Chase Elliott is 9/1 to win 2023 Pala Casino 400

 

9 CHASE ELLIOTT   Age: 27 (Nov. 28, 1995)   Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia   Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia   Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson   Standings: 29th

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1   DAYTONA 500 REWIND: Chase Elliott was putting together a solid race at Daytona International Speedway last Sunday when he got caught up in a multi-car incident in stage two. The heavy damage to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 ultimately forced an early exit for the team on lap 119. The two-time DAYTONA 500 pole sitter was scored with a 38th-place finish. GOING BACK TO CALI: On Sunday, Elliott will make his seventh NASCAR Cup Series start at Auto Club Speedway (ACS). In the Dawsonville, Georgia, native’s most recent start there, Elliott was battling for the lead late in the race when he made contact with the wall after a block from another car. He ultimately finished 26th. While the 27-year-old has never won at ACS, his 12.17 average finish at the track is third-best among drivers in Sunday’s field. In his six Cup Series starts there, he has three top-10 finishes with a best effort of fourth in 2020. Elliott also made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at ACS, finishing sixth during his 2014 championship campaign and fourth in 2015. 2-MILE STATS: This weekend, Elliott is set to make his 19th Cup start at a 2-mile track (ACS and Michigan International Speedway). In his 18 previous Cup Series starts on this track length, Elliott has earned four top-five finishes – including three runner-up efforts – and 13 top-10s with 161 laps led. The 2020 Cup Series champion’s average finish of 9.39 on 2-mile ovals ranks best of all active drivers and second-best among all drivers with more than two starts. GUSTAFSON AT ACS: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 24th race from atop the pit box at the Fontana, California, track this weekend. The track is home to the veteran crew chief’s first career Cup Series pole (February 2005) as well as his first win (September 2005) – both of which were with Kyle Busch as the driver. In his 23 Cup starts at ACS, Gustafson has one win, five top-five finishes and 12 top-10s.  NAPA IN THE VALLEY: NAPA Auto Parts will serve as the No. 9 team’s primary partner this weekend. The Atlanta-based company’s colors have been on board Elliott’s Chevrolet for each of his previous eight career starts across the Cup and Xfinity Series on the 2-mile oval. See this year’s paint scheme here. NEW TO THE FAMILY: Last Thursday, it was announced that the Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) joined Hendrick Motorsports as the Official Beverage Partner of Elliott and the No. 9 team. Throughout the 2023 season, Coca-Cola will appear as an associate sponsor of Elliott’s race cars and the iconic beverage brand will also adorn the No. 9 team’s uniforms and equipment. Read more about it here. HOME TO CALIFORNIA: No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts rear-tire changer Chad Avrit will compete at his home track in “The Golden State” this weekend. Avrit grew up in El Centro, California, and was an avid surfer before moving to Mooresville, North Carolina, to pursue a career in motor sports. When not at the track, he enjoys spending time with his two sons, hanging out on the lake and mountain biking. Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on starting the West Coast swing: "I'm looking forward to kicking off the West Coast swing at Fontana. I really enjoy going out there. The track is unique and it's just a cool place. It’s one of those places you kind of forget about until it comes up on the schedule because you only race there once a year and it’s so early in the season. I felt like we had a pretty good run going there towards the end last year but didn’t end up with the finish to show for it. Hopefully, we’re able to improve upon that this weekend." Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on returning to the site of his first win as a crew chief: "Fontana is kind of special for me. It’s where I got my first win and I just really enjoy going there. It’s a really fast track and it’s super unique. It’ll be interesting this weekend with the weather. Hopefully, it holds off and we’re able to get some practice time in, but it could be a situation where we’re starting the race on Sunday without any track time."

Kyle Larson is 5/1 favorite to win 2023 Pala Casino 400

 

