Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Daytona | The MotorSportsNews.Net(work)

SEIZING THE DAY-TONA: Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in most all-time statistical categories at Daytona International Speedway, including wins (16), poles (23), top-five finishes (63), top-10 finishes (112) and laps led (2,302). On Saturday, the team will look for its eighth win in the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Hall of Famer and vice chairman Jeff Gordon picked up three victories in the summer race at the World Center of Racing with Tim Richmond, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and William Byron each winning once.

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

TWO TO GO: Entering the penultimate race of the regular season, Kyle Larson is fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings and trails the leader by 32 markers. He tops the series with four wins, five poles and 28 playoff points while he is second with 821 laps led. It is the second-highest laps led total for Larson through 24 races in his career, behind only his 2021 championship season in which he paced the field for 1,496 laps in the first 24 events.

TOP FIVE FOR NO. 5: The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet has run a series high 3,091 laps in the top five this season. Larson is tied for second with nine top-five finishes.

NO TOP-FIVE FOR NO. 5: However, Daytona International Speedway is one of three tracks in which Larson has yet to post a top-five finish in the Cup Series. In 20 starts at the 2.5-mile venue, the Elk Grove, California, native has five top-10 finishes with a best result of sixth in 2016. The other two tracks where he has yet to post a top-five finish are Iowa Speedway and the Daytona Road Course (one start at each).

OH SO CLOSE: In 2017, Larson led the field with one lap to go in the DAYTONA 500. However, his Chevrolet ran out of fuel on the final lap and he coasted to a 12th-place finish.

WINNER AT DAYTONA: In July 2018, Larson won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona. The Elk Grove, California, native led a race-high 40 laps en route to victory.

FOUR TIRES FAST: The No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew holds the ninth-fastest average four-tire pit stop time in 2024 at 11.06 seconds. Larson’s pit crew consists of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer).

AWAY BUT ALWAYS AVAILABLE: In 2024, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team recognizes “home” events by wearing white firesuits and “away” with blue. Its home races come at tracks with nearby Hendrick Automotive Group car dealerships. This weekend, the No. 5 team races “away” on the Florida coast. However, it’s easy to pick up a new set of keys from any one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 94 dealerships nationwide. Customers can also shop from the convenience of home by selecting the category, make, model and vehicle packages important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com.

HENDRICK AUTOMOTIVE GROUP IS HIRING: Join the more than 10,000 people nationwide who work at Hendrick Automotive Group. The company is hiring technicians and other positions at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Individuals who are interested can apply at HendrickCars.com.

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

MOVIN’ ON UP: With just two races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, Chase Elliott sits second in points, just 10 markers behind the leader. The 28-year-old driver has earned one win (Texas Motor Speedway), seven top-five finishes and 12 top 10s with 213 laps led in 2024. Elliott’s 10.63 average finish is second best in the field and is his best through 24 races behind only the 2022 season when he won the regular season championship. He also has the third-best average running position (10.84) and the fourth-most laps spent inside the top 10 (3,580) among full-time premier series drivers.

DAYTONA DATA: In 17 points-paying Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, Elliott has three top-five finishes, five top 10s and three poles. He’s led 172 laps on the 2.5-mile superspeedway, including 13 circuits in this year’s season-opening DAYTONA 500. Elliott’s best finish on the high banks is a pair of runner-up efforts (August of 2020 and the 2021 DAYTONA 500). In last year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, the Hendrick Motorsports driver finished fourth. Elliott is also a two-time Duel at Daytona winner (2017, 2018) and won on the Daytona road course in 2020. In addition, he recorded a win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports in 2016 at the World Center of Racing.

DRAFTING STRONG: Of Elliott’s 19 Cup Series points-paying victories, three have come on drafting tracks. The six-time National Motorsports Press Association’s Most Popular Driver Award winner has two victories at Talladega Superspeedway (2019, 2022) and one at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the summer of 2022. Accompanying his three wins across 38 starts on drafting tracks, Elliott has nine top-five finishes, 15 top 10s and 511 laps led. Since the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022, Elliott has scored the second-most victories (Talladega and Atlanta) behind only Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron (three).

HISTORY MADE: Elliott is having one of the most consistent seasons of his career, having only one finish outside the top 20 in 2024. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native is the first driver in Cup Series history to complete all but one lap through 24 races in a season. The previous record was all but two laps, which occurred three times. The only race this season in which Elliott didn’t finish on the lead lap was in an eighth-place showing at Bristol Motor Speedway in the spring.

COMING HOME: 2020 Cup Series champion crew chief Alan Gustafson will make his return home this weekend. The veteran shot caller grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida, just north of Daytona Beach. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, Gustafson enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering. This is his 20th season as a crew chief and ninth year with Elliott. Gustafson has three victories on drafting-style tracks, all with Elliott. He has five poles at Daytona but has yet to win a points-paying race on the oval at his home track. Gustafson has two Duel at Daytona wins as well as a victory on the road course in 2020.

