Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Team Chevy Notes for 2014 Duck Commander 500 at Texas

Johnson has won three times for Chevy at Texas
TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
DUCK COMMANDER 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FT. WORTH, TEXAS
APRIL 6, 2014

TEAM CHEVY IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:

· Chevrolet has won 37 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Manufacturers’ Championships
· Team Chevy drivers have scored 721 wins and 648 poles in NSCS competition

CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK—TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
Chevrolet drivers have won nine (9) of 26 races at Texas Motor Speedway. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers are:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s “Spring is Calling” Chevrolet SS, has three (3) victories at Texas Motor Speedway (’07, ’12 & ‘13)
Tony Stewart, No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS, has two (2) wins at Texas Motor Speedway (’06 & ’11)
Kurt Busch, No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, has made one (1) trip to Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway (’09)
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS, has one (1) trophy from Texas Motor Speedway (’00)
Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Axalta/ Texas A&M Engineering School Chevrolet SS, has one (1) win at Texas Motor Speedway (’09)
Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet SS, has one (1) victory at Texas Motor Speedway (’06)
Ryan Newman, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS, has one (1) cowboy hat from Texas Motor Speedway (’03)
A Chevrolet driver has won three (3) of the last five (5) races at Texas Motor Speedway
A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at Texas Motor Speedway 12 times
Team Chevy drivers have scored 46 top-five and 111 top-10 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway
A Chevrolet has led 3,334 laps (38.1% of possible 8,755 laps) at Texas Motor Speedway

DRIVER FAN Q/A APPEARANCES:
· Saturday, April 5th – Tommy Baldwin Racing teammates Reed Sorenson and Michael Annett will stop by the Team Chevy stage for a question and answer session at noon.
· Sunday, April 6th – Fans can get autographs from the No. 42 over-the-wall pit crew at 9:30 a.m. Jamie McMurray will be on the Team Chevy stage for a question and answer session starting at 10:00 a.m. followed by Tony Stewart at 11:20 a.m.
· Hours of operation: Fri. April 4th – 10:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.; Sat. April 5th – 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sun. April 6th – 7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

TEAM CHEVY IN THE GARAGE AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY– ALBA COLON, PROGRAM MANAGER, NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES – CHEVROLET RACING:
“This weekend we head to Texas Motor Speedway, which is one of our favorite stops on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. It’s a favorite for the teams, the fans, and for Chevrolet in particular. Texas is ‘truck country’, which is an ideal place to display our great line-up both in and outside the track.

“Martinsville was another success for Team Chevy. We finished 1-2-3 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. regained the point lead. We have momentum going to Texas. Congratulations to Kurt Busch, Daniel Knost, Gene Haas, Tony Stewart and the entire Haas Automation No. 41 Chevrolet SS group for their great win there. This was really huge for Kurt and for the newly formed team at Stewart-Haas Racing. We are very proud of all of them.

“Now, we switch gears from a short track to an intermediate track. Texas Motor Speedway is a fast, challenging, and fun track. It has widened-out and has several grooves, which allow the drivers to race all over it. TMS presents its own set of demands on the handling side too; and the dependability of our engines will be key because it is definitely a horsepower track. Qualifying will be very important too since good track position is required in order to succeed. And of course, let’s not forget tire management. This track has all the elements to keep everyone on their toes.

“In the first six races of the season we have enjoyed some very exciting racing, which has produced six different winners. It will be interesting to see if we will get our seventh different winner, or if we will have our first repeat winner. Either way, it promises to be a great race. I am looking forward to celebrating with one of our Chevy teams in Victory Lane on Sunday evening!”

TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – POINTS LEADER

“There are a lot of things I like about Texas Motor Speedway. One of the things I like about TMS, and this is genuine, is the fan support. When we first built that racetrack, to be frank, we (NASCAR) were struggling west of the Mississippi to really draw crowds. For whatever reason, when they built this racetrack, people really latched on to it. It’s been a great market for us. It’s been very successful. There’s a great staff out there that does a lot of cutting-edge stuff and does a lot of unique promotion that you don’t see at other places. It makes it a lot of fun to come here. Especially when the fans show their support to the track itself, it makes you want to race in front of them. It makes you excited to be here when they’re, in turn, excited to see you.”

