Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Ross Chastain – Las Vegas I Advance
Team:                   No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:         Scott Graves
Twitter:                @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
PENNZOIL 400 PRESENTED BY JIFFY LUBE
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
FEBRUARY 23, 2020

BOWTIE BULLETS:
CHEVROLET AIMING FOR EIGHTH VICTORY
The event will be the 25th NASCAR Cup Series race Las Vegas Motor Speedway since 1998. Chevrolet has seven wins at the 1.5-mile oval. The Bowtie brigade recorded its first victory on March 4, 2001, when Jeff Gordon drove a Monte Carlo to the winner’s circle for Hendrick Motorsports after starting 24th. He led 33 of the 267 laps. A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole four times at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In the two races in 2019, Chevrolet earned six top-10 finishes and led a total of 43 laps.

RETURNING HOME
Las Vegas native Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE, holds the NASCAR Cup Series one-lap qualifying record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway of 27.505 seconds (196.328 mph), set on March 6, 2016. Busch also has a pole start on Feb. 28, 2010, and 14 top-10 starts in 20 starts overall. In the March 3, 2019, race, Busch drove from the 28th starting spot, led 23 laps and finished fifth. It was the second of four-consecutive top-10 finishes in early season races.

JOHNSON’S VICTORY CIRCLE
Chevrolet career driver and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson announced that 2020 would be his final full season of competition. A look at his success at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Johnson has four victories – the most of any driver — including three in a row in the March race from 2005-07 (the last on the new racing surface). He also won in February 2010. In the March 12, 2006, race that went three laps of overtime, Johnson won by 0.045 of a second in the closest margin of victory for the NASCAR Cup Series at the racetrack.

Johnson is the only driver to win multiple times (2007, ‘10) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the season following claiming the NASCAR Cup Series championship. He is also the only series champion to win the Las Vegas race and championship in the same season (2006, ’07, ’10). Johnson leads active drivers with 595 laps led at the track. He does not have a DNF in 20 starts.

ONE FOR THE BOOKS
At Daytona International Raceway, Johnson, driving the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE, moved to ninth on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series consecutive starts list (tied with Ryan Newman) with 580. Their streaks started at the start of the 2002 season. Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon holds the record at 797.

IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR
At Daytona International Speedway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the pole for the Daytona 500 in the No. 47 Kroger Camaro ZL1 1LE. William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE, won the second 60-lap Duel. Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE, won Stage 1 (Elliott had five stage wins in 2019). Chevrolet had two top-10 finishers and led 53 laps.

TUNE IN
FOX will telecast the 267-lap race live at 3:30 p.m. EST Sunday, Feb. 23. Live coverage can also be found on PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

BY THE NUMBERS:
* Victories by current Chevrolet drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE, has four wins (March 2005, March 2006, March 2007, February 2010).
* Kyle Larson, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE, has two runner-up finishes in eight starts at Las Vegas.
* Johnson needs one win to tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fifth on the all-time victory list with 84.
* Chevrolet has won 39 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 7th IN STANDINGS
ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE HOW THE CAR PERFORMS AT LAS VEGAS?
“I’m super excited, yeah. We had an opportunity to make something better. Chevrolet put a lot of effort into it. As a group, collectively, from the team side, I know Hendrick did. I’m excited to see where it is. It’s an exciting thing to be able to have an opportunity to make something better. This sport is always evolving. There’s always people out front, you’re trying to catch them. This is an opportunity for us to catch up, do better, improve. That’s all we want to do, is just improve from where we were.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 20th IN STANDINGS
“Our intermediate program at Hendrick Motorsports is one of our best programs, other than superspeedways. Every time we go to a superspeedway like last week, we have great cars. At the end of last year, our intermediate program was our strongest in my opinion. We had a lot of great success at those tracks last year.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 26th IN STANDINGS
“Obviously Daytona didn’t end how we had hoped for but that’s behind us now. I’ve already moved on to thinking about this weekend in Las Vegas. Last year, the spring race was okay for the No. 24 team but it was early on in the season for us as a team working together. The fall race was much better and probably one of our best overall races from start to finish. If we can pick up where we left off then, I think we will be in really good shape for this weekend. I’m excited to see how we unload.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 TAME THE BEAST CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 27th IN STANDINGS
LAST TIME YOU WERE AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, YOU WON IN THE XFINITY SERIES. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN TAKE FROM THAT EXPERIENCE TO HELP PREPARE FOR THIS WEEKEND?
“Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a crossover between the two cars. That’s what makes the cup cars so challenging. We’ve got less horsepower and a lot more downforce than the Xfinity cars. The most important change for me is the fact that we have at least 25 other teams out there that are competitive. We’re not used to that in the Xfinity Series, so that’s an adjustment we’ve been dealing with. I do have some confidence entering the weekend though. I remember what my comfort level was when I won in the Truck Series there a few years ago, and while the cup cars aren’t quite the same as the truck, there is a little more crossover between the handling of those two. I’ll also be able to lean on the Chevrolet simulator and log some laps in a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE before we actually arrive to Las Vegas, which will help my TAME the BEAST team figure out what we’re wanting our car to be set up with. In the end, we just really won’t know what we have until we get 15 to 20 laps on our tires during the first practice session.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2019): 39
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

Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2019): 31
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

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

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

2020 STATISTICS:
Wins: 0
Poles: 1
Laps Led: 53
Top-five finishes: 0
Top-10 finishes: 2

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 786 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 715
Laps led to date: 234,359
Top-five finishes to date: 4,014
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,284

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

General Motors: 1,120
Chevrolet: 786
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65

Ford: 786
Ford: 686
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59

Toyota: 144
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with 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.

When the Cup Series arrived at Las Vegas Motor Speedway a year ago, Matt DiBenedetto, like every other driver and race team, was trying to sort out a new set of rules including a radically different low horsepower/high downforce handling package.

This time around he’ll be driving the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang that was one of the faster cars in last year’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas.

“It was interesting last year trying to figure out the new rules, the new package,” DiBenedetto said. “The encouraging part was that our team and the Team Penske cars showed a lot of speed.

“I think our car will be good this time.”

DiBenedetto, who has made six career Cup starts at Las Vegas, said he’s looking forward to this weekend’s race.

“I like the track,” he said. “It’s a fun place to go to. I enjoy racing there especially when the cars get spread around.”

DiBenedetto said that while he didn’t get the result he’d hoped for in the Daytona 500, he did see a lot of positives from his first race with the Wood Brothers team.

“What was most impressive was how prepared the team was for repairing crash damage,” he said.

After sustaining what looked like race-ending damage in a 19-car wreck with 15 of the scheduled 200 laps left in the 500, DiBenedetto was able to return to the track, make minimum speed, and continue on to the finish.

“It looked like there was no way to possibly get back out there,” he said. “And then we went and gained nine or 10 spots from where we were.

“We did so because of the team being so prepared for repairing the car and then executing the repairs.

“It was huge for points.”

DiBenedetto also said he believes his team is way ahead of schedule as far as building chemistry between him, crew chief Greg Erwin, spotter Doug Campbell and the rest of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team.

“I felt really good about how well we all worked together and how good the communication was, and that was just Week One,” he said.

Qualifying for the Pennzoil 400 is set for Saturday at 11:35 a.m. (2:35 Eastern Time), and the race is scheduled to start just after 12:30 p.m. (3:30 Eastern) with TV coverage on FOX.

About Motorcraft:

Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Omnicraft:

Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center

Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine vehicle maintenance including tire repair and replacement with a Low Tire Price Guarantee and a full menu of automotive services including oil and filter, brakes, alignments, batteries, and shocks and struts on all vehicle makes and models. Service is performed by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations worldwide while you wait, and no appointment is necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

Berry’s Bullets Aims for Success with Front Row Motorsports at Las Vegas
Leading Bullet Manufacturer Teams up with John Hunter Nemechek in the Cup Series

Michael McDowell Race Preview: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The Pennzoil 400 is set to heat up the desert, kicking off the West Coast swing of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series

Houston, TX – February 13, 2020 – Pennzoil returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to host the third annual Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube as part of the NASCAR Cup Series. Building on the heart-pounding action of the past two years, the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube will once again headline an action-packed, triple-header motorsports weekend driven by fan activities and on-track exhilaration. The green flag will wave to commence the Pennzoil 400 on Sunday, February 23^rd at 12:30 p.m. PST and will be broadcast live on FOX.

“We at Shell and Pennzoil, have a tremendous appreciation for competitive motorsports. From the moment the green flag waves, our favorite athletes push the limits of advanced engine technology to extremes at some of the most iconic tracks across America,” said Carlos Maurer, President, Shell Lubricants Americas. “Speaking of iconic tracks, we also like to put on a good show and are thrilled to once again welcome race spectators near and far to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for yet another unforgettable year as the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube continues to establish itself as one of the premier events in the series.”