FASTEST FIVE: Through 24 races, the No. 9 pit crew continues to hold the fastest average four-tire pit stop time (10.708 seconds). The over-the-wall squad laid down the fastest four-tire pit stop (9.076 seconds) of the season at Texas in April, according to data from Racing Insights. The 2021 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew award-winning group is comprised of Chad Avrit (rear-tire changer), Jared Erspamer (tire carrier), John Gianninoto (fueler), Nick O’Dell (front-tire changer) and T.J. Semke (jackman).

No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

MICHIGAN MINUTES: William Byron and the No. 24 team made the best of a wet weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Starting ninth after rain canceled qualifying, the 26-year-old driver finished stage one in third and stage two in fourth, scoring 15 combined points. He led 20 laps in the final stage and battled for the win over two overtime restarts, ultimately settling for a runner-up result. He collected the most points (50).

24 IN ‘24: Byron’s NASCAR Cup Series season includes three wins (tied for the second), highlighted by a victory in the DAYTONA 500. Following the race at Michigan, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native is tied for fourth with eight top-five finishes and tied for second with 13 top 10s. Byron has spent 1,490 laps in the top five (10th) and 3,049 laps in the top 10 (eighth). With two races remaining in the regular season, Byron is sixth in the Cup Series points standings with 16 playoff points.

SUPER ON SUPERSPEEDWAYS: Byron has four wins on drafting tracks (Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway) – the 2024 DAYTONA 500, his first Cup Series victory at Daytona in August of 2020 and two wins at Atlanta (March 2022 and July 2023). In the last seven drafting races, Byron’s two wins are the most. He’s added one second-place finish, three top fives (tied for the most), six top 10s (most), 37 laps led and his average finish of 6.14 is the best. In the Next Gen era, Byron (three) and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott (two) are the only repeat winners on drafting tracks.

BACK AT THE BEACH: Byron has 13 Cup Series starts at Daytona with two wins, three top-five finishes, four top 10s and 99 laps led. Byron collected his first pole (2019 DAYTONA 500) and his first Cup Series win at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. He also won a Duel qualifying race in 2020 and was in position to capture the win at the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 before weather ended the event early, leaving Byron with a runner-up finish. During his 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship-winning campaign, Byron qualified third in the July race at Daytona and led 29 laps en route to victory, becoming the youngest driver with a Xfinity Series win at Daytona at 19 years, 7 months and 1 day.

RUDY RETURNS: Crew chief Rudy Fugle is set to return to Daytona for his eighth Cup Series start and as the defending DAYTONA 500 Champion. Fugle and Byron have seven Cup Series starts together at the Florida track with one win, two front row starts, one top-five finish, two top 10s and 19 laps led. Fugle also scored one runner-up result and two top 10s across seven Daytona races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. One of those starts came with Byron at the wheel in a 13th-place showing.

LIBERTY U. IS BACK: Byron will sport Liberty University on his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Daytona. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the Liberty University No. 24 will stand out. Liberty University has a long history with Byron, starting in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since its founding in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offer more than 600 degree programs, from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in strategic communication, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s Liberty University paint scheme, click here.

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

MICHIGAN RECAP: On Wednesday, Aug. 14, leading into last week’s race at Michigan International Speedway, Alex Bowman made a special trip to Watkins Glen International for “Bike at the Glen.” He joined fans by hopping on a bike and took a lap around the New York course alongside them. Read more here. When Bowman arrived in Michigan on Friday, Aug. 16, he made a pit stop at the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan Headquarters. As part of one of Ally’s many nationwide financial literacy readings, Bowman read, “Emma and the Cosmophone” to a group of Daisy and Brownie scouts followed by an educational game of jeopardy. In conjunction with Ally Racing’s First Lap program – a unique experience where Ally partners with local community groups to invite new, diverse fans into racing – Bowman also welcomed Diverse Abilities Employee Resource Group (ERG) guests at the track on race day.

PUSHING TO THE PLAYOFFS: Only two races remain until the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Bowman’s eighth Cup Series win came at the Chicago Street Course in July and it has the No. 48 Ally Racing driver locked into the playoffs. Following the completion of 24 points-paying races this season, Bowman has six top-five finishes (his most since 2021) and is tied for third with 12 top-10 finishes, more than he had in all of 2023. The 31-year-old driver is 11th in the point standings.

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY: Bowman returns to Daytona International Speedway this weekend seeking a one-position improvement from February’s DAYTONA 500. The Tucson, Arizona, native raced neck-and-neck with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron for the lead on the final lap before scoring a runner-up finish, his career-best finish in the iconic race. Saturday will mark his 17th start at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. In 15 starts at Daytona, Bowman has two top fives, six top 10s and has led 42 laps. He holds the longest active top-10 streak at the track among Cup Series drivers with three.

