NCS AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Team Chevy Advance

BOWTIE BULLETS:

·       NASCAR Cup Series victories by active Chevrolet drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

Alex Bowman – 1 (March 2022)

Kyle Larson – 1 (March 2021)

Kyle Busch – 1 (March 2009)

·       In 30 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 10 victories. Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at the track with seven, recorded among four drivers: Jeff Gordon (2001), Jimmie Johnson (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010), Kyle Larson (2021), Alex Bowman (2022).

·       Career Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with four (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010). Johnson is the only driver in series history to post three consecutive race wins at the Nevada oval.

·       Kyle Busch is the only driver in NASCAR history to win all three NASCAR national races in a single weekend, accomplishing that feat two times in his career (Bristol Motor Speedway – 2010, 2017).

·       The first two drivers to claim a playoff berth in the NASCAR Cup Series come from the Chevrolet camp: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1) and Kyle Busch (No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1).

·       For the second consecutive season, Chevrolet drivers swept the top four finishing positions at Auto Club Speedway. The Bowtie brand accomplished this feat on three separate occasions in 2022, including a sweep of the top-five at Road America.

·       With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 835 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.  

QUOTABLE QUOTES:

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 GLOBALTRANZ CAMARO ZL1

What does it feel like to be the points leader for the first time in your career?

“Well, I’m certainly not used to it (laughs). It feels good to me but I think it also tells the story of a bigger picture with Trackhouse being fairly young and all the people there working together to help us get to this point. I certainly didn’t get here on my own. Everyone is pulling in the same direction and it’s showing. I don’t want to get ahead of myself though. This is a long season and there are so many variables, so we’ll just keep doing what we are doing and we’ll see how the season shakes out.”

You guys had a good result at Daytona which is kind of a wild card, but you also ran well right out of the box at Auto Club; what does that say to you?

“Daytona is such a wild card when it comes to finishes, so it is kind of hard to compare that style of race to the rest of the season. Yeah, running well at Auto Club without any practice on a more normal style of track was good. These men and women spend so many hours working on setups and things like that. You do wonder when you get to our intermediate tracks how things are going to shake out. Obviously, Auto Club was a great start, but we’ll keep focused each week on the task at hand and hopefully the trend will continue.”

Why do you still try and run as many races as you can each weekend?

“I’m a pretty firm believer that all laps are good laps so anytime I have the opportunity to hop in something besides the Cup car, I’m usually game. If me being in the truck this weekend helps Niece [Motorsports] on the competition side a little bit too, I’ll all for it. Worldwide Express is a great partner and they’re supportive of me in the truck as well as the Cup car, so it makes it fun to go out there and turn as many laps as I can.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts on Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

“Las Vegas Motor Speedway has always been one of my favorite tracks, so I’m looking forward to going there in the BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet this weekend. Being able to turn through the bumps in Turn 1 is very important. In Turn 3, you can’t miss the entry. The track has gotten a lot of character over the last couple of years, making it fun to drive on. You have to challenge yourself to be disciplined with your marks. We learned a lot at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2022 with the Next Gen car, so I’m curious to see how much it has changed since then.”

Are the bumps and challenges at Las Vegas Motor Speedway similar to the bumps in Turns 3 and 4 at Auto Club Speedway?

“Turns one and two at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are high speed corners and the bumps have always been something that you work on your car to get through to make speed. The faster your car can go through there without having to unload and get the feel back in the front tires has always been an issue. The person that can skip through them the best usually runs really well. At Las Vegas Motor Speedway it’s an entry issue, unlike last week at Auto Club Speedway where it was an exit issue. At Auto Club Speedway, you’re leaving the corner with wheel in the car. I think the bumps at Las Vegas will be challenging this weekend, just as they always are. Although truthfully, from the simulator work I’ve done to prepare for the race, the bumps were not as upsetting as they were at Auto Club Speedway. The Auto Club Speedway bumps were pretty accurate to our sim. We were busting loose across those bumps. So, I’m hoping that it’s accurate again, as far as the bumps in Las Vegas not being as much of a problem as they were in Fontana.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Larson on why he enjoys racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