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AXALTA/TEXAS A&M SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING CHEVROLET SS – 4TH IN STANDINGS
“I always enjoy the trip to Texas Motor Speedway. It’s a fast, high-banked track with multiple grooves. There should be a lot of tire wear – and ‘drop off’ of the speeds – during the race which should lead to an exciting race.

“I can’t wait to get there – especially with how well we ran at Fontana. We had a fast race car in California, and I hope to have another fast one in Texas.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S “SPRING IS CALLING” CHEVROLET SS – 5TH IN STANDINGS
“Texas is one of the more interesting racetracks we race on. The characteristics of the track – the bumps and the surface will make for an exciting race. So far with six winners in six races the racing in 2014 has been really exciting for the fans. We’ve run up front and led a lot but haven’t been able to finish the job. I’m not too sure what the tire situation will be this weekend – if it will be the same tire as California or not – but it’s been a good track for us in the past and it would be great to get our first win of the season this weekend.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CHEVROLET SS – 9TH IN STANDINGS
“I’ve been to Texas Motor Speedway a few times. I was fast there in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car last year, so I can’t wait to get there. Our Las Vegas Motor Speedway run should lay over to Texas Motor Speedway for qualifying and hopefully we can better ourselves for the race. It’s a fast, rough track and I enjoy those.”

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS – 10TH IN STANDINGS
“Texas Motor Speedway is a good track race-wise. It provides drivers with a lot of options. You can move around and find a line that your car responds to and it’s really versatile so you can get around somebody. It’s also fast- really fast – so aero is also an important part of it and it’s nice to have that ability to move around. With it being one of the older tracks on the circuit asphalt-wise, the racing will be good for both the drivers and the fans watching in the stands and on television.”

PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 QUAKER STATE/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 11TH IN STANDINGS
“What can you say about Texas Motor Speedway that hasn’t already been said in regards to how fast it is around that place? We’re going to need a good set-up under our Quaker State Chevrolet to get through the turns and great horsepower from ECR Engines to be successful. Our 1.5-mile track program has been getting better and better since late last year. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do this weekend at Texas and keep our momentum going in the right direction.”

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 MOBIL 1/BASS PRO SHOPS CHEVROLET SS – 15TH IN STANDINGS
“You have to be comfortable or you’re not going to go fast. The more comfortable I am, the faster we go. This track, the grooves have moved around over the years. We’ve seen the track get wider and it’s made it to where you can move around on the racetrack and where you can run the top side or the bottom side. It’s nice from a driver’s perspective to be able to have that flexibility behind the steering wheel, knowing that if your car’s not driving exactly the way you want it to, you can move around the racetrack and find a spot the car likes better.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 BUSH’S BEANS CHEVROLET SS – 16TH IN STANDINGS
“I think our intermediate program has been pretty good and we’re ready for Texas Motor Speedway. We’ve had a good couple of weeks. A top-10 at Auto Club Speedway and an 11th-place at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. Hopefully, I’m up there battling in the BUSH’S Beans Chevy for a top-10 finish if not a win at Texas Motor Speedway and keep that momentum going.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – 19TH IN STANDINGS
“After a tough track last weekend, I’m really looking forward to Texas. I enjoy the mile and a half tracks the best and have run pretty well on those tracks in the past. Our Target Chevy was really good in pre-season tests on the mile and a half track at Charlotte, so I think we should be able to unload with a really good car for this weekend’s race and plan on being very competitive.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET SS – 20TH IN STANDINGS
“The adrenaline of winning and accomplishing something special as a team carries over, but Martinsville is a half-mile that is very different from the mile and a half of Texas. The way we struggled at Vegas earlier this year we definitely need to rebound on the mile and a half’s. So let’s use this adrenaline and this momentum from last week to help us do that. It’s a very different track anything can happen as far as speed. The key to winning there though in my mind is carving through the center of the corner through the bumps. If you can do that and hold it wide open through there you are going to be the car to beat.”

CASEY MEARS, NO. 13 GEICO CHEVROLET SS – 21ST IN STANDINGS
“We’re looking forward to getting to Texas and getting to work. We’ve had a good car every week and the Richard Childress Racing and Chevrolet relationship is working out well. This week is another opportunity to continue building our intermediate program. The guys on this GEICO Racing team have worked hard and it’s showing. We raced in Martinsville yesterday and today we’re testing in Darlington, so these guys are committed and I’m excited about the upcoming races.”

KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 TIME WARNER CABLE CHEVROLET SS- 22ND IN STANDINGS
(ON THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN ATHLETE WHILE BEING A NASCAR DRIVER.):
“I work out hard, and I do things that I feel make me better throughout the race and after the race. And I feel better mentally because of working out, being prepared and being in great shape. Driving the car, I think with reflexes and things throw at your so quickly, you have to make adjustments — the feeling of your car, the heat. Some tracks can be tough on your neck and arms, and other tracks, not so much. I think there’s a lot there that definitely takes some athletic ability, and I think that helps being athletic and being prepared like that. It helps me for sure.”

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 BELL HELICOPTER CHEVROLET SS – 23RD IN STANDINGS
“Texas is like most mile-and-a-half (1.5-mile) tracks where track-position is key, maybe even more at Texas because it is tough to pass. We will approach like a typical weekend, try to qualify well and keep track position throughout. I hope that we will have some of the cautions like we’ve had the first few races, I feel like that has made the racing better, being able to get new tires and keep the field together. Texas seems like it has been one of those tracks where you have long green flag runs and the track gives up a lot of grip.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – 25TH IN STANDINGS
“I expect it to create a few more challenges. As we’ve seen the first part of the year, the cars are very fast with the new ride height rule, the new spoiler height and everything that comes with it. I believe the tire that we’ll be using this weekend comes from the same family as what we had at Fontana a few weeks back. I think we’ll see a lot of the same characteristics that we saw there, with the bumps on the racetrack and the tire wear. We’re going to be taking the bumps at a much higher rate of speed with a lot more load on the left-side tires than we’ve had there before. So, I think we’re going to see some new challenges pop up. As we’ve gone through these first five or six weeks, we’ve been to racetracks that we’ve been to before, but we have different things to work on the cars with a lot of new things to understand. We’re still trying to get our arms around everything because there are so many new things to understand. Texas is the first racetrack that’s similar to a track that we’ve raced at already, so it’ll be an interesting race.”

JUSTIN ALLGAIER, NO. 51 BRANDT PROFESSIONAL AGRICULTURE CHEVROLET SS – 27TH IN STANDINGS
“I’m looking forward to Texas [Motor Speedway]. It’s a mile-and-a-half track and this weekend will be my first time there in a Sprint Cup car. It’s another opportunity for me to work with my crew chief, Steve Addington, to build a notebook on this type of track.”

MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW CHEVROLET SS – 28TH IN STANDINGS
“Texas is going to be really, really fast. I am sure that we’ll run wide open or close to it during qualifying. I expect a new track record – it’s going to be ridiculously fast. What we learned at Las Vegas and California will help us develop a baseline for Texas, especially California because of the bumps in the track. Texas is about speed and maneuvering through the bumps. Finding the right setup is tricky, but the teams that do will be the same ones you’ll see running up front. Based on our performances – not finishes – but performances in Las Vegas and California I feel that our Furniture Row Chevy should be one of the cars running up front on Sunday.”

REED SORENSON, NO. 36 CHEVROLET SS – 30TH IN STANDINGS
“I am excited to be heading to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, for the Wild Circus. This weekend is also special, because I will be visiting the Dallas Burn Hospital on Friday morning. It will be great to bring some happiness to our troops and the staff at the Parkland Hospital. Hopefully it will be a good weekend for everyone at Tommy Baldwin Racing, and the No. 36 Chevrolet.”

MICHAEL ANNETT, NO. 7 ACCELL CONSTRUCTION CHEVROLET SS – 31ST IN STANDINGS
“I was encouraged by the job we did at Las Vegas, which is an intermediate track like Texas. We were running out of gas at the end of that race and didn’t get the finish we probably deserved, but the day itself proved to us that we can pass with this package. We learned a lot there that I think can translate to this weekend and all the upcoming intermediate races.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships

Total (1949 – 2013): 37
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 11 (2003-2013)
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

Drivers Championships
Total (1949 – 2013): 29
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

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

2014 STATISTICS:
Wins: 3
Poles: 1
Laps led: 1080
Top-five finishes: 15
Top-10 finishes: 33

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 721 (1949 – to date); (2,395 possible = 30.0%)
Poles Won to Date: 648
Laps Lead to Date: 214,740
Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,630
Top-10 Finishes to Date: 7,417
Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date
GM: 1,056
Chevrolet: 721
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 720
Ford: 620
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4

Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59

Toyota: 64

About Chevrolet:
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

- Team Chevy

No comments: