ET

(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Round of 10: Elimination Race

Kubota Tractor 200

Friday, Sept. 27, at 8:30 p.m. ET

(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1

How cool is it to drive the Kubota car?

“I love driving the Kubota Chevy. It’s so cool to get to drive a car with a brand on it that is authentic to me. They’re a great group to work with and I enjoy getting to meet the employees, dealers and visiting some of their facilities. They’re obviously big into agriculture which I am very passionate about and my family is passionate about. And there’s a trend when I’m in the Kubota car – solid finishes. Each time I’ve finished in the top-10 in the Kubota car they’ve been donating $10,000 to the Farmer Veteran Coalition. I hope they have to donate $10,000 more after Sunday’s race too (laughs).”

Do you look forward to going to Kansas Speedway?

“I love going to Kansas Speedway and I enjoy going to Kansas in general. The track is fun to race on and it has been amazing to see the growth around the track. It’s a destination now with all of the restaurants and shops in front of the track. We led quite a few laps when we were there earlier this year. I hope to lead a bunch more laps this weekend and the most important one, the last lap. We’ve put together a string of strong runs here the last few weeks and I want to continue that this weekend.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Larson on winning at Kansas earlier this year:

“I had a great run off two and down the backstretch and was able to get to [Chis Buescher’s] outside getting into 3. It was so tight at the line and I guess TV showed us second — and I was fine with that because it was a great battle at the end. But then to hear we won was incredible.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 7 GAINBRIDGE CAMARO ZL1

Last week was eventful and historically, you’re in a unique situation. Do you have a sense of relief being able to put last week behind you and get ready for the task at hand at Kansas Speedway?

“Last week was definitely interesting. That’s for sure. I’m looking forward to turning the page and to get a head start on 2025. Kansas isn’t my favorite track, by any stretch, but this weekend will give me an opportunity to get re-acclimated to the Spire Motorsports system and have a better understanding of how (crew chief) Ryan Sparks and the No. 7 team approach a race weekend. It’s a fresh start for everyone involved so, from that perspective, I’m ready to get to the race track and go about the business of the weekend.”

You have 35 previous Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports. What are your thoughts on coming back?

“Spire gave me my first start in the Cup Series in the No. 77 at Talladega on my 20th birthday. We had some great runs in our first year together in 2019, and there’s still a lot of familiar faces around here that were on the team back then. I’m excited to come home. This is where I got my start in the Cup Series, and I’m excited to go out there and compete with the No. 7 team.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 BETMGM CAMARO ZL1

You have top-10 finishes in your two most recent starts at Kansas, which must give you confidence entering this race.

“For years Kansas was a very tough place for me to get a hold of and figure out. But as of late, since about 2014, things have really clicked and I’ve had several good finishes there. Kansas is a track that I actually look forward to now. Hopefully we can continue to build on those good finishes and search for another win this weekend at Kansas.”

One year ago, you overcame a poor pit stall to finish seventh in the fall race at Kansas. How big of a disadvantage is that?

“I would say that there are a lot of challenges in our sport and that’s certainly true during a race. Whether it’s a slow pitstop, a bad restart, or just getting caught up in someone else’s crash, there’s always things that can happen. You just have to be ready and do your best to overcome any challenge that comes at you.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 UNIFIRST CAMARO ZL1

Gustafson on heading into the first race of the Round of 12:

“The last race at Kansas was pretty good for us. Heading back there, we need to qualify a little better and score more stage points. Those stage points are going be really critical moving forward here in these playoffs. They’re always critical, but there’s a big emphasis on stage points. We’re no different than anybody else. Everybody knows this is a good opportunity to go control your own destiny and have a really good race. Obviously, a win would be the first goal and then past that would be stage points and good finishes. So, I expect this race to be highly contested, to say the least. I think everybody is going to be under the same impression that this is their best chance to control their own destiny and kind of want to take advantage of that. So, I’m looking forward to that. I enjoy going there just because you can race and pass and have some strategy. A lot is in your hands at Kansas.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1

Byron on why he enjoys racing at Kansas Speedway:

“I’m excited to get to Kansas. That’s a track we’ve had a lot of speed at. I think we have a good notebook heading into this race based on our experiences and our teammates’. We got behind in the spring after hitting the wall in qualifying, but even then we had good speed and strategy to make up ground. Hopefully we get a better starting spot for this race and can execute at a high level like I know our team can.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 31 SOUTH POINT HOTEL & CASINO CAMARO ZL1

“Kansas in this Next Gen car has been one of the more ‘racey’ racetracks we go to. It’s constantly three and four-wide on restarts and throughout the runs. You have to have maneuverability built into the racecar. It will be very important for us to unload close, qualify decent, and give ourselves a chance to maintain track position all day. Eventually I’ll have to get up around the fence and make hay into the run. It should be a fun one.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Bowman on going to Kansas Speedway:

“It’s been a really good place for me, it’s probably my favorite mile and a half, so, enjoy racing there a lot and have certainly been close to winning there before. So, I’m looking forward to it. Statistically, it’s been a really good place for us so hopefully we can put together a really good race this weekend.”

ZANE SMITH, NO. 71 FOCUSED HEALTH CAMARO ZL1

How do you feel about heading to Kansas Speedway this weekend? It’s a track where you’ve had some success.

“Kansas Speedway is one of my favorite tracks, so I’m really looking forward to this weekend. My No. 71 Spire Motorsports team has great momentum this second half of the season and I am excited to see what we can accomplish at Kansas. I’ve had success there in the Truck Series and hope to have another solid result in my Focused Health Chevrolet on Sunday.”

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 PREMIER SECURITY CAMARO ZL1

You’ve expressed your excitement for this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway, given your team’s recent performance and your personal preference for mile-and-a-half tracks. What do you think will be key to success?

“I’ve always loved mile-and-a-half tracks. They’re where I feel most comfortable, and our team’s been showing a lot of speed since we came back from the Olympic break. I’ve had some strong runs in the Truck Series at Kansas Speedway, and I’m hoping we can translate that success to the Cup level. I love ripping around the top and you really have to be able to move around and try different lanes. I think we’re in a good position to have a strong weekend.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1

How does the next round of the playoffs stack up for you and the No. 99 team?

“I think we’re going to be pretty good. I’m excited for Kansas. I think we can compete there. A superspeedway, as we all know, anything can happen. And a road course in there always puts a smile on my face.

It’s going to be interesting. Kansas is a high-speed track where we run just inches from the wall. The restarts are pretty wild there and should make for some close racing. Talladega is a huge wildcard. Anything can happen. You can gain a lot or lose a lot. The Roval is kind of the same. You must decide if you are racing for points, stay out before the stage breaks, or pit for better track position, and battle for the win. Our strategy is to win either Kansas or Talladega and then we won’t worry about points at the Roval.”

Are you points racing in the second round?

“I think everyone in the playoffs is points racing, to some extent. But that doesn’t mean we are on defense. I can’t be on defense. We have to be on offense. We aren’t going to take any crazy chances or anything like that but we are going to race hard.”

CONNOR MOSACK, NO. 7 MKS PIPE & VALVE SILVERADO RST

You had a great run going in May before a flat tire ended your chances at a good finish. What can you take from the Spring race and apply to this time around?

“Kansas is one of my favorite tracks. I feel like we ran well in the spring until we got damage and that hurt our speed. If we can keep our nose clean and build on what we had in May, we have a shot at it.”

You have run a lot of races for a lot of different teams this season. How difficult is the transition between series and teams?

“It is tough. The relationship with your crew chief and your team is a big part of success. The trucks drive differently when you go team to team. This will be my fourth race with (Brian) Pattie and Spire, so we have a great start on our relationship. It’s great to have MKS back with me, they supported me last fall, so I am excited to have them back.”

BAYLEY CURREY, NO. 41 MASKED OWL TECHNOLOGIES SILVERADO RST

You were close to getting a top-10 here in the spring, so do you think your crew has figured out what changes you need on the mile-and-a-half tracks to get there this time?

“I think so, we’ve been trending in the right direction lately. Our results might not show it, but we’ve had fast trucks on the mile-and-a-halves. Just had things go wrong. I think we can make those small adjustments and head back there this week and finish better. Niece Motorsports has historically run well here, so there’s no reason that we shouldn’t have a good run.”

MATT MILLS, NO. 42 J.F. ELECTRIC / UTILITRA SILVERADO RST

You finished in the top-five at the last mile-and-a-half race in Charlotte, so do you feel like you can expect that to translate to Kansas?

“Yeah, for sure. Now that we are starting to go back to some of these tracks for a second time this year, especially since it’s just my first full-time year in the trucks, I think we are starting to hit on some stuff. At Charlotte towards the end of the race, I found some ways to find more speed out of our truck, so I’ve been really looking forward to getting back to Kansas. Knowing what I know now and where our stuff is at on these types of tracks, I feel confident for Friday.”