5 KYLE LARSON   Age: 30 (July 31, 1992)   Hometown: Elk Grove, California   Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina   Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels   Standings: 17th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1   Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Auto Club Speedway media center on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 10:15 a.m. PST.  DAYTONA DOWN-LOW: Kyle Larson rolled off from the front row for the second consecutive year in the 2023 DAYTONA 500. He was in contention for his first superspeedway win at the NASCAR Cup Series level. On the second overtime attempt, Larson lined up on the front row next to eventual race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was involved in a multi-car incident, resulting in an 18th-place finish. STARTED FROM THE BACK: In the 2022 race at Auto Club Speedway (ACS), the 2021 Cup Series champion started from the rear of the field for an unapproved adjustment and flexed his muscles late in the race to win by .195 seconds. His 108 laps in the top five were the fourth-most in the race. In eight Cup Series races at ACS, Larson has two wins (tied for fifth in track history with Tony Stewart), four top-five finishes and 138 laps led. With four top-two finishes at this facility, he is tied for second among active drivers. WALK OF FAME: On Saturday, Feb. 25, at 8:00 a.m. PST, Larson’s 2022 win at the Fontana, California, facility will be celebrated at the track’s Walk of Fame (weather permitting). The reigning winner will step into cement to have his footprint solidified - marking a piece of the track’s history. Fans will be able to visit and view the ceremony at Gate B of the facility.  WESTERN BOUND: The Elk Grove, California, native has three Cup Series wins in his home state. He has two wins at ACS (2017 and 2022) and one win at Sonoma Raceway (2021). That places him third among active drivers with wins in the state of California. In addition, his five wins on the West Coast place Larson fifth among active drivers for left coast victories. Besides the aforementioned wins, Larson also has wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway – both coming in his title season of 2021. Four of those triumphs have come in the last 12 races out west. In last year’s three-race West Coast swing, the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet led the way with 113 points. 2-MILE KYLE: Larson has won multiple times at both 2-mile tracks on the circuit – ACS (two wins) and Michigan International Speedway (three wins) – as both are among the three venues he has more than one win at. His 11.95 average finish on active 2-mile venues trails only teammate Chase Elliott. The other track that the 30-year-old has won at more than once is Watkins Glen International (two wins).  GET IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT: In this weekend’s Southern California race, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. You can visit any one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s three California dealerships to pick your ride. Not located in California? No problem. Hendrick Automotive Group has 95 dealerships nationwide to choose from. Customers can also shop from the convenience of their home selecting the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. WE’RE HIRING: Join 10,000+ others nationwide in working at Hendrick Automotive Group. Technicians and other positions are being hired 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. Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on trying to defend his victory at Auto Club Speedway: "We seem to be really good on that style racetrack. It’s a place that I really love with the line changes and the (way the) tires wear out. I remember last year you could draft pretty well down the straightaways. It was a fun race. Hopefully, we can be fast again and win in my home state again." Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the difference in strategy this year compared to last year at Auto Club: "During the race last year, everyone was still trying to get their bearings on the new car. The race was more survival than it was strategy. There just was no strategy to be had in the race. I want to say the longest green flag that we had was around 15-20 laps. I would expect the race to play out a lot more similar to a standard intermediate race with longer green flag runs and potential green flag pit stops. That is where we will have to get into some strategy. We are doing our homework to prepare for whatever is going to come in that regard. I feel like it will play out much differently this year than what we saw last year."

Kyle Larson wins action-filled NASCAR Cup Series race at Fontana

Kyle Larson wins action-filled NASCAR Cup Series race at Fontana

February 27, 2022

 

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

 

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson waited until late in Sunday’s Wise Power 400 to flex his muscles.

 

But in the end, the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet held off a charging Austin Dillon by .195 seconds at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., to notch his first victory of the season, his second at the 2-mile track and the 17th of his career.

 

In a race that featured 12 cautions for 59 laps, Larson, who started from the rear of the field because of unapproved adjustments to his Camaro, took the lead from Joey Logano on Lap 167 of 200 and held it for 27 of the final 34 circuits on the way to the victory.

 

That was after the dominant car of Tyler Reddick suffered a flat left rear tire while leading on Lap 152, and in the aftermath of that incident was collected by the sliding car of William Byron.

 

Reddick had led 90 laps to that point—17 more than in his first 75 Cup starts combined—and had won the first and second stages in convincing fashion.

 

Larson, however, outlasted arguably stronger cars and was in position to win at the end of the race.

 

“It’s always fun to win here in the home state,” said the Elk Grove, Calif., native Kyle Larson. “There were definitely some guys that were quicker than us, but they had their misfortunes.

 

“Just kept our heads in it all day—long race. Restarts were crazy. The whole runs were crazy. So definitely wild, but cool to get a win here in California and hope we get on a little streak.”

 

Larson’s victory came at the expense of teammate Chase Elliott, who fell two laps down after scraping the wall on Lap 33 and spinning off Turn 2 five laps later.

