TEAM CHEVY NASCAR RACE ADVANCE: Texas Motor Speedway

Speedway Digest Staff

Wednesday, Sep 20 599

THE START OF THE ROUND OF 12

Four Team Chevy drivers will continue in the race for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Championship with Texas Motor Speedway set to host the first stop in the Round of 12. The 1.5-mile oval sets up the most diverse trio of tracks in the series’ postseason with NASCAR’s longest oval of Talladega Superspeedway and the 2.28-mile, 17-turn Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course making up the Round of 12.

With the playoff standings reset, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron regained the top position in the standings with a 25-point cushion over the cutline. The 25-year-old Charlotte native heads to Texas Motor Speedway with added confidence – earning a win and three top-three finishes on 1.5-mile tracks this season. Byron’s teammate Kyle Larson sits fourth in the standings and 12-points above the cutline. Larson’s one win at Texas Motor Speedway came in 2021 – a victory that earned his spot into the Championship Four race that led to his first career title. Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch also enters the next round above the cutline in the sixth position. Despite a disappointing opening round, the Las Vegas native knows how to navigate his way around Texas Motor Speedway – leading the series’ active drivers with four wins at the track. While on the outside looking in, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain is currently only three-points outside of the playoff picture.

· Larson Proves to be Championship Contender in Opening Round

Larson’s pursuit in becoming a repeat champion in NASCAR’s premier series started early in the postseason stretch – earning the first ticket into the Round of 12 with a win in the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. The 31-year-old California native followed up the win with a championship-caliber performance in the next two races – finishing no lower than fourth and earning an average finish of 2.33 in the first three postseason races. With his runner-up finish at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend, the Team Chevy driver has recorded a series-leading 13 top-five finishes in 29 points-paying races – a percentage of 44.8%.

A look at Team Chevy’s playoff contenders heading into the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 at Texas Motor Speedway:

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 1st in Playoff Standings; 25-points above the cutline

Victories: 5 (series-leading)

Top-Fives: 10

Top-10s: 15

Laps Led: 877 (series-leading)

Average Finish: 12.5

Stage Wins: 8 (series-leading)

At Texas Motor Speedway:

Top-Fives: 1

Top-10s: 4

Average Finish: 13.5

Of Note:

· The 2023 season marks Byron’s fifth consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs.

· Bryon’s career-best finish in the NCS playoffs came in 2022, finishing the season sixth in the final points standings.

· Among Byron’s nine career wins in NASCAR’s premier series, five have come at tracks in the playoffs, including each of the final four races.

· While he was eliminated in the Round of Eight last season, it’s projected to be his strongest trio of tracks in the post-season – having found victory lane at all three venues (Las Vegas Motor Speedway – March 2023; Homestead-Miami Speedway – Feb. 2021; Martinsville Speedway – April 2022).

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 4th in Playoff Standings; 12-points above the cutline

Victories: 3

Top-Fives: 13 (series-leading)

Top-10s: 15

Laps Led: 798

Average Finish: 14.6

Stage Wins: 4

At Texas Motor Speedway:

Wins: 1

Top-Fives: 4

Top-10s: 6

Average Finish: 17.8

Of Note:

· The 2023 season marks Larson’s seventh appearance in the NCS playoffs.

· Larson has one NCS Regular Season Championship and one NCS Driver Championship title to his name – both coming in 2021.

· The 31-year-old California native has made it to the Championship Four once – the season that delivered the Team Chevy driver his first championship title in NASCAR’s top series (2021). In his other playoff appearances, Larson reached the Round of Eight (2019), Round of 12 (2017, 2018 and 2022) and Round of 16 (2016).

· During the playoff era (2004-present), the 2021 season saw Larson earn a series-leading five post-season victories – tying the record set by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in 2011.

· Larson has found victory lane in two of the three tracks in the Round of 12 – both coming in his title-winning season (Texas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course).

· In the first three races of the 2023 NCS playoffs, Larson finished no worse than fourth - earning an average finish of 2.33.

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 – 6th in Playoff Standings; eight-points above the cutline

Victories: 3

Top-Fives: 8

Top-10s: 15

Laps Led: 233

Average Finish: 14.0

Stage Wins: 2

At Texas Motor Speedway:

Wins: 4 (series-leading)

Top-Fives: 14

Top-10s: 18

Poles: 1

Average Finish: 11.656

Of Note:

· In his debut season with Richard Childress Racing and his return to the Bowtie brigade, 2023 marks Busch’s 16th appearance in the NCS playoffs.

· Busch is one of only two active drivers with multiple championships to his name – taking the title in 2015 and 2019.

· In Busch’s 63 career wins in NASCAR’s top series, eight of those triumphs have come in the post-season.

· The 38-year-old Nevada native has made it to the Championship Four on five different occasions – most recently in 2019 en route to his second title.

· Busch is the series’ most recent winner at one track in the Round of 12, with one of his three wins on the season coming at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 9th in Playoff Standings; three-points below the cutline

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 7

Top-10s: 10

Laps Led: 482

Average Finish: 15.2

Stage Wins: 5

At Texas Motor Speedway:

Average Finish: 225.167

Of Note:

· The 2023 season marks Chastain’s second appearance in the NCS playoffs.

· Chastain’s first time competing in the NCS playoffs came in 2022 – going on to advance to the Championship Four and ultimately leading Team Chevy with a runner-up finish in the final points standings.

· Chastain found his way to victory lane in one track in the Round of 12 – scoring his second win of the 2022 season in the series’ spring appearance at Talladega Superspeedway.

TO THE TOP

One year ago, Richard Childress Racing and Tyler Reddick took Chevrolet to its 16th NASCAR Cup Series win at Texas Motor Speedway – making the Bowtie brand the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR’s top series at the track. Hendrick Motorsports contributed to 10 of those victories, including Chevrolet’s first NCS win at the 1.5-mile oval with Terry Labonte (1999). Seven-time NCS champion Jimmie Johnson is attributed with seven NCS victories at Texas Motor Speedway – a series-leading record that still stands today.

ALLGAIER CLAIMS FIRST TICKET TO NXS ROUND OF EIGHT

For the second consecutive year, a Team Chevy driver has taken the victory in the opening race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs. Most recently, it was JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier that was able to accomplish the feat – leading a race-high 110 laps en route to the victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. The win – his third on the season – also delivered the Team Chevy driver the series’ first guaranteed ticket into the Round of Eight. The 37-year-old Illinois native is no stranger to the series’ postseason competition – holding the record as the only driver in series’ history to appear in all eight NXS playoffs since its inception to the series in 2016. Allgaier has made his way to the Championship Four a series-leading five times, most recently last season.

· Where Team Chevy’s NXS playoff contenders stand with two-to-go:

The NXS playoff opener brought mixed results for Team Chevy’s playoff contenders. Kaulig Racing’s Daniel Hemric and Chandler Smith also collected a top-five finish at Bristol Motor Speedway – earning both drivers a spot above the cutline with a double-digit advantage over the cutline. Austin Hill’s race ended early after an incident in the final stage that resulted in a 33rd place finish, but a cushion of playoff points still kept the regular season champion above the cutline in the fourth position. With an 11th place finish, Richard Childress Racing’s Sheldon Creed sits in the eighth position to give the manufacturer five drivers above the cutline heading into race two of the Round of 12 at Texas Motor Speedway.

ECKES LEADS CHEVROLET IN NCTS ROUND OF EIGHT OPENER

Coming off a win at Kansas Speedway one week prior, Team Chevy’s Christian Eckes was trending towards a repeat trip to victory lane at Bristol Motor Speedway. But while navigating through lap traffic in the race’s closing laps, Eckes lost the lead with only five laps remaining – ultimately taking the checkered flag in the runner-up position. Despite the disappointment of coming just short of a guaranteed spot into the Championship Four, the 22-year-old New York native had a strong points day in the opening race of the Round of Eight – sweeping both stages and leading a race-high 150 laps en route to his fourth-straight podium finish in the series’ postseason.

Eckes led a trio of Team Chevy’s NCTS playoff contenders to top-five finishes with GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger and Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar in the third and fourth-positions, respectively. Strong finishes at the Tennessee half-mile put all three drivers above the playoff cutline with Eckes in second (+29 points), Hocevar in third (+18) and Enfinger in fourth (+14). Nick Sanchez drove his No. 2 Rev Racing Silverado RST to a ninth-place finish, with the series’ rookie now sitting seventh and 22-points below the cutline in the playoff standings.

The NCTS will return to competition at Talladega Superspeedway on September 30, with the Love’s RV Stop 250 marking the second race in the series’ Round of Eight.

BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Chevrolet will pace the field in the doubleheader race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The Camaro SS 1LE will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 and the Camaro ZL1 will lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400.

· Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway:

Kyle Busch – 4 wins (2020, 2018, 2016, 2013)

Kyle Larson – 1 win (2021)

Austin Dillon – 1 win (2020)

· Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 16 NASCAR Cup Series wins at Texas Motor Speedway, two of which have come in the series’ past two appearances at the track (Tyler Reddick – 2022; Kyle Larson – 2021).

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

· In 29 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (14), top-fives (62), top-10s (123), stage wins (20) and laps led (2,798).

· Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 14 victories in 29 NASCAR Cup Series races, 14 victories in 27 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 12 wins in 20 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races.

· With Kyle Larson’s win in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports now sits at 299 all-time victories in NASCAR’s premier series – all recorded with Chevrolet.

· Chevrolet’s series-leading 14 NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) and Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing).

· Chevrolet drivers have recorded 20 of the 58 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (eight; series-leading), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Larson (four), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (one).

· Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 62 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 78 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 67 points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

· Chevrolet has swept the Manufacturer Championships across all three NASCAR national series in a single season four different times (2012, 2005, 1998, 1996).

· With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 847 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

FOR THE FANS:

· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Texas Motor Speedway.

· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: Camaro 1LZ 1SE, Bolt EUV 2LZ, 2024 Equinox 1LZ, Silverado 1500 Crew High Country 3LZ, 2024 Silverado 2500 3LZ, Suburban High Country, Corvette 3LT, Colorado ZR2.

· Fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Camaro ZL1 show car.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

Saturday, September 23

· Daniel Hemric: 11:45 a.m.

· Sam Mayer: 12 p.m.

· Jeremy Clements: 12:15 p.m.

Sunday, September 24

· Erik Jones: 10 a.m.

· AJ Allmendinger: 11:15 a.m.

· Daniel Suarez: 11:30 a.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

· Saturday, September 23: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

· Sunday, September 24: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

TUNE IN:

NASCAR Cup Series: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400

Sunday, September 24, at 3:30 p.m. ET

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

NASCAR Xfinity Series: Andy’s Frozen Custard 300

Saturday, September 23, at 3:30 p.m. ET

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

QUOTABLE QUOTES:

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1

How do you approach Texas with it being the first race in Round 2 of the Playoffs?

"It's preservation at Texas. Don't do anything to take ourselves out. Since the repave at Texas I've struggled at places like that. Super high grip tracks where you have all of this grip until you overstep. I'm pretty good at overstepping and catching it but at Texas it's so tough to catch. So I just need to stay under my limit as to what I perceive is 100 percent effort."

Where do you rank Round 2 of the Playoffs to the other rounds?

"Last year, I felt like Round 2 was our toughest round because of all of the different types of tracks and then we had an issue at the Charlotte Roval. Key to all of this is to not take ourselves out."

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1

Larson on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“Looking ahead to Talladega (Super Speedway) it’s a little crazy and there is typically a lot of crashes. So, you put a lot of pressure on this race this weekend, or at least I do, to do a good job. I like Texas (Motor Speedway). Our HendrickCars.com Chevy team won there a couple years ago (2021). So, we hope to do that again and have another good day.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1

Daniels on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“Going into Texas (Motor Speedway) this weekend, we have some strong runs behind us from the last couple of weeks which is good to have that little bit of wind in our sail and momentum behind us. We’ve had this layout of the Texas (Motor Speedway) race track since 2017 and it is such a tough place for an intermediate (track). The two ends are so different with not a lot of banking and a tight radius in (turns) one and two and then a lot of banking and a bigger radius in (turns) three and four. So, it’s a tough place. Our mindset is to get a good solid car on the track and execute a good race to make sure we are there at the end.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1

Last year the No. 8 team at Richard Childress Racing was eliminated from the Playoffs but rallied back to win one week later at Texas Motor Speedway. How impressive was that accomplishment?

“I thought it was pretty cool how the 8 team was able to rally, rebound, have a really fast car and be able to win that race. It’d be cool if you’re eliminated and you win you could put yourself back in, but the rules are the rules. I’d say last year’s elimination in the first round for myself and my old team as well as the 8 car getting eliminated in the first round was quite disappointing. It’s a tough situation but then you got to move on and go into the next week. But just being able to score a win late in the year is always important because it lends itself to a strong finish to the season.”

You have raced on a couple of different designs of the track at Texas. Do you like this configuration? How different is it from when you first started?

“Texas went through a reconfiguration and a repave a few years ago. I would say this configuration is definitely the most challenging from a driver’s perspective and from a crew chief’s perspective on how to get both ends of the racetrack to feel similar or to feel good, so that makes it tough on all of us. When I first started, Texas had a lot of grip and was really fast and then right before the repave there it was kind of worn out and you’d slide around a little bit more. You could move around the racetrack, though, which was really cool. You could run low, you run middle, you could run high, and it was pretty fun how the place spread out. Now it seems like there’s one particular groove that you want to run in Turns 1 and 2 and one particular groove that you want to run in 3 and 4, so it’s really tough to make speed and make passes. The mile-and-a-half package has been really good this year and I’m excited about getting to Texas.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ACTION INDUSTRIES CAMARO ZL1

“Texas is one of the more challenging mile and a half race tracks that we go to with both ends of the race track being completely different. I had a lot of fun in the All-Star race there last year. It’s a tough racetrack, probably one of the fastest we go to. I think we can go there and build off the speed we’ve had at mile and a half tracks this year. It’ll be a fun, hot, slick race and I am looking forward to the challenge.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 VSEVERYBODY.COM CAMARO ZL1

"Texas has been good to me in a few different series. I've been able to win a whole bunch of races there through trucks and Xfinity, but I've never closed one out in the Cup Series. We have been close a couple of times. It's a unique place since the repave; it's become challenging to race, and there is a bit more groove on the bottom. You have to have track position and be upfront. It does have some of the same old Texas tendencies that the track had before the repave, so you can look back at some of those notes, but overall, it's a pretty unique place."

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:

Total (1949-2022): 41

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

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)

2023 STATISTICS:

Wins: 14

Poles: 8

Laps Led: 2,798

Top-five finishes: 62

Top-10 finishes: 123

Stage wins: 20

· Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)

· William Byron – 8 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte), (Watkins Glen)

· Kyle Larson – 4 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt), (Pocono), (Kansas)

· Chase Elliott – 1 (Talladega)

· Kyle Busch – 2 (WWTR), (Sonoma)

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 847 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 742

Laps led to date: 248, 342

Top-five finishes to date: 4,283

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,835

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

General Motors: 1,181

Chevrolet: 847

Pontiac: 154

Oldsmobile: 115

Buick: 65

Ford: 826

Ford: 726

Mercury: 96

Lincoln: 4

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

Dodge: 217

Plymouth: 191

Chrysler: 59

Toyota: 179

GM PR

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