CONOR DALY, NO. 44 POLKADOT SILVERADO RST

I believe when you look at the schedule and you think ‘what is the definition of a NASCAR track?’, you can’t get any better than Kansas Speedway’s wide sweeping corners and high-speed racetrack. I think you’re going to be in for a treat behind the wheel.

“I really hope so. I even enjoyed it when IndyCar raced at Kansas back in the day. I still wish IndyCar raced at Kansas. It’s a great track, I know Niece [Motorsports] has had success there in the past as well, and I’m very excited. I love learning new tracks, especially ovals, because I enjoy oval racing so much. I can’t be anything other than excited on what we’re going to do. You know, there’s not a lot of practice which is a bit of a shame as always, but we’re just going to have to go for it.”

KADEN HONEYCUTT, NO. 45 AUTOVENTIVE / PRECISION SILVERADO RST

Since you had that great run in the spring, does that give you the confidence you need to advance?

“Definitely Kansas is one of our strong suits here at Niece Motorsports. I feel like we had a really good run here in the spring, and over time we’ve been working hard at a lot of things that we’ll take to Kansas which are new and hopefully improved. I’ll do a better job of aero racing this time; I was inexperienced at that the first time and had a hard time learning how to pass other guys. Now, going back there, I know how to race more efficiently and make those passes quicker. Hopefully we can take home a win and rack up the momentum to keep us hungry if we advance into the Round of 8.”

RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 71 HENDRICKCARS.COM SILVERADO RST

You’ve been quick at Kansas in the past, but the finishes never seem to fall your way. What do you look to do differently this time around in a playoff setting?

“It seems like I’ve had speed since the first time I entered the tunnel at Kansas, I just haven’t had the finishes to show for it. I’ve driven too aggressively, got spun out, and put myself in the wall trying to get too much. That track was my first mile-and-a-half I visited in ARCA, and I’ve run multiple CRAFTSMAN Truck and Xfinity races there. The track is so much fun. You can run from the bottom along the white line, all the way up to the fence. It has really kindled itself to my driving style. I’ve done some dirt racing the past few years and trained within the GM Development Program, and I think those experiences pay off at Kansas. A win there would be special because of how fast I’ve been there, and things are yet to fall our way.”

Kansas is one of two tracks you’ll visit twice this season. How does that help your team?

“Going to a track for a second time helps any organization, it doesn’t matter if you are leading the points or sit outside the top 20. You have a notebook of things you tried in the previous race to go off of. Then you can see how you have grown and improved over the course of the season. I lick my chops a bit when we go to Kansas. I know that I can put it on the fence, and if I’m loose, I can go even higher. I think going to Kansas will be good for us.”

CHASE PURDY, NO. 77 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RST

You have sat on the pole the last two visits to Kansas. How do you carry the momentum into the weekend?

“Kansas is one of our best tracks. We’ve had a lot of speed, we just need to put together a complete day. Our Bama Buggies team will take the momentum from last week’s good finish at Bristol and carry it forward to this weekend.”

 
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:

Total (1949-2023): 42

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

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

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

Drivers Championships:

Total (1949-2021): 33

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

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

Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021

Event Victories:

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

2024 STATISTICS:

Wins: 12

Poles: 9

Laps Led: 2,827

Top-five finishes: 55

Top-10 finishes: 114

Stage wins: 19

· Chase Elliott: 1

· Kyle Larson: 12

· Ross Chastain: 2

· William Byron: 1

· Shane van Gisbergen: 1

· Daniel Suarez: 1

· Kyle Busch: 1

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 863 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 752

Laps led to date: 251,982

Top-five finishes to date: 4,353

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,974

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,197

       Chevrolet: 863

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 837                                                           

       Ford: 737

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 188

 

About 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.

COREY LAJOIE | KAZ GRALA
Kansas Advance

Event Overview

● Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 30 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 29
● Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Corey LaJoie, Driver of the No. 51 Chidren’s Mercy Kansas City Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 51 Children’s Mercy Kansas City Ford Mustang Dark Horse, will make his first start for Rick Ware Racing (RWR) Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. LaJoie has 12 previous Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile oval. His best finish there was a 19th-place result earned in May 2022.

● Riding along with LaJoie for this weekend’s Hollywood Casino 400 as part of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation’s and NASCAR Foundation’s Honor a Cancer Hero program is Jessie Rees. At 11 years of age, Jessie was diagnosed with an incurable and inoperable form of brain cancer. While working through an out-patient clincal trial at Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Southern California, Jessie learned other kids had to stay in the hospital for weeks and months, inspiring the creation of JoyJars. Jessie’s JoyJars were delivered to more than 3,000 children fighting cancer while Jessie continued her fight. Jessie lost her fight to cancer on January 5, 2012. In her honor, the Jessie Rees Foundation was created to keep joy flowing to kids fighting cancer and to encourage them to Never Ever Give Up. As of January 2024, more than 500,000 JoyJars have been sent to kids fighting cancer in all 50 states and 53 countries.

● In the Cup Series’ last visit to Kansas on May 5, LaJoie finished 26th for Spire Motorsports. RWR’s No. 51 team started 35th in a field of 38 cars that day and finished 18th.

● In addition to his Cup Series starts at Kansas, LaJoie also owns one start each in the Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Racing Series in 2014 and 2013, respectively. He qualified second and led a lap in the ARCA event before an accident ended his bid before the halfway mark.

Kaz Grala, Driver of the No. 15 Remixers Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Kaz Grala is set to make his first Kansas start in the NASCAR Cup Series in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400. Grala has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile oval – a 13th-place finish from the third starting position in July 2020, and a 10th-place finish from the 31st starting position in September 2023.

● The Boston native also has two Truck Series races at Kansas under his belt with a best finish of eighth earned in May 2017.

● Though this is his first start at Kansas in NASCAR’s premier series, Grala has 10 starts on intermediate tracks with an average finish of 26.2.

Rick Ware Racing Notes

● The Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series heads this weekend to World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, near St. Louis. In last weekend’s event at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, RWR’s Clay Millican powered his Top Fuel dragster to a semifinal appearance. The performance moved Millican to fifth in the playoff standings with four events remaining.

● Rick Ware has been a motorsports mainstay for more than 40 years. It began at age six when the third-generation racer began his driving career and has since spanned four wheels and two wheels on both asphalt and dirt. Competing in the SCCA Trans Am Series and other road-racing divisions led Ware to NASCAR in the early 1980s, where he finished third in his NASCAR debut – the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 300 NASCAR Grand American race at Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway. More than a decade later, injuries would force Ware out of the driver seat and into fulltime team ownership. In 1995, Rick Ware Racing was formed, and with wife Lisa by his side, Ware has since built his eponymous organization into an entity that fields two fulltime entries in the NASCAR Cup Series while simultaneously campaigning successful teams in the Top Fuel class of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Progressive American Flat Track and FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX), where RWR won the 2022 SX2 championship with rider Shane McElrath.

Corey LaJoie, Driver Q&A

Sunday will mark your first race with RWR after an unprecedent driver swap that was announced last weekend at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. How has this week been with the new team?

“This week at Kansas is a new opportunity for myself, as well as RWR and the No. 51 team. It’s been fun integrating into their organization and process this week to prepare for our first race together.”

What do enjoy about the intermediate-style racing at Kansas?

“Kansas is one of my favorite intermediate tracks with its multiple lane options and fast speeds. We will go execute a strong weekend like we all know how to and see how it shakes out.”

Kaz Grala, Driver Q&A

This your first Cup Series start at Kansas, but is it safe to say you’ve learned enough to know what to expect from the Next Gen car at these intermediate tracks, in general?

“I feel like I have a pretty good handle on the NextGen cars at this point in the season. I’ve come a long way in knowing what to expect out of these cars throughout the race and in dirty air and feel like I’m able to get much more out of them than when I first started. I didn’t do the spring race at Kansas, so it will be my first time in a Cup car there, but I’ve raced there a handful of times in Trucks and Xfinity. It’s always been one of my favorite mile-and-a-halves, so I’m really looking forward to getting out there this weekend.”

You’ve got a new teammate this weekend. What is the most important asset Corey brings to the team?

“Corey brings eight years of Cup experience to RWR, and at a smaller team like ours, that goes a long way.”

• In 19 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) starts at Kansas Speedway, Spire Motorsports has logged two top-20 and seven top-25 finishes with 11 different drivers. Corey LaJoie earned a team-best 19th-place finish in the 2022 Advent Health 400. The Mooresville, N.C., team fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS with Justin Haley, and fellow drivers Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• The Hollywood Casino 400 from Kansas Speedway will be televised live on USA Network Sunday, Sept. 29, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 30th of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Countdown to Green on USA will take the green flag at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
• Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar will have the names of cancer heroes riding along on Friday night. As part of the NASCAR Foundation’s Honor a Cancer Hero campaign, Michele Broadley and Charles Ripple III will be on the name rails of Hocevar’s ride, while Larry Eagle will be featured on Smith’s Camaro.

Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.
• In seven previous Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, Haley has earned three top-20 finishes. In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, the 25-year-old racer has logged four starts, recorded two top fives, completed 100 percent of the laps contested and hasn’t finished worse than seventh. In two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at the Heart of America mile-and-a-half oval, Haley finished ninth and 10th, respectively (2017-2018).
• Haley has signed a multi-year agreement with Spire Motorsports and will pursue NASCAR Cup Series championship honors behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevy in 2025.
• Haley comes to Spire Motorsports from Rick Ware Racing (RWR) where he drove the No. 51 entry for the first 29 races of the 2024 NCS campaign.
• He takes over the controls of the No. 7 Gainbridge Chevy Camaro from Corey LaJoie, who swaps rides with Haley and will finish out the 2024 season in RWR’s No. 51 machine.
• Gainbridge Insurance Agency, LLC (“Gainbridge”), a Group 1001 company, is an insurtech which strives to offer products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Gainbridge’s digital-first distribution model underpins its mission to reach all communities, including those that have been historically underserved by the national financial system.
• In 2021, Haley made two starts for Spire Motorsports at Kansas Speedway where he finished 30th (May) and 39th (October), respectively.
• In total, the three-time ARCA Menards Series race winner has made 35 Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports, behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevy with the bulk of races coming during the 2021 season.
• Haley, a native of Winamac, Ind., made his NCS debut for Spire Motorsports on April 28, 2019 at Talladega Superspeedway and picked up both his and the team’s first win – an upset of practically unprecedented proportions – less than three months later in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro.
• The veteran racer has collected four NASCAR Xfinity Series checkered flags and three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins, making him one of just 41 drivers in history to have earned wins across all three of NASCAR’s National Touring Series.
• The 25-year-old Hoosier State native is a veteran of 137 Cup Series starts and has notched one win, five top fives, 15 top 10s and led 98 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.
• Last weekend, Haley started 26th and finished 22nd in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
• Haley recorded top 10s at Darlington Raceway (May) and Worldwide Technology Raceway (June) this season. He has paced the field for 25 laps and completed 99.2 percent of the laps contested in 2024.

Justin Haley Quotes
Last week was eventful and historically, you’re in a unique situation. Do you have a sense of relief being able to put last week behind you and get ready for the task at hand at Kansas Speedway?
“Last week was definitely interesting. That’s for sure. I’m looking forward to turning the page and to get a head start on 2025. Kansas isn’t my favorite track, by any stretch, but this weekend will give me an opportunity to get re-acclimated to the Spire Motorsports system and have a better understanding of how (crew chief) Ryan Sparks and the No. 7 team approach a race weekend. It’s a fresh start for everyone involved so, from that perspective, I’m ready to get to the race track and go about the business of the weekend.”

You have 35 previous Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports. What are your thoughts on coming back?
“Spire gave me my first start in the Cup Series in the No. 77 at Talladega on my 20th birthday. We had some great runs in our first year together in 2019, and there’s still a lot of familiar faces around here that were on the team back then. I’m excited to come home. This is where I got my start in the Cup Series, and I’m excited to go out there and compete with the No. 7 team.”

Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Zane Smith will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Focused Health Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
• Smith arrives in Kansas after finishing 16th in Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
• The California native made is first Cup Series appearance at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval in May, crossing the finish line in the 29th position. He pulled double duty on the weekend, leading 29 laps and finishing second in the Truck Series event.
• The rookie driver owns nine starts in America’s heartland in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, his most of any track on the circuit. He’s led 250 laps while collecting five top-five and eight top-10 finishes, highlighted by his victory in 2022’s spring event.
• Crew Chief Stephen Doran has visited Victory Lane twice at the Kansas City oval. As an engineer for Kevin Harvick at Stewart-Haas Racing, he claimed victories in October of 2016 and May of 2018.
• Focused Health is a national health insurance agency that assists consumers and employers in navigating the myriad of health insurance options in the government programs space. The company partners with payors and employers to deliver health insurance solutions for individuals and families. For more information visit AtFocusedHealth.com.
• Race fans can meet Smith at the Kansas Speedway Highline District on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
• Larry Eagle will be riding alongside Smith on Sunday. Eagle was a true, blue collar, tough as nails American. He was drafted into the U.S. Army straight out of high school in 1969 to serve in Vietnam. He took great pride in serving his country and representing the American people. Following his time in the military, Eagle joined IBEW Local 637 as a union electrician where he had a 50-year career. Eagle was an avid stock farmer and enjoyed raising cattle. Most of all, he enjoyed being a husband, father, and grandfather. Smith is the Essex family’s favorite driver, and the family has enjoyed watching him at the track and on television since he entered the CRAFTSMAN Truck series.

Zane Smith Quotes
How do you feel about heading to Kansas Speedway this weekend? It’s a track where you’ve had some success.
“Kansas Speedway is one of my favorite tracks, so I’m really looking forward to this weekend. My No. 71 Spire Motorsports team has great momentum this second half of the season and I am excited to see what we can accomplish at Kansas. I’ve had success there in the Truck Series and hope to have another solid result in my Focused Health Chevrolet on Sunday.”

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Carson Hocevar will pilot the No. 77 Premier Security Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
• In last weekend’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hocevar advanced to the second round of qualifying for the second time this season and rolled off seventh. The Portage, Mich., native went on to finish 18th.
• The rookie will make his third Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval. He earned a venue-best 20th-place finish last fall in the No. 42 entry.
• From the famous bricks of Saginaw Street in Flint, Mich., to industrial, residential, and commercial sites across North America, Premier Security Solutions has built an unmatched standard of security. Today, Premier has taken steps to advance technology and utilize new tools to combat theft and become an anti-crime organization. Premier’s Global Security Operations Center is a state-of-the-art facility, working around the clock to protect assets, corporations, schools, and families.
• Premier Security deploys more than 1,000 guards around the country and protects homes, families, executive-level leaders, and major corporations. Premier’s team of retired law enforcement professionals protects more than 50 school buildings and high net-worth families, delivering an unparalleled level of service. Premier prides itself on a standard of service ensuring its customers receive the protection and peace of mind they deserve.
• In five CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts in America’s heartland, the 21-year-old has recorded one top-five and two top-ten finishes and paced the field for 60 laps. His track resumé is highlighted by a runner-up finish in the fall of 2022. While gambling on fuel strategy, he led 28 of the race’s final 29 laps until he was passed after taking the white flag.
• The youngest NCS driver in the field ranks 21st in the division’s championship point standings, leading the Sunoco Rookie of The Year standings by 56 points. Over the course of the season’s first 29 races, he’s notched one top-five, five top-10 and 10 top-15 finishes.
• Hocevar will participate in the fifth annual NASCAR Foundation Honor a Cancer Hero program. Michele Broadley, a 24-year-old cancer hero, and Charles Ripple III, a father and cancer survivor, will ride with Carson on Sunday. Broadley will be featured on the driver-side name rail while Ripple’s name will appear over the passenger door.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
You’ve expressed your excitement for this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway, given your team’s recent performance and your personal preference for mile-and-a-half tracks. What do you think will be key to success?
“I’ve always loved mile-and-a-half tracks. They’re where I feel most comfortable, and our team’s been showing a lot of speed since we came back from the Olympic break. I’ve had some strong runs in the Truck Series at Kansas Speedway, and I’m hoping we can translate that success to the Cup level. I love ripping around the top and you really have to be able to move around and try different lanes. I think we’re in a good position to have a strong weekend.”
From the Top of the Box

Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports competition director and crew chief for driver Justin Haley and the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro in the NCS.
• Sparks has led the efforts for Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team since 2021.
• Sparks will focus solely on Competition Director’s duties following the 2024 season.

Stephen Doran – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Stephen Doran is in his first full season as a Cup Series crew chief leading Zane Smith and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team.
• In 2006, Doran got his start in NASCAR at Petty Enterprises.
• Prior to his arrival at Spire Motorsports, Doran worked at Stewart-Haas Racing as an engineer, most recently on the No. 4 car driven by Kevin Harvick.

Luke Lambert – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Luke Lambert is the crew chief for Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 team with 2024 NCS Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Hocevar.
• The 2005 North Carolina State graduate has led the competition efforts for some of the sport’s most notable names including Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Chris Buescher.
• In 2014, Lambert led Newman to a berth in the Championship 4, and ultimately a runner-up finish in the NCS championship point standings.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2024, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Justin Haley, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The team also fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth drives the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Silverados in the No. 77.

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on April 12, 2024, when Kyle Busch took the checkered flag in the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

5 KYLE LARSON
 Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Week: 1st (Bristol)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 1st

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Kansas
Races	28	359	19
Wins	5	28	2
Poles	5	21	—
Top 5	11	115	8
Top 10	14	178	11
Laps Led	1,551	9,107	703
Stage Wins	12	62	4
Average Finish	13.9	14.2	12.3

• Kyle Larson’s 462 laps led in his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday night was the most ever by a Hendrick Motorsports driver in a single race. The Elk Grove, California, native has now finished in the top 10 in his last six starts at Bristol. That ties his longest such streak at any track, matching Phoenix Raceway and this weekend’s stop, Kansas Speedway.
• The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion is now tied for 30th on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list with Rex White and Carl Edwards at 28 wins. Larson has the most wins in the Next Gen car with 12.
• Larson is the only driver to have eclipsed the 1,000-laps-led barrier in 2024 with 1,551 – 634 more than any other driver. His 12 stage wins are two more than anyone else.
• Larson’s win earlier this season at Kansas was the closest finish in Cup Series history. He crossed the finish line 0.001 seconds ahead of Chris Buescher. Larson is the only repeat winner in the last eight races at Kansas.
• The driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet has won 11 of 39 stages on 1.5-mile tracks in the Next Gen car (28%) and 4 of 18 races (22%).
• In the Next Gen car, a driver has had an average running position of better than 1.5 ten times – Larson accounts for seven of those occasions. The 32-year-old driver’s average running position this year is a Series-best 9.61. No other driver has an average running position in single digits.
• Larson is one of only two drivers to have finished top 10 at Kansas in all five Next Gen starts. In 1.5-mile races during the Next Gen era, Larson has four wins, double that of second place.
• Larson is 39 markers ahead of the elimination line entering the Round of 12. He has 15 more playoff points than any other driver.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last week: 2nd (Bristol)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 7th (-33)
 
No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Kansas
Races	29	315	17
Wins	1	19	1
Poles	—	12	—
Top 5	8	101	7
Top 10	14	166	11
Laps Led	213	5,308	249
Stage Wins	1	37	2
Average Finish	11.4	12.9	10.2

• Chase Elliott heads into the opening race in the Round of 12 seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings, six points above the elimination line.
• Elliott is the only Cup Series driver with wins at all three tracks in the Round of 12 (Kansas Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Charlotte ROVAL). The 2020 Cup Series champion captured a victory at Kansas in the fall of 2018.
• Elliott is riding a streak of three consecutive top-10 finishes at Kansas, placing third there in the spring. He has also finished inside the top 10 in the three most recent races on 1.5-mile tracks, which kicked off with his victory at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
• The Hendrick Motorsports driver has earned the fourth-most points among playoff drivers across the first three postseason events.
• No. 9 team jackman TJ Semke hails from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, less than 40 miles from Kansas Speedway. The 31-year-old was a part-time bounty hunter before playing football at the University of Kansas as a defensive lineman. Semke signed with Hendrick Motorsports in 2016 and has been with team since 2018.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
 Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Week: 17th (Bristol)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 4th (-25)

No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Kansas
Races	29	245	13
Wins	3	13	—
Poles	1	13	1
Top 5	8	49	2
Top 10	14	97	7
Laps Led	261	2,882	136
Stage Wins	1	22	1
Average Finish	15.1	15.5	14.8

• William Byron collected enough points to advance into the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. He collected 72 points with 21 of those being stage points, tied for the fifth most.
• Heading into the first race of the second round, Byron is currently fourth in the playoff standings, 14 markers above the cutoff.
• Byron has seven top-10 finishes at Kansas Speedway, tied for a personal best at a track with Martinsville Speedway and Phoenix Raceway.
• Byron has two wins in the Next Gen car on 1.5-mile tracks, tied for the second most, and has earned the most points of all drivers with 675.
• In 2024, Byron has run within the top five for 1,964 laps (seventh most), within the top 10 for 4,030 laps (sixth most) and has an average running position of 13.276, good enough for eighth best.

48 ALEX BOWMAN
 Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Week: 9th (Bristol)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: T-11th (-45)
 
No. 48 Ally Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Kansas
Races	29	317	17
Wins	1	8	—
Poles	1	4	—
Top 5	7	39	3
Top 10	14	92	9
Laps Led	54	1,321	183
Stage Wins	—	6	1
Average Finish	14.9	19.5	15.2

• Last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, Alex Bowman finished ninth to advance to the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Bowman earned 17 more points than any other driver in the Round of 16. He leads the field in stage points earned in the playoffs (41) and is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all six stages.
• Bowman was fourth at the end of the Round of 16. With the playoff standings points resetting heading into the Round of 12 opener at Kansas Speedway, Bowman ranks 11th, seven points below the cutline. The Tucson, Arizona, native has advanced to the Round of 12 in every previous playoff appearance (six) and reached the Round of 8 once (2020).
• Bowman has seven top-five finishes this season and 14 top-10 finishes (four-way tie for third most). All his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and William Byron also have 14 top 10s.
• At Kansas Speedway, Bowman holds the third-longest active top-10 streak with four. The streak is Bowman’s best at a track behind only the Charlotte ROVAL (five). In this year’s May race at the “Sunflower State” venue, Bowman earned 34 points, fifth most of playoff drivers. In his previous 17 starts there, he has led 183 laps, scored three top fives (his second most at a track) and nine top 10s (his most at a track).
• In 2024, on tracks 1.5-miles long, Bowman has earned 100 points, seventh most of the remaining playoff drivers. He is one of 11 drivers to claim a win at a 1.5-mile track in the Next Gen car (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 2022).
• Ally Racing brought back Koker’s garage this year and No. 48 fans had the opportunity to design the special edition paint scheme that will run on track this weekend. Christina Knoll, from New Orleans, is the this year’s winner. Her son, Andrew, played a key role in helping design the winning scheme.
• This Sunday, Bowman fans can ride along and from the driver’s seat by tuning into NASCAR’s in-car camera on the No. 48 Chevrolet Camero ZL1.
• For four years, Bowman and Ally have teamed up to support Best Friends Animal Society and their vast network of partners. Every race weekend, the pair donates $4,800 to help homeless pets. This weekend, the charitable donation will go to Prairie Paws Animal Shelter located in Ottawa, Kansas.

Hendrick Motorsports

2024	All-Time	Kansas
Races	29	1,374	37
Wins	10*	311*	9*
Poles	7*	253*	6*
Top 5	34*	1,266*	46*
Top 10	56*	2,168*	85*
Laps Led	2,079	81,836	2,180*
Stage Wins	14	112	7

*Most
**Tied for most

• Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman combined to lead 496 of 500 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night, including every green flag circuit.
• This Sunday at Kansas Speedway will mark the 1,375th NASCAR Cup Series race for Hendrick Motorsports.
• The four Hendrick Motorsports entries will all carry the name of a cancer hero in place of driver names as part of the Honor A Cancer Hero program this weekend at Kansas Speedway. Bowman will honor Kenneth Chase from Sebago, Maine. Chase was nominated by his widow, Esther, as the two fought cancer simultaneously before Kenneth ultimately lost his battle. Chase Elliott will carry the name of Bill Roberts, a Thomaston, Georgia, native who beat kidney cancer. William Byron will honor Stephanie Kearns of Anaheim, California. Kearns beat a breast cancer diagnosis. Finally, Larson will run the name of Sid Coxe, a New Orleans native and car enthusiast who succumbed to liver cancer just after his 60th birthday in 2015. Last year, the program generated over $100,00 to support integrative therapies for women and children undergoing cancer treatments and child life services.
• In 37 races at Kansas, Hendrick Motorsports leads all other NASCAR Cup Series teams in most categories including wins (nine), poles (six), top-five finishes (46), top-10 finishes (85) and laps led (2,190).
• At least two Hendrick Motorsports cars have finished in the top 10 in each of the last 12 Kansas races and at least three of the team’s entries have finished in the top 10 in the last four.
• This marks the fourth time all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers made the Round of 12 (2014, 2021, 2022, 2024), the most times any team has advanced four drivers through the opening round.
• Hendrick Motorsports has gone to victory lane 59 times in playoff races, 22 more than any other team.
• All four Hendrick Motorsports pit crews rank in the top eight in terms of average time for a four-tire pit stop. That list is topped by the No. 9 over-the-wall squad at 10.83 seconds. Chase Elliott’s crew also turned in the fastest individual four-tire stop of the season with a time of 9.076 seconds at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