 

As the beneficiary under two cautions, Elliott regained the lead lap, drove through the field and was battling Larson and Logano for the lead when Larson shot up the track and pinched Elliott’s Chevrolet into the outside wall. Larson said on his radio that he didn’t know Elliott was there.

 

It was Elliott who spun on Lap 192 to cause the final caution and set up a dramatic four-lap sprint to the finish that saw Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez briefly wrestle the lead from Larson, thanks to a push from Petty GMS Motorsport’s Erik Jones. But Larson regained the lead off Turn 4 with just over two laps left and held it the rest of the way.

 

In a testament to the relative parity achieved by NASCAR’s new Next Gen race car—admittedly with a small sample size so far—nine different Cup organizations finished in the top 10 at Fontana.

 

One of those was the Trackhouse Racing team of Suarez, who rolled home fourth behind the Chevrolets of Larson, Dillon and Jones.

 

“We’re going to win a few races very soon here,” Suarez said. “I just can’t thank everyone enough on my team. We had a fast car, but we went through a lot of adversity. We had a few issues. We hit the wall once. We had an issue with a diffuser. My pit crew, those guys are legends, it’s unbelievable.

 

“It’s the best pit crew I’ve ever had, and it’s a lot of fun to race like that. The Freeway Insurance Chevrolet, everyone that helps Trackhouse out, to be able to be here and perform this way… I can tell you that I’m going to work very, very hard to go to Victory Lane very, very soon here.”

 

Logano ran fifth, followed by Aric Almirola, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch (who started from the rear and served a pass-through penalty to start the race because of three inspection failures). Daniel Hemric and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. completed the top 10.

 

Polesitter and Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric finished 12th after suffering damage in a four-car accident involving Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace and Harrison Burton on Lap 158.

 

Larson, who won 10 races last year in his first season at Hendrick Motorsports, led four times for 28 laps, second only to Reddick’s 90. All told, there were 32 lead changes among nine drivers in an event in which radical shuffling of the running order was commonplace.

 

NASCAR Cup Series Race – 25th Wise Power 400

Auto Club Speedway

Fontana, California

Sunday, February 27, 2022

 

1. (13)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 200.
2. (16)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 200.
3. (2)  Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 200.
4. (15)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 200.
5. (7)  Joey Logano, Ford, 200.
6. (31)  Aric Almirola, Ford, 200.
7. (32)  Kevin Harvick, Ford, 200.
8. (36)  Kurt Busch, Toyota, 200.
9. (5)  Daniel Hemric(i), Chevrolet, 200.
10. (17)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 200.
11. (21)  Cole Custer, Ford, 200.
12. (1)  Austin Cindric #, Ford, 200.
13. (12)  Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 200.
14. (3)  Kyle Busch, Toyota, 200.
15. (4)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 200.
16. (24)  Chase Briscoe, Ford, 200.
17. (18)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 200.
18. (6)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 200.
19. (34)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 200.
20. (26)  Todd Gilliland #, Ford, 200.
21. (29)  Garrett Smithley, Ford, 200.
22. (30)  BJ McLeod, Ford, 200.
23. (35)  Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 200.
24. (11)  Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 199.
25. (14)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 199.
26. (8)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 198.
27. (9)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 198.
28. (25)  Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 198.
29. (33)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 198.
30. (28)  Josh Bilicki(i), Chevrolet, 198.
31. (23)  Michael McDowell, Ford, Electrical, 193.
32. (27)  Cody Ware, Ford, 187.
33. (22)  Harrison Burton #, Ford, Accident, 157.
34. (10)  William Byron, Chevrolet, Accident, 151.
35. (20)  Chris Buescher, Ford, Accident, 111.
36. (19)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, Engine, 94.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  114.222 mph.

Time of Race:  3 Hrs, 3 Mins, 7 Secs. Margin of Victory:  .195 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  12 for 59 laps.