“Vegas is a track that I like. It seems to be another one of those intermediate style tracks that suits my driving style because you can run different lanes. It has a lot of character with bumps and grip, so it’s been a place that I have enjoyed. I’ve led some laps, won a race and had a few other close shots. I look forward to going there again this weekend and hopefully getting another NASCAR Cup Series win.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Daniels on turning the page to Las Vegas:

“We learned at Fontana after we had our issue. We made some adjustments to the car and learned quite a bit. Some of it can translate to Vegas (which) is a faster, higher load track. It was nice having a fast car. I obviously hate what happened in Fontana but having all that corrected and building another fast car can hopefully give us another good shot for the weekend.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 ALSCO UNIFORMS CAMARO ZL1

Since Las Vegas is your “hometown” race, is that an event that you circle on your calendar?

“I don’t really put any extra emphasis on it to run well there. I’ve done that in years past and it’s always bit me because I’ve always tried too hard at the home track in order to win there and put too much emphasis on it that it gets me in trouble, so I just go in there and treat it like any other race just let the race kind of come to me. We work on the car and make it better throughout the day in order to be there at the end to be fast. I enjoy Vegas and it’s been a fun place over the years. I liked it a lot more when it was flatter but since it’s gotten some age on the banking track now it’s been pretty fun. You get to move around, and you can run all the way up to the wall and run that high line.”

You have four top-five finishes in the last four races at Las Vegas. What will it take for you to finish a few positions better?

“Vegas is a place that I always feel like I’m close, you know, but it sucks because it’s like close but no cigar. It’s kind of frustrating with that just a little bit. I try to always run well there; do a good job and we have been able to do that. I just have been locked out of being able to win there. I feel like we had two wins there in the last two years that the finishes just turned into top-fives so that’s just a little frustrating. It’s nice to go to a track that you can run well and have confidence going into.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Elliott on heading to Las Vegas this weekend:

“I was really proud of the effort the entire team put in last week. We know we still have some work to do, but it was good to get a top five under our belts. Hopefully, we can head to Vegas this weekend and put together a good, solid finish and keep the momentum going.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Gustafson on how the team can build off of its result at Auto Club Speedway:

“We struggled a little on intermediate tracks last year after the introduction of this new tire. Our team worked hard during the offseason to regroup and try to make some improvements. I feel like Auto Club (Speedway) was a step in the right direction. The goal is to be able to build off of that and continue to improve as we head to Vegas this weekend. Our last visit there was a tough one for us and obviously we want to do what we can to rebound from that.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1

Byron on racing at Las Vegas:

“Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) is a track that has a lot of character but it’s fast and really smooth compared to other mile-and-a-half tracks or even Auto Club (Speedway) last weekend. With it being so smooth, you really have to run and utilize all the lanes to be good. You can’t just stick to one lane all race long. The track changes a lot with rubber build up, so you have to keep up with that to not get behind early in the race. We’ve always seemed to run well there and I feel like we’re in a good position to do that again this weekend.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1

Fugle on the tire strategy for this weekend:

“We don’t have a ton of tires this weekend at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) to just throw at the car every time there’s a caution. We’ll only have eight sets of sticker tires for Sunday. That gives you two to three extra sets to play around with really. You can make a decision at some point when you have six to seven laps on your tires where you could pit and then if there’s a long run after that, it’s going to pay off. If it’s a short run, you won’t re-pass all those who stayed out. I think that’s what you’re going to see a lot of at the stages. You can also look at taking two or four tires. Last year’s race was won on two tires and if you get the right scenario, that’s at play.”

NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORT CAMARO ZL1

“I’m excited to keep building momentum with our No. 42 Sunseeker Chevrolet and the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team. Coming back to my hometown is always good to see family and friends, it’s always great anytime I can get back there and there would be nothing sweeter than to run well at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1

“Hopefully Las Vegas will be a good race for us this weekend and we can get our season rolling. We struggled a little bit at Fontana, so looking forward to getting back to Las Vegas where we were pretty good in the Spring last year in this race and in the Fall I thought we were decent. I’m hoping we can make some gains, try some new stuff and get some good points from the weekend. Looking forward to getting there and hopefully having a good run in our No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Bowman on reflecting on his win last year at Las Vegas:

“It is an exciting time for the No. 48 Ally Racing team right now. We have had a lot of fast race cars. Running up front and finishing in the top-10 at Daytona (International Speedway) and Fontana gives us a lot of momentum to carry to Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) this weekend. Obviously, winning there last year is a great starting point for how we need to approach this race, but we are also looking at where we struggled and how we can strengthen those areas. I am looking forward to getting back out there and going for another win.”

BLAKE HARRIS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Harris on how he is using the No. 48 team’s 2022 win to prepare for Sunday:

“With the win at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) last year and Alex (Bowman) not running the fall race, we are using all the notes from the spring race and our teammates notes from the fall race to prepare for this weekend. I think with our run at Auto Club Speedway and having top-five speed, I feel like what he had there is more applicable than last year’s notes. The run of intermediates at the beginning of the year is always tough when you leave straight from Daytona (International Speedway) and head to the West Coast. There is a lot of prep on the team, so to come out of the box with some speed last week will hopefully carry over to Las Vegas. Statistically, Las Vegas is one of Alex’s best tracks and he runs up front there a lot. I’m really looking forward to having a practice and qualifying session this week to start stepping through that normal process and see if we can get this thing tuned in for Alex on Sunday.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1

Does running well in the first two races make you even more eager for Sunday’s race in Las Vegas?

“This year has been a tribute to the men and women at Trackhouse Racing because they have given Ross and I rocket ships to begin the season. They have been a pleasure to drive. Not only that, but coming to pit lane has been an amazing experience. Our crews have been super-fast gaining us spots every time. So, yes, these days I can’t wait to get to the track.”

Was it important for you to get the contract done before the season started to have that out of the way and have your future settled?

“Yeah, it was. That was actually a topic of conversation that I had with the team. I’m the kind of person that once I start racing, I like to focus on that. Last year when we announced this 2023 extension that we did, we did it right before the Playoffs. I didn’t even want to talk about it. I was just focusing my thing. I was just so focused on my thing. I feel like at times it can be a distraction. This time, when we started having all these conversations, I said hey, let’s get it out of the way before the Daytona 500.”

Was it a really easy decision process?

“Yes, it is for me. I’m very, very happy where I am. Trackhouse, the future of Trackhouse, is very bright. I feel like I’m experienced enough now to understand those things and to understand how important people are. Everybody at Trackhouse believes in me. I believe in Trackhouse since day one. We’re building something great here. I think we have something special going on. It would be silly not to see that and to take advantage of that, to take it to the next level.”

What has been the biggest part of that evolution over the two years? Where have you noticed the biggest strides?

“Every year has been a process. I mean, we are still babies, man. This is going to be our third year only as Trackhouse. So the first year obviously Richard Childress Racing played a huge role. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here. Huge thanks to Richard and to everyone at RCR, Chevrolet. Then the second year obviously getting the whole team of Ganassi, that was a huge thing, Chevrolet jumping onboard with us. Right now it’s actually the first time that things are fairly calm. We were able to rebuild with less going on. So I feel very, very good about it. I feel we’ve been able to work and getting better instead of restructure the whole thing. I feel like every year has been something new. This year I feel like is going to be a great opportunity for us to go out there and compete in the highest level.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST

What are your expectations and/or strategies going into the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

“The biggest goal for our Champion Power Equipment team this week at Vegas is really to see where we stack up with our intermediate track program at GMS Racing. There’s been so much work put into this part or our program, and we made a lot of improvements towards the end of last year. We are optimistic that we’ve made more gains over the off-season. This is our owner, Maury Gallagher’s, home race so we are going to do everything we can to make him proud.”

RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 24 WENDELL SCOTT FOUNDATION SILVERADO RST

You’re returning to Las Vegas this weekend running in both the Truck and Xfinity Series. How much of a benefit do you think you will have with all of the extra track time?

“I think the extra track time is going to be a huge benefit for me, especially since I raced at Las Vegas last year. Having one constant that I’ll be used to, in the track itself, should help me get up to speed quicker, as this will be my first time at a mile-and-a-half track in a truck. Overall, I’m feeling pretty good about it; the Chevrolet simulator sessions that my Wendell Scott Foundation team has had has really helped me gain some experience, so I have high hopes for how our race should pan out. The preparation’s been there from the team and myself, so there’s no reason why we can’t go out there and have a lot of speed.”

DANIEL DYE, NO. 43 SOLAR-FIT / HALIFAX HEALTH SILVERADO RST

Last year in ARCA, you seemed to shine on the intermediate tracks. With Las Vegas being the site of your first intermediate race with a truck, how much of your knowledge from last year can you take with you into consideration for Friday night?

“I’m really looking forward to racing in Las Vegas this weekend. After running in a few intermediate track races last season with the ARCA car at Kansas, Charlotte, Michigan, and a few other places, I feel prepared and hope to use some of that experience on Friday night. I’ve heard that the two different types of vehicles definitely handle differently on these types of tracks, but I know that my No. 43 GMS Racing team will bring me a fast Silverado to compete with, and that’s all I can ask for. Having the opportunity to learn from both of my teammates who have raced here in the past will be key to me taking on the track, so I’ll be sure to bounce off of them and learn as much as I can.”

CHASE PURDY, NO. 4 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RST

Do you enjoy racing at Las Vegas?

“I like Las Vegas, I like when you go somewhere that you can run multiple lanes and you’re not just stuck running one lane. It’s a very racy track and the restarts are crazy. It’s just a really fun place to race at, especially at night under the lights and I look forward to getting out there and seeing what we can do with our Bama Buggies No. 4 Chevy.”

Talk about the opportunity to have Kyle as your teammate this weekend.

“Obviously he’s coming off a big win in the Cup Series, so I’m excited to work with him as a teammate in the Truck Series and hear what he has to say about the handling of his truck compared to what I’m feeling. I think it’s a really big opportunity for me to maybe learn some things that I need to do to be better since we’ll be unloading with trucks that are setup very similar.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 51 ZARIZ TRANSPORT SILVERADO RST

Will the extra track time in the Xfinity car and Truck this weekend help the performance of your Cup car?

“So to me I think the Trucks have the most resemblance of today’s current Cup cars, where years ago I would say the Xfinity cars were very similar. You know, just running the Xfinity Series again and being able to get back in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig is going to be fun and I look forward to that. Being with a new team and a new group of guys and you know just the chance to go out there and help their program and develop them a little bit and give them some of my expertise. I love the Trucks as well, being with KBM and racing my own stuff there, so it’s going to be fun to get back to Vegas and go for the triple. Hopefully everything goes well and we can win one, two or all three. That would be cool.”  

CHRISTIAN ECKES, NO. 19 NAPA AUTOCARE SILVERADO RST

On starting a new year with MHR and the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care team:

“Our NAPA Auto Care team had a great start to the year at Daytona and it’s always good when you can start with a big points day like that. We want to be a consistent race team this year and run towards the front every week. This week is another step towards that and hopefully we can have a similar result again. Everybody at MHR put a lot of effort in on this new NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet Silverado for Friday night, so it’d be great to be in the mix for the win at the end of the night.”

JAKE GARCIA, NO. 35 QUANTA SILVERADO RST

On making his first start at a 1.5-mile track:

“I’m super excited to finally race at an intermediate track this week in Las Vegas. It’ll make for a pretty cool 18th birthday, that’s for sure. I know my team has put a lot of work into our Quanta Services Chevrolet for this week and hopefully we can have a strong night to set the tone for our year. There’s definitely a lot for me to learn at the big tracks with aero and dealing with dirty air, so we’ll try to manage it the best we can and start building a notebook together.”