 
QUOTABLE /
 
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on winning at Kansas this year: “I had a great run off two and down the backstretch and was able to get to [Chis Buescher’s] outside getting into 3. It was so tight at the line and I guess TV showed us second — and I was fine with that because it was a great battle at the end. But then to hear we won was incredible.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on heading into the first race in the Round of 12: “The last race at Kansas was pretty good for us. Heading back there, we need to qualify a little better and score more stage points. Those stage points are going be really critical moving forward here in these playoffs. They’re always critical, but there’s a big emphasis on stage points. We’re no different than anybody else. Everybody knows this is a good opportunity to go control your own destiny and have a really good race. Obviously, a win would be the first goal and then past that would be stage points and good finishes. So, I expect this race to be highly contested, to say the least. I think everybody is going to be under the same impression that this is their best chance to control their own destiny and kind of want to take advantage of that. So, I’m looking forward to that. I enjoy going there just because you can race and pass and have some strategy. A lot is in your hands at Kansas.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on why he enjoys racing at Kansas Speedway: “I’m excited to get to Kansas. That’s a track we’ve had a lot of speed at. I think we have a good notebook heading into this race based on our experiences and our teammates’. We got behind in the spring after hitting the wall in qualifying, but even then we had good speed and strategy to make up ground. Hopefully we get a better starting spot for this race and can execute at a high level like I know our team can.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on going to Kansas Speedway: “It’s been a really good place for me, it’s probably my favorite mile and a half, so, enjoy racing there a lot and have certainly been close to winning there before. So, I’m looking forward to it. Statistically, it’s been a really good place for us so hopefully we can put together a really good race this weekend.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Kansas Media Availability
Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Menards/Moen Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Team Penske, kicks off the Round of 12 in ninth place, four points below the cut line. He was part of a NASCAR press conference earlier today in which he discussed this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway and the key to getting through this round.

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Menards/Moen Ford Mustang Dark Horse – HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU GUYS STACK UP ON THE MILE AND A HALVES WITH THE OTHER TEAMS? “I think it’s been awhile since we’ve had a traditional mile and a half race. We kind of had a string of races in May and early on in the year, and Michigan I thought was a decent event for us, but obviously that’s a two-mile oval, so I think it’s gonna be a great read for where we’re at. There are two of those with Homestead and Vegas in the Round of 8, so I think whatever progress we’ve made and whatever we’ve learned throughout the year, yeah, I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a strength to start the year for us, but certainly a lot learned since then.”

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS ROUND, WINNING MOVES YOU ON BUT BEYOND THAT WHAT IS YOUR PATHWAY TO THE THIRD ROUND? “I think, for us, it’s really replicating a similar performance from the Round of 16, the first round for us. You look at the numbers and what we did for the past round is probably the bare minimum of what’s gonna get us to advance for this round, so from a points perspective it definitely gets more challenging, especially the deficit we have to the top four or five guys. It definitely becomes more of an issue when you start to eliminate guys that are in a similar space as far as points go as what we are. Otherwise, a win obviously is what you want to do, especially to be able to do it in the first two races. That makes things a lot easier, but I think, for us, I still think this is a no-mistakes round, this is don’t take yourself out of it and race within our limits.”

WITH THE CHANGES DOES IT MAKE IT MORE DICIER THAN BEFORE AT THE CHARLOTTE ROVAL? “I’m not sure if the track layout changes make it more of a challenge or less of a challenge of a racetrack. I think it just makes it different. I think anytime you have a bit of an unknown there are different things you might need in your car that you don’t know of or a different way that the race is gonna be more challenging. I think the hairpin there could make the restarts and the racing may be a bit more dynamic. I think that’s the hope. The frontstretch chicane just, to me, seems like it’s different and it might change the launch of restarts. It’s kind of yet to be seen. I’m hearing a couple different iterations. I don’t think the track is completely finished with their updates yet, so I’m definitely curious to see how that evolves over the next few weeks leading up to the race.”

HOW ABOUT THE CHANGES TO THE INFIELD. WILL IT BE A STEEPER DECLINE? “Yeah, what I remember is the hairpin. That would be I guess the new turn seven, kind of where turn eight used to be, so from what I’ve gathered there’s a pretty big elevation change going down into the new turn six, which will be kind of interesting, whether if we get cars off the ground or not through there. I got to do a couple laps in the sim once we got the updates this week, just to kind of see what it was like and it will be interesting to see if we keep all four on the ground going over that hill.”

WHAT ARE A COUPLE KEYS TO HAVING A SUCCESSFUL PLAYOFF RACE AT TALLADEGA? “Finishing is number one. I would say next, for us these races have been great for stage points. I think to be able to do that, you have to execute strategy, but I think qualifying matters for that as well for the first stage, if not for the first two. The racing, obviously, gets crazy there and being able to work with your teammates. All three of us are in the playoffs right now, so being able to work with those guys – and we all have similar priorities – so I think those three things, qualifying, strategy and not getting wrecked, that’s kind of every week, but you can really control your destiny if you can control those values.”

WHAT QUALITIES MAKE FOR A GOOD SUPERSPEEDWAY RACE IN THIS ERA? “I think it’s ever changing. I think from a driver’s standpoint, just kind of recognizing the position that you’re in, really. Like, what role do you have within the pack. The reason I say that is you don’t necessarily have as many options to kind of move forward throughout the pack, so kind of recognizing what position you’re in and when you do have an opportunity to move forward, whether it’s high risk or low risk, or if you’re in the first three or four rows, what’s your role? What are you able to do to advance yourself forward or advance the row forward? And, what’s more important? Advancing yourself forward or the row? So, I think knowing your role and where you exist on track is probably more important than it has ever been for a driver.”

YOU CAN SEE THE CUT LINE FROM WHERE YOU ARE. THIS ROUND FEELS LIKE TWO WILD CARDS AND KANSAS. IS THAT THE PLACE WHERE YOU HAVE TO MAKE A BIG MOVE? “Yes and no. I think Kansas is fairly straight up. If we show up there and have speed and execute well, that’s something that we can control and if we’re able to control that there better than other places or not, it’s kind of hard to say. I mean, restarts there are absolutely nuts. Just going over film and data today, that place is pretty unforgiving on restarts, so I don’t think you can take anything for granted or approach this weekend as a calm weekend. There’s a lot on the line, so from that standpoint I kind of approach all three of them the same.”

DO YOU HAVE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS AT KANSAS BEFORE YOU MAP OUT A GAME PLAN FOR TALLADEGA AND THEN THE ROVAL? “Yeah, I don’t really view those two differently. If I have a good weekend or a bad weekend this weekend, my job still kind of remains the same. I really do feel like other than a race win, I think we’re obviously more than capable of pointing our way in with where we sit now. I don’t really approach those two races any differently than I would Kansas.”

YOU ARE THE CONSISTENCY GUY, BUT TO GET TO THIS POINT SOME OF THOSE BIGGER TRACKS YOU GUYS HAVE STRUGGLED WITH. DO YOU HAVE A PLAN B AT THIS POINT ON TRACKS LIKE TALLADEGA? “It’s hard to say. Obviously, from a results standpoint it’s certainly been a challenge to finish races out on the speedways as it is for most, but I feel pretty confident in our speedway program and honestly Michigan was probably one of our best intermediates in a while. I just plugged the fence pretty early on, so I think from maybe on the surface this round could be a challenge or those races could be a challenge, I don’t know, it’s hard to say, but I feel good about it, so I’m not overly concerned from that standpoint. I feel like there’s a lot of challenges with a place like Talladega that are somewhat out of your control and some are very much in your control. Like you said, the one thing that we’ve had at all of those tracks is we’ve had speed in our cars. That certainly makes my job easier as a driver.”

IS THERE A POINT IN A RACE WEEKEND WHERE YOU REALIZE YOU MAY NOT HAVE A WINNING CAR AND CHANGING YOUR STRATEGY TO GET THE BEST FINISH YOU CAN? “I think you just defined my tone for the first two rounds of the playoffs, which is, for me and my team, it’s race within our limits. If that’s going out and trying to win a race, I don’t know how many laps we led at Atlanta, but that was a race that winning was within our limits. Winning was in the cards for us with the pace that we had, with the race-ablility that we had, whereas maybe Bristol a top 10 was gonna be the best we could, but we didn’t qualify very well, so having a solid effort was all we needed to do there, especially from a points standpoint, so I think that all falls in the category of racing within your own limits, not trying to do anything overly special just because it’s the playoffs. We got here for a reason and we’ve been doing things a certain way for I don’t know how many weeks it’s been since February, but I think it’s only a detriment to you and your team if you try and do things differently now.”

YOUR AVERAGE FINISH AT KANSAS IN THE NEXT GEN ERA IS NOT THAT GREAT. HOW DO YOU TURN THAT AROUND THIS WEEKEND? “Like I said earlier, I think it’s gonna be a great gauge for us on where we’re at from a performance standpoint at tracks like that. It’s a track that I feel good about personally. I couldn’t have told you my average finish there, but it doesn’t sound fantastic finishing second to dead last in the spring. That doesn’t help any of that. Before then, we qualified in the top 10 and ran inside of the top 15 all day. Nothing spectacular, but I wouldn’t say it’s a horrendous track for us, but we certainly haven’t had cars in Victory Lane there and that’s the goal, so, like I said before, we’ll put our best foot forward and see what we’ve got and hopefully it’s something we can contend with this weekend.”