Lead Changes:  32 among 9 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   A. Cindric # 0;E. Jones 1-10;T. Reddick 11-15;E. Jones 16;T. Reddick 17-22;C. Elliott 23-34;T. Reddick 35-38;W. Byron 39;T. Reddick 40-53;W. Byron 54;K. Harvick 55;T. Reddick 56-67;E. Jones 68;T. Reddick 69-73;K. Larson 74;C. Briscoe 75-91;W. Byron 92;T. Reddick 93-99;W. Byron 100-112;T. Reddick 113-121;E. Jones 122;T. Reddick 123-132;E. Jones 133;T. Reddick 134-151;E. Jones 152-155;J. Logano 156-166;K. Larson 167-174;R. Blaney 175;C. Briscoe 176-178;J. Logano 179-180;K. Larson 181-192;J. Logano 193;K. Larson 194-200.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Tyler Reddick 10 times for 90 laps; Kyle Larson 4 times for 28 laps; Chase Briscoe 2 times for 20 laps; Erik Jones 6 times for 18 laps; William Byron 4 times for 16 laps; Joey Logano 3 times for 14 laps; Chase Elliott 1 time for 12 laps; Ryan Blaney 1 time for 1 lap; Kevin Harvick 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 8,43,24,14,5,48,22,12,2,47

Stage #2 Top Ten: 8,43,22,12,5,41,2,10,24,11

 

Caesars has Kyle Larson +250 favorite to win at Fontana

 

5 KYLE LARSON   Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)   Hometown: Elk Grove, California   Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina   Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels   Standings: 26th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1   I SECOND THAT: On March 26, 2017, at Auto Club Speedway, Kyle Larson started first and led 110 of 202 laps en route to his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory. In a Chip Ganassi Racing entry, the 2014 rookie of the year led the final six circuits around the 2-mile track in Fontana, California. 2-MILERS: Michigan International Speedway and Auto Club Speedway are the only active 2-mile circuits on the Cup Series schedule. Larson holds a 12.75 average finishing position on the two tracks, which ranks third among active drivers. He trails only Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott (8.25) and Joey Logano (12.72) in that statistical category. DAYTONA 475: Larson, who won the pole award for Sunday’s DAYTONA 500, led the field to the green flag in “The Great American Race” at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. Larson was in position to battle for the win before his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 was collected in a multi-car accident with 10 laps to go in the race scheduled for 500 miles. The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion finished 32nd and is now 26th in the driver standings after one event. TWO STRAIGHT: Dating back to the 2021 season finale at Phoenix Raceway, Larson has won two consecutive pole positions. If the Elk Grove, California, native wins the pole for this weekend’s race, it will mark the first time a driver has won three straight since Kyle Busch did it in 2017. The last Hendrick Motorsports driver to accomplish the feat was Jeff Gordon in 2007. TOPS SINCE THEN: The last time NASCAR’s premier series raced at Fontana was March 1, 2020. That event marked seven-time Cup Series champion and all-time ACS wins leader (six) Jimmie Johnson’s final start at the West Coast track. Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman led 110 laps that day to capture the victory. Since then, Larson has paced the field 2,584 times in Cup Series competition, the most of any driver. The 29-year-old driver has done so while competing in only 38 of the 70 races held during that span. CAREER YEAR: In 2021, Larson led the Cup Series in wins (10), top-five finishes (20), top-10s (26), stage wins (18), laps led (2,581) and average start (6.1) – all career-bests. His laps led in 2021 were more than the combined total of the second- and third-place drivers in that statistical category. QUICK TIME: At 11.501 seconds, the No. 5 pit crew had the quickest four-tire pit stop in the 2022 DAYTONA 500. The over-the-wall crew is comprised of gasman Brandon Harder, jackman Brandon Johnson, tire carrier R.J. Barnette and tire changers Donnie Tasser (front) and Calvin Teague (rear). Their final performance of 2021 – a 12.345-second four-tire stop at Phoenix Raceway – moved Larson from fourth to first for the final restart and propelled the 29-year-old driver to his first Cup Series championship. YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide. WE’RE HIRING: Hendrick Automotive Group is hiring more than 300 technicians at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Interested people can apply at HendrickCars.com. OVER $200K: In March, Larson launched the Kyle Larson Foundation, which was established to better serve today’s youth, families and communities in need through hands-on support. The Sanneh Foundation and the Urban Youth Racing School are the primary beneficiaries of the foundation, which will also work closely with Hendrick Cares, the corporate social responsibility program of Hendrick Automotive Group. To kickstart the “Drive for 5,” Larson pledged a personal donation of $5 for every Cup Series lap he completed in 2021 and contributed another $5,000 for every top-five finish he earned. After 36 races, he pledged more than $140,000 and raised more than $200,000. To learn more, please visit KyleLarsonFoundation.org.