Team Penske driver and reigning Pennzoil 400 champion, Joey Logano, will return to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Pennzoil primary paint scheme while teammate Ryan Blaney will be running in the Pennzoil co-primary paint scheme. Both Team Penske drivers will have the cutting-edge technology of Pennzoil Synthetics, made from pure natural gas, coursing through their engines as the green flag waves for 400 high-intensity miles of racing in the desert. Pennzoil works hand-in-hand with Team Penske developing and testing premium motor oil formulations under harsh conditions in the desert as a laboratory for tomorrow’s road cars.

“Jiffy Lube is proud to support one of America’s most popular motorsports series by returning to Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the presenting sponsor of the Pennzoil 400,” said Patrick Southwick, President, Jiffy Lube International, Inc. “The brand’s involvement not only demonstrates our passion for the sport and appreciation to the supportive fan-base, but provides an opportunity to reinforce the strong relationship between Pennzoil, America’s most trusted motor oil^[1], and the industry’s largest fast lube provider, Jiffy Lube.”

The relationship with Speedway Motorsports Incorporated (SMI), owner and operator of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, provides Pennzoil a stage to cultivate relationships with fans, partners and customers and put the spotlight on a shared appreciation for motorsports.

“The Pennzoil 400 continues to push boundaries and we are proud to share that in 2020 it will be the first race in the NASCAR Cup Series West Coast swing,” said Las Vegas Motor Speedway President, Chris Powell. “Our friends at Shell and Pennzoil have a storied history in motorsports and we are thrilled to be a part of it by hosting one of the most exhilarating races of the season at our world-class facilities.”

Driven by a passion for innovation and ambition to create the most technologically advanced motor oil on the market, Pennzoil continues to work with motorsports partners, such as Las Vegas Motor Speedway, to create Pennzoil Proving Grounds. It is here where races are won that Pennzoil drivers can show the “Proof is in the Pennzoil.” 

2020 Pennzoil Proving Grounds Fan Experiences:

• Driving exhibitions from professional fun-havers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea DeNofa, Ultra4 off-road driver Loren Healy and professional stunt driver Rhys Millen
• Drifting ride-alongs with world champion drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea DeNofa
• Live Stage with notable guests and live music from the Garage Boys Band
• Several notable show cars, including Joey Logano’s #22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang show car, a Ford GT replica and Ferrari P3 replica from the Ford v Ferrari movie, Tommy Pike Customs’ Acura NSX, Jeff Allen of Flat 12 Gallery’s one-of-a-kind V06 and more
• Photo-op moments with the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube trophy and the #22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang show car
• Autograph sessions with Team Penske and other Pennzoil Proving Grounds drivers
• Oil Change Challenge presented by Jiffy Lube with competitions for prizes
• Premium giveaways and a chance to win great prizes from the giant prize wheel

For more information about technical relationships between Pennzoil and motorsports teams, visit www.Pennzoil.com. To stay up-to-date on the latest activities, be sure to ‘like’ the official Pennzoil Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/Pennzoil) and follow @Pennzoil on Twitter (www.twitter.com/Pennzoil)  and Instagram (www.instagram.com/Pennzoil) #Pennzoil400.

About Shell and Pennzoil

Shell Oil Company (“Shell”) and Pennzoil-Quaker State Company (“Pennzoil”) are affiliates of Royal Dutch Shell plc, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with operations in more than 70 countries. In the U.S., Shell operates in 50 states and employs more than 20,000 people working to help tackle the challenges of the new energy future. The Shell downstream organization manages a portfolio of top-quality brands, including the No. 1 selling premium gasoline, Shell V-Power^® NiTRO+ Premium Gasoline, No. 1 selling gasoline, Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines, and Pennzoil^®, America’s most trusted motor oil ^[1]. 