HAVE YOU PINPOINTED ANYTHING YOU CAN IMPROVE ON THIS TIME AROUND? “Well, not getting wrecked I think falls in that category. Past that, I feel like I could give you a million driver excuses of certain things I could have done better or whatever else, but it’s certainly been progress since we’ve started with the car. I’ve definitely learned a lot. It’s a place I feel like it’s a really smooth racetrack and I feel like there are some teams that have very strong weekends at tracks like that, kind of like a Michigan where you see cars like maybe the 17 or the 19. Those guys seem to run really well at Michigan and Kansas. I feel like those two are interchangeable, so cars that you see run well at Michigan could probably run well at Kansas. I don’t know if that answers your question or not, but I’m gonna try and just worry about us.”

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Horizon Hobby Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Kansas Speedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 25, 2024) – Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team are back in the Heartland this weekend to take on the Kansas Speedway.

McDowell returns to Kansas after an 11th-place run at the Bristol Night Race and is looking to improve on his Top-10 finish from the Kansas spring race earlier this year. His 10th-place result was his best career-finish at the 1.5-mile Speedway.

Horizon Hobby is back on the No. 34 this weekend, highlighting over 50 local hobby stores across the country, on the hood of the Ford Mustang Dark Horse. By forging strong relationships with RC hobby enthusiasts, retailers, and manufacturers around the world, Horizon Hobby has built the best brands in the industry.

Track activity for the NASCAR Cup Series will start Saturday, September 28th with practice and qualifying at 1:00 pm ET on the NBC Sports App. The 400-mile race will be Sunday, September 29th at 3:00 pm ET. Fans can watch the action live on the USA Network or listen via the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 34 Horizon Hobby Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“Kansas has been better for us lately, especially with our Top-10 in the spring and the consistent qualifying efforts we’ve had. Given the different track conditions there, we know what changes to make in order to capitalize on a great finish. It’s a challenging track, but we’ll work hard to be ready with our Horizon Hobby Ford Mustang Dark Horse.”

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“We want to improve on our Top-10 finish in the spring. We’ve run well at all these different tracks, but are making gains with our mile and a half program. I think with the good practice and qualifying efforts we’ve had this season, we definitely have the speed to run up front 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.

This Week in Motorsports: September 23 – 29, 2024

NCS/NXS/NCTS/ARCA: Kansas Speedway – Sept. 27-29
NHRA: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway – Sept. 27-29

PLANO, Texas (Sept. 25, 2024) – NASCAR returns to Kansas Speedway for the second time this season, with yet another busy weekend with four races in three days. The Cup Series begins its Round of 12 on Sunday, the Xfinity Series begins its Playoffs on Saturday and the Truck Series has its Round of 10 cutoff race. The ARCA Menards Series will compete in Kansas on Friday for their penultimate race of 2024.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series holds the third race of its Countdown to the Championship at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, just outside of St. Louis.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCTS

Three Camry XSEs advance to Round of 12 … After Bristol, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin advanced to the Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 12. All three begin the Round of 12 above the cutline, with Bell 24 points above, Reddick 20 points up and Hamlin seven points to the good.

Jimmie Johnson back in action … Jimmie Johnson is back in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE this weekend at Kansas Speedway. This is the seven-time champion’s first start since Indianapolis in July and the 696th start of his historic career. Johnson has made 30 previous starts at Kansas, with three wins, nine top-fives and 19 top-10s to his name.

Bell seeks another Kansas pole … Bell and his No. 20 Camry XSE team have been exceptional in qualifying at Kansas of late. The Oklahoma native has captured two consecutive poles at Kansas, including three in the last five races. He also has five top-10 finishes in the last six races at the 1.5-mile oval coming into the weekend.

Smith, Creed begin Playoff push … With the Xfinity Series Playoffs beginning this weekend, Chandler Smith and Sheldon Creed begin their quests for a championship. Smith begins the Playoffs as the No. 4 seed – 17 points above the cutline, while Creed is ninth, three points below to start. Creed is also on a hot streak of late, with a top-10 finish in seven of the last eight, and a top-five finish in six of those races.

Toyota seeks another Xfinity win at Kansas … Toyota has been strong at Kansas Speedway in the Xfinity Series of late, capturing five wins in the last seven races, with the most recent being John Hunter Nemechek last fall, where Creed also finished third. Kansas has been a favorable spot for Toyota over time, as the manufacturer also won five consecutive races from 2013-2017.

Heim, Gray in good spots for Playoff cutoff … With the Truck Series paring down to its Round of 8 after this weekend, Corey Heim and Taylor Gray are currently in good positions. Heim has already locked himself into the next round, and Gray finds himself 23 points above the cutline. Heim and Gray will also compete in two races over the weekend as they are both entered in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kansas on Saturday. Heim will make his 12th Xfinity Series start of the season aboard the Sam Hunt Racing No, 26 GR Supra, after finishing fifth in his last attempt at Atlanta earlier this month. Gray, who has earned top-10s in two of his last three Xfinity Series attempts, will make his 11th career start with Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 19.

Heim goes for Kansas sweep … After a dominating win in the spring, Heim returns to Kansas Speedway looking for a season sweep and his sixth win of the season. Heim led 79 of the 134 laps in the spring race on his way to victory. He also has four consecutive Kansas top-10s heading into the weekend, highlighting his prowess around the 1.5-mile oval.

Butterbean returns to TRICON Garage … Brenden “Butterbean” Queen is back behind the wheel of the No. 1 Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage this weekend at Kansas. Queen is making his third start of the season for TRICON Garage, his first since Nashville in June. In his maiden start this season, Queen finished fourth at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series

Tanner Gray does double duty … Like he did in the spring, Tanner Gray will run both the ARCA Menards Series race and Truck Series race this weekend in Kansas. Gray sat on pole for the ARCA race in May, finishing second, and then finished seventh in the Truck Series race that same night. Gray has two ARCA poles in his career at Kansas and has finished inside the top-10 in each of his three starts.

Breidinger returns to favorable Kansas … Toni Breidinger has had a run of success at Kansas Speedway of late, finishing inside the top-11 in her last five ARCA Menards Series races there, including coming off a 10th-place finish in May. Breidinger has also only finished outside the top-12 in just one of her seven starts at Kansas so far, with a track-best and career-best finish of third in 2023.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Brown seeks three wins in a row … Antron Brown is on a roll to start the Countdown to the Championship, winning the first two races at Maple Grove Raceway and zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. He comes to World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway with the Top Fuel points lead over Justin Ashley (second), Shawn Langdon (third) and Doug Kalitta (fourth). Steve Torrence holds the sixth position in the points, while his father, Billy, is 10th. In Funny Car, Ron Capps is fifth, J.R. Todd is sixth and Alexis DeJoria is seventh in the current points standings.

Toyota streaks roll into St. Louis … With Brown’s triumph at Charlotte, Toyota continues its amazing streaks in NHRA competition. Brown’s win gave Toyota its 15th Top Fuel win in the last 17 NHRA races and its 39th consecutive final round appearance in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car.

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 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th 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 29 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

RYAN PREECE
Kansas Advance
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 30 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 29
● Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Ryan Preece and the No. 41 HaasTooling.com team of Stewart-Haas Racing look to continue their recent stretch of consistency when they visit Kansas Speedway in Kansas City for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 NASCAR Cup Series race. They’re coming off a strong seventh-place finish in the annual Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, which was Preece’s second top-10 in a row and fourth of the season. Preece was also the top-finishing Stewart-Haas driver for the third time in the last six races with his fourth consecutive result of 18th or better. He finished 12th Sept. 1 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, 18th Sept. 8 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and ninth Sept. 15 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International before his seventh-place run last Saturday at Bristol.

● Sunday’s 267-lap race will mark Preece’s 10th NASCAR Cup Series start at Kansas and his fourth for Stewart-Haas. Best among his previous Kansas outings was his 12th-place finish from the 28th starting position in October 2019 for JTG Daugherty Racing. Preece’s best Kansas outing for Stewart-Haas came in September 2023, which he also started 28th and drove to an 18th-place finish.

● Preece has three starts outside of the NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas, two in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His lone Truck Series start at Kansas resulted in a third-place finish from the seventh starting position with David Gilliland Racing in September 2022. Preece’s most recent Xfinity Series outing at Kansas in October 2018 was the most promising. He started seventh in his Joe Gibbs Racing entry and charged into the top-five early in the race, finishing third in the opening stage. But a multicar accident on lap 91 of the 200-lap race took him out of contention, leaving him to salvage only a 21st-place finish.

