Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Homestead-Miami

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Homestead-Miami Speedway media center on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 8 a.m. local time.

VICTORIOUS IN VEGAS: For the second time in three years, Kyle Larson won the opening race in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs to secure a berth in the Championship 4. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 swept the stages at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and led a race-high 133 laps. Off the final turn, Larson held on to defend the lead, earning his second career Championship 4 appearance and his fourth points-paying win of the 2023 Cup Series season.

CHAMPIONSHIP 4 BOUND: In 2021, Larson won the Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway. The No. 5 HendrickCars.com team will now return to the Arizona track in November as a contender for their second title. The 31-year-old driver has won at all three of the remaining tracks in the playoffs: Homestead-Miami Speedway (2022), Martinsville Speedway (2023) and Phoenix (2021). Since 2021, Larson has the most playoff wins (eight) and is ahead in that category by five victories. Throughout the 2023 playoffs, Larson leads the field in average running position (6.81) and laps run in the top five (1,292).

1.5-MILE MOJO: Mile-and-a-half tracks have historically been a strong point for Larson. In the 2023 season, Larson has earned the second most points (224) on that track length, trailing only Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron (254). Of the last seven races on 1.5-mile tracks, Larson and Byron are the only repeat winners with two victories each. Since joining the 14-time championship-winning organization in 2021, Larson has six wins on 1.5-mile tracks.

MIAMI MEMORIES: The Elk Grove, California, native dominated last year’s race at Homestead-Miami to earn a spot for the No. 5 team in the Championship 4 of the owner playoffs. In that event, he swept the stages, had an average running position of 1.40 and led 199 laps en route his first Cup Series victory at the South Florida track. 

FAST FORWARDING TO FLORIDA: After locking himself into the Championship 4 via a win at Las Vegas, Larson and the No. 5 team head to Miami with the objective of maintaining momentum. Homestead-Miami has long been one of Larson’s best tracks. In nine starts at “The Sunshine State” venue, he has earned a win, five top-five finishes and an average finish of 10.67. He is two-for-two in top-five finishes at the track with Hendrick Motorsports. In addition, Larson’s five stage wins and 529 laps led are the most among drivers entered in Sunday’s 267-lap race. His ability to find the razor’s edge of speed against the outside wall is a skill few drivers have mastered. 

IN 2023: This season, Larson leads the series in laps led (1,031) and top-five finishes (14). He is in a three-way tie for the fifth-most top-10 finishes (16). The driver of the No. 5 ranks third in the following statistical categories: average running position (11.09), laps run in the top five (3,476) and laps run in the top 10 (5,079). He also ranks second-best on restarts, based on data from Racing Insights.  

FIVE FAST GUYS: After 33 races this season, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew has the second-fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 11.083 seconds. This past weekend in Vegas with only 55 laps remaining in the race, the No. 5 crew executed a money stop in 9.543 seconds that gained Larson two positions on pit road and sent him to the lead before he claimed victory. The team’s five-man 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).

INDYCAR INSIGHT: The 2021 Cup Series champion had a busy last week as he prepares for the 2024 Indianapolis 500. He went to the Arrow McLaren shop for his seat fitting on Tuesday, Oct. 10, before taking part in rookie orientation at the famed track on Thursday, Oct. 12. Larson reached a top speed of 217.898 mph and passed orientation with flying colors. Take a behind-the-scenes look at his experience as he prepared for the #Hendrick1100 in his HendrickCars.com entry. 

WIN A CHEVROLET COLORADO Z71: Want to drive Larson’s 2023 Chevrolet Colorado truck? One lucky winner will win his ride. Fans can donate now to enter a drawing for a chance to take home the Z71 Crew Cab 4WD package with custom features and styling. This special sweepstakes raises funding for the Kyle Larson Foundation’s “DRIVE FOR 5” campaign that supports youth, families and communities in need. The campaign is nearing its fundraising goal of $500,000. Click here to check out this sweet custom ride and enter to win today. The drawing closes on Sunday, Dec. 3, and the winner will be chosen on Monday, Dec. 11. 

CUT TO THE CHASE: After some tough luck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team sit 61 points below the elimination line to advance to the Championship 4 in the 2023 owner playoffs. While the team has their work cut out for them over the next two races, this group is resilient. In fact, following the last four races this season in which Elliott finished outside the top 30, he has rebounded to finish in the top five in his next race. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champions also have a history of being fast in October as Elliott has earned four victories during that month – his most in a single month in his Cup Series career. Outside of Las Vegas, the 27-year-old driver and the No. 9 squad have been the kings of consistency in these elimination-style playoffs. Through the first six races, they held the second-best average finish (8.00) and only finished outside the top 10 once, placing 11th at Texas Motor Speedway. 

WELCOME TO MIAMI: Elliott has seven Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a best finish of second coming in 2020. He’s led 31 laps, earned two top-five finishes, three top-10s and placed inside the top 15 in all his Cup starts at the 1.5-mile track. His average finish of 9.71 at the South Florida track ranks third among all Cup Series drivers with more than two starts and is also a career-best for the driver on active 1.5-mile tracks. Elliott has also made three starts at Homestead-Miami across the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, driving to one top-five result and two top-10s.

1.5-MILE HISTORY: Elliott will make his 78th Cup Series start on a 1.5-mile track (not counting races on Atlanta Motor Speedway after its reprofiling in 2022) this Sunday at Homestead-Miami. In his previous 77 races, he’s led 1,041 laps. The five-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award has two career victories on mile-and-a-half tracks (Kansas Speedway in 2018 and Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2020), 22 top-five finishes – eight of which are runner-up results – and 38 top-10s. Elliott’s best finish on a 1.5-mile oval this season came last month with a sixth-place run at Kansas.

AG IN SOUTH FLORIDA: No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson has 18 Cup Series starts atop the pit box at Homestead-Miami with five different drivers (Elliott, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears and NASCAR Hall of Famers Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon). The veteran crew chief earned a victory with Gordon in 2012 and the pole position with the Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman in 2014 at the track. In addition, the Ormond Beach, Florida, native has a combined four top-five finishes and eight top-10s with 251 laps led in those 18 races.

FOUR TIRES FAST: Last month, the No. 9 pit crew had the fastest four-tire pit stop of the race at the mile-and-a-half track of Texas Motor Speedway with a time of 9.409 seconds. The over-the-wall squad currently holds the ninth-best average four-tire pit stop time of 11.294 seconds. 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).

HOOTERS IS BACK: Hooters is back as the primary partner of the No. 9 team this weekend for its final of three races in 2023. Earlier this year as part of the company’s 40th anniversary, Hooters unveiled a special Night Owl paint scheme for the 2023 season. Most recently, Elliott drove the Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to a third-place finish at the Chicago Street Course. Get a look at all the angles of the No. 9 Hooters Chevy here. 

WHEN CHASE WINS YOU WIN: Fans can visit Hooters on Mondays after Cup Series races this season and ask their server for free fried pickles (with a drink purchase) when Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team finishes in the top 10. If the No. 9 team wins, customers receive 10 free wings with any 10-wing purchase. Get more details at hooters.com/racing. 

CAREER SEASON: Heading into the second race of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Byron continues to add to his already impressive 2023 season stats. After 33 races, Byron leads the series in wins (six), stage wins (eight), average finishing position (11.33) and top-10 finishes (19). He is tied for the second-most top-five finishes (13) just behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson (14). He has also led a single-season career-best 896 laps – second to Larson (1,031). In addition, Byron ranks second for the season in average running position (10.16), laps run the top five (3,543) and laps run in the top 10 (5,124). 

PLAYOFF OUTLOOK: Byron enters Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway second in the standings and nine points above the elimination line to advance to the Championship 4. He has victories at all three of the remaining tracks: Homestead-Miami (2021), Martinsville Speedway (2022) and Phoenix Raceway (2023). The 25-year-old driver is looking to advance to his first Championship 4.

BACK NINE: Over the last nine races of the season, Byron leads the series in points (364), top-10 finishes (eight) and average finish (5.44). In that stretch, he is also tied for the most wins (two), runner-up finishes (two) and top-fives (five). 