Shell and Pennzoil’s motorsports technical alliances around the world provide a testing ground for fuel and lubricant technologies and products in demanding road conditions. The knowledge Shell and Pennzoil gain through these alliances help address tomorrow’s world mobility energy challenge with efficient solutions that power and protect motorists around the globe. www.shell.com, www.shell.us, www.pennzoil.com

About Jiffy LubeFounded 40 years ago, Jiffy Lube International, Inc. (“Jiffy Lube”), serves 20 million customers each year at more than 2,000 franchised service centers across North America. Jiffy Lube pioneered the fast oil change industry in 1979 by establishing the first drive-through service bay, providing customers with fast, professional service for their vehicles. The company continues to lead the industry with the evolution of its new business model, Jiffy Lube Multicare, offering oil change, brakes, batteries and tires as well as other services consumers want and need. Headquartered in Houston, Jiffy Lube is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Shell Oil Company. Visit www.JiffyLube.com to learn more about Jiffy Lube and vehicle care.

About Speedway Motorsports, Inc.

Speedway Motorsports, Inc. is a leading marketer, promoter and sponsor of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, and Texas Motor Speedway. The Company provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiaries; manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars and parts through its U.S. Legend Cars International subsidiary; and produces and broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to radio stations nationwide though its Performance Racing Network subsidiary.

LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: LAS VEGAS
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE TWO OF 36)
TUNE IN: 3:30 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, FEB. 23 (FOX/PRN/SIRIUSXM)

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Chase Elliott
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 24 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia

2020 Season
7th in standings
1 start
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finish
23 laps led

Career
150 starts
6 wins
8 pole positions
44 top-five finishes
74 top-10 finishes
1,867 laps led

Track Career
6 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
3 top-10 finishes
12 laps led

1.5-MILE TRACK STATS: Chase Elliott will make his 46th start on a 1.5-mile track this weekend as Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In his previous 45 starts on the same track length, he has led 427 laps. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native scored his first 1.5-mile track win in October 2018 at Kansas Speedway. Along with that win, Elliott has collected 15 top-five finishes – three of which are runner-up results – and 24 top-10s on 1.5-mile tracks.

LAST YEAR AT LVMS: Las Vegas Motor Speedway was one of three tracks where Elliott finished inside the top 10 during both events in 2019. He finished ninth during the March race and fourth in September – only four other drivers finished top 10 in both. He held the fourth-best average running position at Las Vegas last September (7.1) en route to his fourth-place finish, his second career top-five result at the 1.5-mile track.

ELLIOTT’S VEGAS STATS: This weekend, Elliott is set to make his seventh NASCAR Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In his previous six starts, he has collected two top-five finishes and three top-10s. Elliott currently is tied with Martin Truex Jr. for the most stage top-10s at the Las Vegas track with eight.

NAPA AUTO PARTS: During Daytona Speedweeks, it was announced that NAPA AUTO PARTS and Hendrick Motorsports will continue their partnership for another two seasons. NAPA will remain a primary sponsor of Elliott and the No. 9 team through 2022. Click here to read the full release.

WCWYW IS BACK: Once again, Hooters is offering its “When Chase Wins, You Win” promotion for the 2020 NASCAR season. Hooters, a primary sponsor of Elliott and the No. 9 team, will give fans 10 free boneless wings with the purchase of any 10 wings any time Elliott wins a Cup Series race. If Elliott finishes in the top 10 of a race, fans can receive one free order of fried pickles with a beverage purchase. All promotions will be eligible the Monday after a race at participating Hooters locations when guests mention the deal to their server. If fans want to watch the race at their local Hooters, they can order a pitcher of domestic beer (if 21 or older) or Mountain Dew and a fried pickles appetizer for just $15 on the day of the race. Visit Hooters9.com for more information.

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William Byron
No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 22 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
26th in standings
1 start
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finish
0 laps led

Career
37 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
17 top-10 finishes
294 laps led

Track Career
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finishes
27 laps led

DUELED TO A WIN: After posting the eighth-fastest time during qualifying for the DAYTONA 500, William Byron lined up fourth in the second Duel at Daytona this past Thursday night. Running near the front for the entirety of the 60-lap qualifying race, Byron came to pit road for the final time with under 20 laps remaining. Restarting seventh, the 22-year-old methodically maneuvered his way through the field and took over the lead with two laps to go, holding on to take the checkered flag for the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career.

MOVING ON FROM DAYTONA: Thanks to his win in the second Duel, Byron started the DAYTONA 500 from the fourth position in the No. 24 Axalta Sea Glass Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. After rain postponed the season-opening race to Monday after just 20 laps, Byron restarted seventh and worked with his Hendrick Motorsports teammates to make his way up to the fourth position. As Stage 1 was coming to a close, Byron was involved in an on-track incident that, unfortunately, ended his run at another checkered flag during Speedweeks, leaving him with a 40th-place finish.

CONTINUING SUCCESS WITH AXALTA: Last week, Hendrick Motorsports announced a five-year extension with its longtime partner, Axalta Coating Systems. As a leading global company focused solely on coatings and providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable solutions, Axalta is continuing its 28-year partnership with Hendrick Motorsports as a primary partner for the No. 24 Chevrolet. The company sponsored Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 team for 23 years, beginning in November 1992 before moving to the No. 88 team in 2016 and sharing primary sponsorship with the No. 24 starting in 2018. This year, Axalta returned as primary partner on the No. 24 Chevrolet for 22 races. Moving forward through 2027, Axalta will adorn the No. 24 as the primary sponsor for 14 races per season. For more information on the Axalta extension, click here.

LOOKING FOR LUCK: When the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE unloads for this weekend’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it will mark Byron’s fifth Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile track. Out of those four previous starts, Byron’s best showing came last year in the fall. After qualifying 14th, he finished in the top 10 in both stages, averaging an 8.7 running position before crossing the finish line in seventh place – his best finish at the Nevada-based track. In fact, last September’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is Byron’s third-best mile-and-a-half finish so far in his Cup Series career.

KNAUS’ KNOWLEDGE: This Sunday, when veteran crew chief Chad Knaus climbs on top of the No. 24 pit box, he’ll be looking to set a new record for most wins by a crew chief at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With 20 Cup races at the 1.5-mile oval under his belt, Knaus has gone to victory lane three times. Those three victories have him tied currently with Paul Wolfe for the most wins.

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Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 44 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
21st in standings
1 start
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finish
3 laps led

Career
652 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
227 top-five finishes
364 top-10 finishes
18,837 laps led

Track Career
20 starts
4 wins
0 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
595 laps led

STAGE POINTS IN DAYTONA: Although Daytona International Speedway was not kind to Jimmie Johnson in the DAYTONA 500 as he exited “The Great American Race” prematurely due to an accident, he led for three laps, finished fifth and sixth in Stages 1 and 2, respectively, and earned valuable points along the way. Johnson was collected in a multi-car accident on lap 185, along with 19 other cars, and was unable to finish the event and challenge for a third DAYTONA 500 win.

CASHING OUT IN VEGAS: Seven-time NASCAR champion Johnson is the proud owner of four Las Vegas Motor Speedway victory lane trophies – the most all time. He has led 595 laps around the 1.5-mile track located within sight of the famous Las Vegas Strip. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE finished 19th in this race one year ago and brought home an 11th-place effort in the September event.

1.5-MILE KING: Johnson has won on a 1.5-mile track a record-setting 28 times. He has contributed almost half of the Hendrick Motorsports organization’s 59 wins on this size track. Throughout the 2005, 2006 and 2007 seasons, Johnson won three races in a row at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Most notably, the 2007 win notched the milestone 150th trip to victory lane for team owner Rick Hendrick in the NASCAR Cup Series.

NOT DONE YET: There are some huge milestones on the horizon for Johnson. The next time he crosses the finish line first, he will have scored his 84th points-paying Cup Series win to tie Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for fourth all-time. Johnson currently is 10 wins behind former teammate Jeff Gordon, who has 93 victories and is third on the list. Johnson has the most wins of all active drivers with 83.

WEST COAST KID: It couldn’t be more fitting that the driver from El Cajon, California, has 15 wins on the West Coast. Heading into a string of races that includes Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix Raceway, Johnson has more wins on the tracks out west, the most of any other active driver.

ALLY COMMERCIAL SPOT: On Feb. 15, Ally Financial debuted an emotional television spot featuring kids offering Johnson motivational messages for his final full-time NASCAR Cup Series season and inviting fans to share their own words of encouragement. Click here for the commercial.

#ONEFINALTIME: In his final full-time season, Johnson is bound to receive many much-deserved accolades. One unexpected honor came in the DAYTONA 500, when Daytona International Speedway asked Johnson to lead the field during a pace lap preceding “The Great American Race.” While Johnson paced the competition, a tribute video played on the giant screens around the track, featuring competitors and friends talking about his character, integrity and kindness. Click here for the video.