● Riding along with Preece in the Hollywood Casino 400 is Sherry Pollex. Via a decal over the passenger-side window of Preece’s No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Pollex’s valiant, nine-year battle with ovarian cancer is being highlighted by the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation’s and the NASCAR Foundation’s Honor a Cancer Hero program. Pollex passed away on Sept. 17, 2023, and throughout her cancer journey, she supported many causes related to childhood and ovarian cancers. Pollex founded the Sherry Strong Integrative Medicine Oncology Clinic at Novant Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, and created SherryStrong.org to help women understand early detection and treatment options for ovarian cancer. Pollex was nominated for the Honor a Cancer Hero program by Jerrod Deitchler.

● Joining Preece and the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Kansas is HaasTooling.com, the cutting tool division of Haas Automation. HaasTooling.com allows CNC machinists to purchase high-quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. Haas Automation, founded in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers, rotaries and indexers, and automation solutions.

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

You’ve had some solid runs on intermediate-style tracks the latter half of the season, highlighted by your fourth-place result at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway the last weekend in June. How do you feel that trend bodes for your efforts at Kansas this weekend?

“For us, we’ve been getting a lot better on the mile-and-a-halves and making some gains there. So as long as we can continue down that path and really just work on our short-run speed, I think that’ll be the difference in really changing how we run. But Kansas is also a track that you need to be able to have a good car that’ll run the top and keep running and be fast. So, yeah, I feel pretty optimistic that we’re heading down that path. We need to continue focusing on consistency, getting the most out of practice and qualifying, and running well during the race. That means I’ve got to be on it, we’ve got to be on it with strategy and on pit road. All of it is coming together and, even though all of the results don’t show it, we’re getting there. This team is working really hard on putting it all together and capitalizing on that. If we’re able to be consistent all the way through to the end of the year, those better results will keep coming.”

What are the particular challenges when it comes to putting together a complete race at Kansas relative to the other intermediate-style tracks?

“Kansas is totally different from the others just because the outside is the dominant lane. You need to be able to move around and go where they can’t to have a good run there. Usually, Kansas is a track where you fight loose. The wind can be totally different going into one corner versus the other, so you’ve got to have a good balance between the two. And, as seems to be the case everywhere we go, track position is going to be the big thing. Our team has been working hard on finding the right balance at these tracks. We’re going to really emphasize qualifying and getting a good starting position. It’s all about track position, it’s the biggest thing at these tracks. We’ve seen it all season long, right? If you have the track position, it could be a good day, so that’s what we need to do. If we can get a good starting position and execute on the track, I think we can put ourselves in a good spot at the end.”

Is there anything you can bring to this weekend’s race from your time in May at Kansas?

“Conditions can usually be very different from the first to the second time we go there. It was on the cooler side there for the spring race and it’s supposed to be warmer but not too hot this weekend, so we’ll just have to see how that plays out. It’s all about what the racetrack gives us on Sunday.”

You’re down to your final seven races with Stewart-Haas. What’s your mindset as you close out your run with the organization?

“It’s no different than it always has been. That never changes for me. My mindset is getting out there every weekend and executing to win races. That’s why we’re all here, right? To win. To show that we belong in this series. I’ve fought way too hard to be here for that not to be the goal, and I know that everyone on my team feels the same way. I’m thankful to be here and be racing, and I know what we’re capable of. We’ve been focused on consistency throughout the entire season. That doesn’t stop now just because we aren’t fighting for a championship. We’re fighting for wins every weekend and I believe if we keep growing as a team down to the very end, we’re going to keep getting those top-10s and keep getting better.”

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Ryan Preece

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Crew Chief: Chad Johnston

Hometown: Cayuga, Indiana

Car Chief: Jeremy West

Hometown: Gardena, California

Engineer: Marc Hendricksen

Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

Spotter: Tony Raines

Hometown: LaPorte, Indiana

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Devin Lester

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Rear Tire Changer: Austin Chrismon

Hometown: China Grove, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons

Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Jack Man: Sherman Timbs

Hometown: Indianola, Mississippi

Fuel Man: Dwayne Moore

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Road Crew Members

Front End Mechanic: Joe Zanolini

Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

Interior Mechanic: Robert Dalby

Hometown: Anaheim, California

Tire Specialist: Matt Ridgeway

Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia

Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife

Hometown: Orange County, California

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues

Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer

Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

CLUB ENTRY LIST

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
POINT STANDINGS: 34TH

ERIK JONES
POINT STANDINGS: 30TH

JIMMIE JOHNSON

CLUB NOTES

Kansas 1 Recap: John Hunter Nemechek rolled off the grid in 29th-place for the AdventHealth 400. By the time the first pit cycle started, Nemechek found himself up to 13th. A few pit road penalties (lap 83 and 181) set the North Carolina native back in the running order, but he kept fighting back and scored a 13th-place finish.

Erik Jones was sidelined for the first Kansas race in 2024 after recovering from an injury that was sustained at Talladega Superspeedway. Corey Heim stepped into the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE in Jones’ absence. Heim stayed level throughout the day as he had his second ever NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) start. Heim brought the famed No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE home clean in 22nd-place.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Jimmie Johnson was behind the wheel of the No. 84 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE for his fourth of nine races in the 2024 season. After qualifying in the 19th position, Johnson started the race handling super tight and fell back to 30th in the running order. After some adjustments to the AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE, Johnson was starting to work his way forward. At the green flag on Lap 173 Johnson vied for position with three and four wide racing and was hit from behind on Lap 176, spinning into the infield grass, causing heavy damage to the No. 84 AdventHealth Toyota. Johnson and the No. 84 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team retired for the day with a 38th place finish.

EJ Stats: From 14 starts at Kansas Speedway, Jones has earned six top-10s and four top-fives, his best finish being 3rd in both the spring race of 2019 and the fall race of 2023. Due to an injury at Talladega in the spring of this year, Jones did not race at Kansas Speedway. He hopes to return at the track to mimic the outcome from the fall race of 2023.

Elenz Stats: Dave Elenz has had five starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway, four of those with Erik Jones and one with Corey Heim in the spring of this year. Earning a pole position with then Xfinity driver Noah Gragson in 2020, Elenz has an average finish of 18 in the Xfinity series, with two top-fives. The Jones and Elenz duo will team up for the first time at Kansas this year on Sunday, September 29th.

JHN Stats: John Hunter Nemechek has two victories in three attempts at Kansas Speedway in the Xfinity Series. Nemechek has an average start of 11.7 and an average finish of 3.3. Nemechek has never finished outside of the top-10 in the Xfinity Series at Kansas, leading for 218 laps. In the NASCAR Cup Series, Nemechek has three starts, with his best finish of 13th this past Spring.

Beshore Stats: Ben Beshore, the crew chief on the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE has five NASCAR Cup Series races under his belt. In 2021 he visited Victory Lane while at Joe Gibbs Racing with Kyle Busch behind the wheel. The duo followed that up in 2022 with a third-place finish. Last year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series that success translated over to John Hunter Nemechek, as the pair visited Victory Lane together.

JJ Stats: Johnson is one of five drivers to have won three Cup races (2008, 2011, 2015) and this is the only track for his limited racing schedule that he will compete at twice in the same season. Johnson has 30 starts at Kansas Speedway with three wins, nine top-five and 19 top-10 finishes. He has led 601 laps around the venue and is looking to break the record for most wins at the track this weekend.

Crew Chief CLUB: Gene Wachtel will be making his crew chief debut this weekend for the No. 84 Dollar Tree Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE driven by Jimmie Johnson. Wachtel holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Early in his career, he gained experience at Dodge Motorsports, Hendrick Motorsports, and Stewart Hass Racing, focusing on design engineering, data acquisition, 7-post rig testing, and simulation. Gene provided simulation support as a contractor for GM Racing through Performance Concepts of the Carolinas. He later joined Joe Gibbs Racing as a race engineer, further honing his skills. His career continued to evolve at Pratt & Miller, where he developed data analytics strategies and software utilizing track data to extract performance. Currently, he serves as the Performance Director for LEGACY M.C., managing simulation tool sets to optimize vehicle performance.

Great Sports Legend Honoree: Jimmie Johnson is going to be crowned in the 2024 class of “Great Sports Legends” at the 39th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner to benefit The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis on Monday evening, September 30th, 2024 at the New York Hilton Midtown. Johnson is in elite company as the 2024 honorees include: Roger Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion; Tony Gonzalez, NFL Hall of Fame tight end; Gary Payton, NBA Champion and Basketball Hall of Famer; Henrik Lundqvist, NHL Hall of Famer and Vezina Trophy winner; Kerri Walsh Jennings three-time Olympic Beach Volleyball Gold Medalist and three-time World Champion; Arantxa Sanchez Vicario International Tennis Hall of Famer and 14-time Grand Slam Champion; Tamika Catchings, Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer and four-time Olympic Gold Medalist; and Johnny Velazquez, a three-time Kentucky Derby winner and National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame member.

JJ on Today Show: Johnson will be a guest in the third hour of NBC’s Today Show on Monday, Sept. 30th to talk about the Great Sports Legends honor as well as the 2024 racing season.

3 Reasons to Race: The Erik Jones Foundation (EJF) is hosting a fundraiser and online auction on the evening of September 24 in Michigan, known as “3 Reasons to Race”. Attendees will enjoy a fun event with live music, a quarter midget race, and much more. All proceeds benefit the three pillars of the Erik Jones Foundation: children’s literacy, early cancer detection and awareness, and promoting animal welfare. To bid on auction items and for more information visit: Three Reasons to Race Fundraiser & ONLINE AUCTION – Erik Jones Foundation

Appearances: Erik Jones and Jimmie Johnson will make an appearance at the Union Adventist University in Lincoln, Nebraska on Friday, Sept. 27th in partnership with AdventHealth. There will be an autograph session alongside a panel for a Q&A style interview regarding the NASCAR partnership.

John Hunter Nemechek has a host of appearances this weekend. On Sunday, he will be signing autographs at the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB merchandise rig located in the Fan Zone at 10:00 a.m. He will have two question and answer sessions, one at Toyota Racing Experience at 10:30 a.m., again located in the Fan Zone then he will go inside the track to the Cabo Wabo Fan Stage at 10:55 a.m.

CHOPT Gives Campaign: Chopt Creative Salad Co. has teamed up with seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson to give back to schools across the country. By ordering one special salad off of their limited-time menu, fans can change a student’s life for the better. From now until October 9, if you order the “Jimmie Johnson Kale Caesar Salad” Chopt will donate 15% of sales to the Jimmie Johnson Foundation (JJF). Fans can also enter to win a VIP race experience, including travel, lodging and VIP passes for two to the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 13.

Honor A Cancer Hero: This weekend at Kansas Speedway, the fifth annual Honor A Cancer Hero (HACH) program will commence. The three LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entries of No. 42, No. 43, and No. 84 will carry the names of individual on the car doors. Bob Perry and Tom Goddard will be riding along on the No. 42 Pye-Barker entry driven by John Hunter Nemechek. David Weinrach will be on the No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry driven by Erik Jones and Jimmie Johnson in the No. 84 Dollar Tree / Family Dollar has the name of Marlin Bitz. On behalf of AdventHealth, the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation (MTJF), and The NASCAR Foundation, the campaign aims to raise funds to help women, children, and their family’s battling cancer. Since its inception in 2020, MTJF has raised over $400,000.

There’s No Place Like Home: Director of Pit Operations Chris Hall is a native of Springfield, Mo., and Kansas Speedway is his home track. Hall returns to the track that he called “The Motherland”.

Prince Promoted: Sydney Prince will serve as the lead/primary engineer on the No. 84 Dollar Tree / Family Dollar Toyota Camry this weekend in Kansas. Prince is 24 years old and a graduate of the University of North Carolina Charlotte in 2022 with a degree in mechanical engineering. She interned at Spire Motorsports and then landed a position at then-Petty GMS, serving as a quality control engineer. She was promoted in 2023 to engineer on the Truck Series No. 24 entry with driver Rajah Caruth. Prince moved up to the No. 84 Cup team this season as a second engineer for the first five events of Johnson’s schedule. This weekend marks the first race for Prince as the lead engineer heading into Kansas Speedway.

New Partner: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB today announced a partnership with DriveValue.com, powered by the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), to serve as the primary partner on the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota Camry XSE. The partnership with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB will prominently feature the DriveValue.com brand/marks on the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek at Nashville Superspeedway on June 1, 2025.

Going for GO.L.D.: Partners Dollar Tree Family Dollar has a “Go for G.O.L.D.” (Grand Opening Look Daily) progr. am. Each week throughout the season, the No. 42 and No. 43 will feature one of the local store on the decklid of the Toyota Camry XSE.

CLUB QUOTES

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Pye-Barker Toyota Camry XSE:

“Unfortunately, we’ve had a rough second half of the season, but Kansas [Speedway] is definitely a place that we can turn it around. Earlier this year we had a solid No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota Camry XSE; we were able to overcome a couple mistakes and work our way back up for a solid finish. Kansas is one of my favorite tracks – I have a win in both the NASCAR Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, it would be awesome to complete the trifecta. We just need to minimize any mistakes and run like we know we can.”

Ben Beshore, Crew chief of the No. 42 Pye-Barker Toyota Camry XSE:

“Hopefully we can build off the speed we had late in the race at Kansas in the spring. John Hunter [Nemechek] has had a lot of success [at Kansas Speedway] and he knows what it takes to make speed here. When the groove moves to the top that is where he can really push the car to make speed. Kansas normally comes down to a late restart and since the track widens out it makes for an exciting finish because you can be 3 or 4 wide at times.”

Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE:

“Kansas has been historically one of my better tracks over the last handful of years, especially with the NextGen car. I thought Corey in the spring looked pretty strong. They had a handful of issues that held them back from a better finish, but the No. 42 was good, the No. 84 was strong before they got caught up in a wreck. I thought we had three good cars there in the spring, so hopefully we will have a similar thing going back and have some good speed. I really enjoy racing at Kansas, we had an opportunity to win there in the fall last year, came up just a bit short. Hopefully have a similar one this year and can go out and give ourselves a good finish.”

Dave Elenz, Crew chief of the No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE:

“With Corey in the car in the spring, it’s obviously a little bit different for us, but he did a good job – had a really good day with him that could’ve been better. We had a very good car on the long run and can take some notes from that and then try to get a balance that we can run on restarts in shorter and make it better in traffic with him, so I think it will be as useful as any form of race, even with Corey being in the car.

The spring race was pretty cool. It will be a little bit different of a race. We will be to the top quicker and more dominant to the top side. Qualifying is going to be a little different – they were wide open on the throttle in the spring , we will probably be lifting a little bit. Other than that, the race should play out pretty similar, with a fixation on the top side.

As far as last year’s strategy, it should be pretty similar to what we had last year. Tires and cars are close to the same rules package, so you should have an opportunity to take right sides towards the end of the race or towards the stage break and try to get some track position. It always makes it a little more fun when you have an option to do some strategy to get to the front. So, look forward to it.”

Jimmie Johnson, Driver of the No. 84 Dollar Tree / Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:

“It’s been a few weeks since I have been behind the wheel of a NASCAR vehicle so I’m ready to get back to work. Having Gene on board as crew chief will be great for our team, as he has great experience on the engineering side. We had a great run going at Kansas in the spring, and our day got cut short so my goal is to pick up where we left off and put together a competitive race for the No. 84 team.”

Gene Wachtel, Crew chief of the No. 84 Dollar Tree / Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE

“I’m excited to work with Jimmie and the 84 crew this weekend in Kansas. I had a very small role as Jimmie’s data engineer during his first championship season and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to come full circle and lead the 84 team this weekend at Kansas.”

PETTY 75TH ANNIVERSARY

ABOUT PETTY 75th: The 2024 season marks a significant milestone in the history of the Petty family as they have helped define stock car racing for 75 years. Their commitment to the sport and the people who make it possible – behind the wheel, under the hood, in the back office, and beyond – has shaped the growth and success of NASCAR. Their LEGACY lives on with the countless fans, drivers, technicians, and team members they touched. Throughout 2024, LEGACY M.C. will celebrate the Petty family and share countless memories with friends and fans at racetracks across the country.

Petty History: Adam Petty visited Victory Lane at Kansas Speedway during ARCA Series’ Kansas City Excitement 300 on June 27, 1998. LEGACY M.C. co-owner, Jimmie Johnson finished runner-up to Petty on that day.

The King’s Hat: A brand-new King’s Hat design will be revealed this weekend at Kansas Speedway. The King’s Hat will be located at the base of the Wyandotte Suite Tower and available for fans to take their picture with it all weekend. Be sure to check out Kansas Speedway’s social media handles for any additional plan activities throughout the weekend.

BROADCAST INFO

KANSAS SPEEDWAY

SUNDAY, SEPT. 29 @ 3:00 PM ET

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

ABOUT DOLLAR TREE, INC.: Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of October 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree Canada. To learn more about the Company, visit www.DollarTree.com.

ABOUT PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY: The U.S. leader in fully integrated life safety systems, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety provides complete fire protection and security systems nationwide. With over 200 locations and 6,000 team members nationwide, Pye-Barker is an industry leader and ranks No. 954 on the Inc 5000 and No. 9 on the SDM 100.

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. LEGACY M.C. also competes in the Extreme E Series. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as CLUB Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.