CHATS WITH CHEVROLET: On Saturday, race fans can visit Bowman in the fan zone at the Chevy Stage. At 4:30 p.m. ET, the driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will participate in a Q&A.

ONE MONTH REMAINS FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER: Less than one month remains to enter to win the “Win Your Wheels” sweepstakes fueled by Ally and HendrickCars.com. To celebrate Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary, the pair teamed up to give away a special edition Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE to one lucky fan. Only 40 of these Chevrolets will be manufactured and the other 39 will be sold exclusively through select Hendrick Automotive Group Chevrolet dealerships. Enter to win at Ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar. The promotion ends Sept. 20, 2024.

SUPPORTING FOUR-LEGGED BEST FRIENDS: Over the last four years, Bowman and Ally have donated over $650,000 dollars to Best Friends shelters and their vast network of partners. Every race weekend, the pair donates $4,800 to help homeless pets at a shelter local to the track. This weekend, the charitable donation will go to the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. The shelter is located about an hour and 45 minutes from the track, just over 50 miles southwest.

ALLY RACING PIT CREW: The Ally Racing pit crew sits with among the top 10 in NASCAR’s ranks for the best average four-tire stop this year, ranking seventh (11.031). The No. 48 crew is composed of jackman, Allen Holman, tire carrier, Brandon Grier, front-tire changer, Donnie Tasser, rear-tire changer, Andrew Bridgeforth, and gasman, Jacob Conley.

SUPERSPEEDWAY SUPERIORITY: Among active organizations, Hendrick Motorsports is the leader in drafting-track wins with 33, a full 13 more than a second-place tie between Richard Childress Racing and Wood Brothers Racing. Since the debut of the Next Gen car in 2022, Hendrick Motorsports has not gone more than three drafting track races without a victory.

EVERYBODY’S INVITED: All four Hendrick Motorsports are locked into the playoffs. It’s the sixth time since 2004 that’s happened and third time in the last four years (2012, 2013, 2014, 2021, 2022, 2024).

THE LAST 36: Over the last 36 Cup Series events, Hendrick Motorsports has not gone more than three races without a win. In that span, the team has logged 13 victories (most by five), 43 top-five finishes (most by three) and 74 top 10s (most by nine). At least one Hendrick Motorsports driver has finished inside the top 10 in 35 of the 36 races.

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Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on drafting tracks: “The HendrickCars.com Chevy seems to be fast at Daytona and Talladega, we just always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and get collected in a crash. We’ll work with our Chevy teammates and hopefully utilize good strategy to earn stage points and be there at the end to go for the race win.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing Saturday night at Daytona: “I always enjoy Saturday night races under the lights. The energy level of the crowd, the excitement level is all just a bit elevated, so I’m looking forward to heading down to Daytona. Obviously, it’s a bit of a wild card race, and when you look at the points, we’re all really close. You can be prepared and have a great car and be putting a solid race together and end up getting collected in a crash that isn’t your doing. Hopefully, we come out of it clean and can get a good result.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the regular season winding down: “The points are super tight at the top. Certainly, there are four guys, including us, that I think are potentially capable of winning the regular season points. They’re all really good, competitive cars. So, that could make these next two weeks exciting. In Daytona, there’s obviously a higher probability of crashes, so that can certainly reshuffle the deck as we head into Darlington. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on returning to Daytona as the defending DAYTONA 500 Champion: “I’m excited to get back to Daytona (International Speedway). Obviously, the DAYTONA 500 ended well for us and it’ll be good to go back with that momentum. However, there’s not much you can translate from that race to this weekend’s race since it will be much hotter and more slick. Hopefully we’re in position at the end again and can go back-to-back, that would be great and a great boost heading into the playoffs a couple weeks later.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at two drafting tracks in three weeks: “It will be interesting for sure. Atlanta (Motor Speedway) is still a track that you need to have good handling but so is Daytona in the summer. Atlanta has higher banking and higher loads in the corner than Daytona. This weekend though, since it’s not in the playoffs, we can have some fun with it and take some extra chances to get the win. Atlanta though you’re obviously going to try to go for the win but also make sure you’re in a good place to get points. Atlanta you just have to be a little bit more careful than you do this weekend.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Daytona International Speedway for a second time this year: “Going back to Daytona certainly has a competitive feel this weekend. We were so close to a win there in February with a runner-up finish in the DAYTONA 500. Obviously, a win at such a challenging superspeedway like Daytona would feel like a huge accomplishment. Even a strong finish would build solid momentum going into the playoffs. Our Ally Racing team is ready to get back on track.”

Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s return to Daytona International Speedway: “With two points-paying races left in the regular season, I’m really looking forward to seeing if we can maybe get a couple stage wins and maybe knock off another win going into the playoffs. Alex and I have had some really good runs together (at Daytona). Obviously getting so close to winning the (DAYTONA) 500 and coming in second to a teammate in February has it very top of mind for us to try and capitalize with a win this time.”