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Alex Bowman
No. 88 LLumar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 26 Resides Concord, North Carolina

2020 Season
20th in standings
1 start
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finish
3 laps led

Career
154 starts
1 wins
2 pole positions
10 top-five finishes
26 top-10 finishes
477 laps led

Track Career
6 starts
0 wins
0 pole position
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
0 laps led

WELCOME BACK, LLUMAR: Eastman Performance Films LLC joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2018 as a primary sponsor of Alex Bowman and the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE through 2020. The sponsorship features the LLumar brand of window film and paint protection film on board Bowman’s machine. The LLumar colors will be the paint scheme for Bowman’s Chevrolet in three events this season, with two events in Las Vegas and the March Homestead-Miami event. On Wednesday afternoon, Hendrick Motorsports and LLumar unveiled the 2020 scheme that will run starting with this weekend in Las Vegas.

BOWMAN’S STATS AT VEGAS: The 26-year-old driver of the No. 88 machine has six previous starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bowman’s best qualifying effort of ninth came in the fall race in 2018 and his best finish of sixth came in the fall event in 2019. In his lone start at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, he finished eighth after qualifying 18th for the 200-lap event in 2013.

1.5-MILE STATS: In the last eight events on 1.5-mile tracks, Bowman’s average finish of 7.25 was the best of all drivers. His six top-10 finishes over the last eight races are tied for the most. In the previous eight events on tracks of this size, Bowman has led a total of 177 laps.

IVES IN VEGAS: Crew chief Greg Ives has called the shots seven times at Las Vegas with two different drivers. The Bark River, Michigan, native earned his best finish of fourth with Dale Earnhardt Jr. back in 2015 at the 1.5-mile track. Last fall, Ives led Bowman to a sixth-place finish in the first race of the NASCAR playoffs. The crew chief has two starts in the Xfinity Series at the track, which includes one top-five finish with Chase Elliott in 2014 and one top-10 with Regan Smith in 2013. From 2006-12, Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team. During that time, he was a part of three wins and four top-five finishes at Las Vegas.

DAYTONA 500 REWIND: Bowman rolled off second for Sunday afternoon’s DAYTONA 500. Following rain showers, the event was ultimately delayed until Monday. The No. 88 team was running inside the top five by lap 50 and finished Stage 1 in the second position, earning valuable stage points to start the year. When a caution on lap 90 was shown, Ives made the call to have Bowman pit for right-side tires and fuel. After restarting 14th, Bowman reported his machine was a little free in and finished Stage 2 in the 15th position. Late into the 200-lap event, the Tucson, Arizona, native was caught up in an incident on the backstretch. The team went to work on repairs to the right front of the Chevrolet and was able to return to the track in NASCAR overtime. Bowman and the team were scored with a 24th-place finish.

THE OTHER SIDE OF BOWMAN: For the second year in a row, Bowman has teamed up with Motorsport.com to publish a monthly diary piece to talk about life both on and off the track. The Hendrick Motorsports driver’s first diary entry of 2020 was published last week and can be found here. This year, Bowman will solicit questions from fans on social media to answer in his diary piece.

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Hendrick Motorsports

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY: Hendrick Motorsports has won two of the last three NASCAR Cup Series races held on Feb. 23. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 2014 DAYTONA 500 and Jeff Gordon won in 1997 at Rockingham. Alex Bowman also made his Cup debut on Feb. 23, 2014, in the DAYTONA 500.

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT LAS VEGAS: In 24 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has earned five wins, two pole positions, 21 top-five finishes, 39 top-10s and an all-time record 1,385 laps led. Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers at the 1.5-mile oval with four victories. Three of the organization’s victories at the Nevada track were the first of their respective seasons.

WEST COAST STRENGTH: Hendrick Motorsports leads all teams in West Coast victories – including in California, Nevada and Arizona – with a total of 31, eight more than the next closest team, Roush Fenway Racing. Johnson – who hails from California – leads all drivers for most wins on West Coast tracks with 15.

1.5-MILE CHAMPS: Hendrick Motorsports has a NASCAR Cup Series record 59 total wins on 1.5-mile tracks, nine more than the next closest team, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hendrick Motorsports has earned at least one win on a 1.5-mile track in a record 26 consecutive seasons. Alex Bowman brought the streak to 26 seasons with his 2019 victory at Chicagoland, becoming the 11th different driver to win for the organization on a 1.5-mile track.

FIRST-TIME WINNERS: With Bowman earning his first Cup Series win at Chicagoland in 2019, Hendrick Motorsports now holds the record for the most first-time Cup Series winners with nine. If William Byron wins at Las Vegas, it will extend the record to the 11th time a driver has recorded his first career Cup Series win while driving for Hendrick Motorsports.

ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 256 race victories, 225 pole positions, 1,071 top-five finishes and 1,839 top-10 finishes in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led 68,930 laps since 1984. Hendrick Motorsports won four times in 2019, extending its streak to 34 consecutive seasons with at least one win, the longest streak all-time.

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QUOTABLE /
Chase Elliott on his excitement to see his car perform in Las Vegas:
“I’m super excited, yeah. We had an opportunity to make something better. Chevrolet put a lot of effort into it. As a group, collectively, from the team side, I know Hendrick (Motorsports) did. I’m excited to see where it is. It’s an exciting thing to be able to have an opportunity to make something better. This sport is always evolving. There’s always people out front, you’re trying to catch them. This is an opportunity for us to catch up, do better, improve. That’s all we want to do, is just improve from where we were.”

William Byron on moving forward in Las Vegas:
“Obviously Daytona didn’t end how we had hoped for, but that’s behind us now. I’ve already moved on to thinking about this weekend in Las Vegas. Last year, the spring race was OK for the No. 24 team, but it was early on in the season for us as a team working together. The fall race was much better and probably one of our best overall races from start to finish. If we can pick up where we left off then, I think we will be in really good shape for this weekend. I’m excited to see how we unload.”

Jimmie Johnson on the upcoming year:
“I’m really excited about the season ahead of us. (Crew chief) Cliff Daniels did a great job leading this team over the off season. I am more energized than I have been in a really long time. We have the full support from Hendrick Motorsports, my family, my friends and my fans; I’m very thankful for all of that. Even though we didn’t get to the finish at Daytona, we had a strong showing, and I think Cliff said it best: ‘It’s going to be a great season ahead.’ I’m ready to get to Vegas and get to work out there.”

Alex Bowman on the intermediate program:
“Our intermediate program at Hendrick Motorsports is one of our best programs, other than superspeedways. Every time we go to a superspeedway like last week, we have great cars. At the end of last year, our intermediate program was our strongest, in my opinion. We had a lot of great success at those tracks last year.”

This Week in Motorsports: February 17-23, 2020
· NCS/NXS/NGROTS: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nevada) – Feb. 21-23
· NHRA: Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park (Chandler, Arizona) – Feb 23
· ARCA West: The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nevada) – Feb. 20

PLANO, Texas (February 19, 2020) – The 2020 season continues with racing out West as NASCAR heads to Las Vegas and NHRA competes just outside of Phoenix this weekend.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS| NGROTS

Champ Comes Home… Two-time NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) champion Kyle Busch returns to his hometown track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, this weekend. In 2019, Busch won five NCS races while holding command of the series point standings for more than half the season and advanced through multiple elimination rounds en route to his second career NCS title, and Toyota’s third. At Las Vegas, Busch has one win (2009), seven top-five finishes and 254 laps led.

Intermediate Track Leader… When it comes to intermediate track racing, Toyota Cup drivers have won nearly half of the 33 races at 1.5-mile tracks in the past three years with 16 combined wins. Of those wins, Martin Truex Jr. accounts for the most with 10 victories, including two at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 2017 and September 2019). In 2017, Truex set a single-season series record when he won seven intermediate races. Since 2017, Denny Hamlin has registered four intermediate Cup wins while Busch has two. Hamlin is coming off his second consecutive Daytona 500 win on Monday.

Herbst Also Has Homecoming… Twenty-year-old Riley Herbst also returns home to Las Vegas in his first season driving full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) for Joe Gibbs Racing. He began racing karts at age five and progressed through the ranks. Herbst has one win in the ARCA Menards Series and was named the series’ 2017 rookie of the year. In 11 NXS starts, his career-best sixth-place finish came in his series debut at Iowa Speedway in 2018. At Daytona, Herbst claimed his first career pole position and has a third-place result in limited NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series starts. He comes from a racing family where both his father and grandfather have competed in off-road events, including multiple Baja 500 and Baja 1000 wins by his father.