1.5-MILE MOMENTUM: Byron is no stranger to success on mile-and-a-half tracks during his Cup Series career. Since the start of 2021 (not counting races on Atlanta Motor Speedway after its reprofiling in 2022), he has three wins, two runner-up finishes, eight top-fives and 15 top-10s in 22 races on 1.5-mile tracks. In fact, in the six races on that track length this season, Byron leads the series in wins (two, one each at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the spring and Texas Motor Speedway), average finish (4.83) and points (254). 

HEADING TO HOMESTEAD: With five previous Cup Series starts under his belt at Homestead-Miami, Byron’s first two Cup Series starts didn’t go as he hoped but he has since turned his luck around. In his last three starts at the 1.5-mile track, Byron has collected one win (2021), two top-10 finishes and a pole position. The sixth-year Cup Series driver has two other national series starts at Homestead-Miami on his résumé – one in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. In 2017, Byron started sixth and went on to finish third, locking up the Xfinity Series championship in the process. In 2016, Byron started on the pole for the Truck Series race and led 31 laps en route to the win at the 1.5-mile speedway with Rudy Fugle on the pit box.   

RUDY RUNS MIAMI: Crew chief Fugle will be making his third Cup Series start this Sunday at the South Florida track. In his first showing, Fugle went on to capture his first Cup Series win with Byron and the No. 24 after leading 102 laps. He followed that up by capturing the pole award in 2022, leading 32 laps, all before going on to score a 12th-place result. The Livonia, New York, native also has nine other national series starts with seven of those coming in the Truck Series. He has visited victory lane two times at this track in the truck ranks, once in 2013 and again in 2016 with Byron. In fact, Fugle’s Truck Series drivers have never finished outside the top eight.

PIT ROAD PROWESS: Through 33 races in the 2023 season, the No. 24 pit crew remains in the top spot with the fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 10.979 seconds. The No. 24 pit crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler).

LIBERTY U IS BACK: For the final time in the 2023 season, Byron will sport his Liberty University paint scheme. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will be sure to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty University is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers 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 now in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. Check out every angle of the paint scheme here. 

WELCOME PODS: On Thursday, Hendrick Motorsports announced that PODS Enterprises LLC, the industry leader in portable moving and storage solutions, has joined Byron and the No. 24 team as the primary sponsor for next week’s Round of 8 finale at Martinsville on Oct. 29. PODS has assisted with more than six million moves with locations serving 46 states and was recently recognized on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Customer Service 2024 in the “Moving Services” category. For a closer look at Byron’s No. 24 PODS Chevy, click here. 

SOUTHBOUND: This Sunday, Alex Bowman will take on Homestead-Miami Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. In his seven prior starts at the 1.5-mile venue, Bowman has two top-10 results, including a ninth-place run in his most recent appearance in 2021 (he missed the 2022 race due to an injury). In that race, Bowman started 13th and finished the first two stages in fifth and ninth, respectively.

BOWMAN ON MILE-AND-A-HALFS: Through his Cup Series career at Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman has 57 starts on tracks 1.5 miles in length. In those appearances, the 30-year-old driver has two wins (Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2022 and Chicagoland Speedway in 2019), one runner-up finish, 12 top-fives, 25 top-10s, five stage wins and 587 laps led. 

NEW WHIP, WHO THIS?: The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will don a unique Miami-inspired wrap, designed by a fan of the No. 48 team. With the help of Danny Koker, Ally hosted its Koker’s Garage paint scheme design contest and received over 5,700 entries. The vibrant look hosts palm trees, flamingos and other tropical decals. To see all angles of the bright scheme, click here. 

BIG 48: The No. 48 car has a history of success with the seventh-most premier series wins at 91 victories. Drivers Bowman and NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee Jimmie Johnson have tallied 88 of those wins along with 248 top-five finishes, 412 top-10 finishes and 38 pole awards. 

SET FOR THE RESTART: The Tucson, Arizona, native ranks as the seventh-best driver on restarts in 2023, according to data from Racing Insights. That mark is the second-best among the Hendrick Motorsports quartet, as teammate Kyle Larson is second in this statistical category. 

SAVE THEM ALL: Bowman and his primary partner Ally are teaming up this year to bring back the Best Friends Animal Society donation effort. This week, the duo will make charitable contributions to “This is the Dog!”, which serves the local community in Homestead, Florida. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and “This is the Dog!” Ally will increase its donation to $10,000 if the No. 48 team wins on Sunday.

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