Tundra Drivers Betting on Vegas… Tundra drivers have won nine Truck Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including four of the last five events. Busch, who is set to compete in the No. 51 Tundra on Friday night, brought his own Kyle Busch Motorsports Tundra to victory lane in the last two spring races while Austin Hill won at the desert track to advance within the series’ Playoffs last fall. Last year, Hill won four times and finished fifth in driver standings.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Kalitta Looks for Second Straight Win to Open 2020 Season… After winning his third consecutive NHRA Winternationals earlier this month, Toyota Top fuel driver, Doug Kalitta, looks to make it two in a row at this weekend’s Arizona Nationals. If he wins this weekend’s event, he would become the second Top Fuel pilot to be victorious in the first two races of a season during the last 22 years. The 2019 series runner-up already has one Phoenix ‘Wally’, having previously won at the track in 2001.

DeJoria Returns to Site of First Funny Car Win… Alexis DeJoria earned her first Nitro Funny Car win at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in 2014, and looks to earn another first at the Phoenix track as she aims for her first victory since coming out of retirement. A win in Arizona would also mark Toyota’s 175 NHRA Nitro triumph. Despite a two-year hiatus, she drove her Camry Funny Car to the semifinals in her first race back in the season-opener at Pomona to debut the new DC Motorsports team.

Brown Eyes Fourth Phoenix Win… Antron Brown looks to earn his fourth Arizona Nationals title this weekend and, in the process, can narrow in on the track record of five wins. Brown has 50 career Top Fuel victories and is just two wins shy of Joe Amato for third-place all-time.

Regional Stock Car Racing – ARCA

BMR Seeking 100th Win… No race team has had as much impact on what is now called the ARCA Menards Series West than Bill McAnally Racing. In their series tenure they have collected 99 series victories and nine driver championships – a NASCAR regional touring record. Last year, the team won at the 0.375-mile Bullring at Las Vegas with Hailie Deegan. This year, five young drivers – all ranging from 15 to 20 years old – look to continue the team’s winning tradition, including Lawless Alan (20 years old), Holley Hollan (18), Jesse Love (15), Gio Scelzi (18) and Gracie Trotter (18).

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About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Ground Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube
Date/Time: February 23/3:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 267 laps/400.5 miles
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Track Shape: Tri-Oval
Banking: 20 degrees
2019 Winner: Joey Logano

Express Notes:

Daytona Recap: Denny Hamlin won his third Daytona 500 in five years Monday in the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, passing Ryan Blaney in the final stretch to win by 0.014 seconds, the second-closest margin of victory in the “Great American Race.” The race was postponed after just 20 laps on Sunday due to rain, and it resumed Monday afternoon. Hamlin and his fellow Toyota competitors stuck to the game plan of riding in the back out of harm’s way in Stage 1. Hamlin inherited the lead after varying pit cycles at the end of the stage. He went on to lead the majority of Stage 2 and captured that segment victory for an additional playoff point. The action picked up in the final stage, with side-by-side racing throughout the field. A handful of late-race incidents took out many of the frontrunners, but Hamlin was able to avoid the wrecks and remain near the front for the final few restarts and took the checkered flag.

Las Vegas Preview: The series heads out to the desert this weekend to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s 400-mile event. Denny Hamlin continues his pursuit of his first career win at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. Hamlin and the #FedEx11 team are currently atop the points standings and look to expand their lead this weekend in Las Vegas. The #11 FedEx Toyota will promote the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest on the TV panel of the car for this weekend’s race in Las Vegas. The reminder encourages small business owners to apply for a collective prize pool of more than $250,000 by the entry deadline of March 2nd at www.fedex.com/grantcontest.

Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Races: 16
Wins: 0
Top-5: 2
Top-10: 7
Laps Led: 18
Avg. Start: 16.8
Avg. Finish: 13.8

Hamlin Conversation – Las Vegas:

What are you most looking forward to as the Series heads to Las Vegas this weekend?

“Our team is picking up where we left off last year and really clicking so far. I’m very happy with our performance, but we still have a lot of work to do and a lot more challenges coming our way. We’ll be ready to get back at it this weekend in Las Vegas and hopefully take the checkered flag.”

Back-to-back victories in Daytona – how does it feel to be back in victory lane again this year?

“First, my thoughts are with Ryan (Newman) and his well-being, I’m proud of this FedEx team for another great accomplishment, but no win is more important than the health and safety of the competitors. It feels great to get this win and hopefully we can keep this momentum going throughout the season.”

FedEx Express Freight Along for the Ride at Las Vegas: The FedEx Ground Mid-South district will be recognized for exceptional safety performance with its district code “MIDS” on the B-post of the #11 FedEx Toyota this weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.