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| Kyle Larson is already in Chase and breathing easy this week. |
* Team Chevy has comprised 50% or more of the Chase field 10 out of the past 12 seasons and looks to do it again in 2016.
* A Chevy driver or team has won one out of the last three races at RIR
DETROIT – (September 6, 2016) – Twelve years ago NASCAR instituted a new way of determining a champion called the ‘Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup’. Since then, Richmond International Raceway has been the site of triumph and heartbreak as drivers’ and teams’ championship hopes are realized or dashed. It all comes down to 400 intense laps around the 0.75-mile Virginia track.
This season four Team Chevy drivers are on the cusp of making it into the 16 driver Chase field. Chase Elliott and Austin Dillon have a small points cushion and can all but see their dreams of making their first career Chase appearances come true, but any small mistake or error could open the door for another team or driver. Jamie McMurray currently holds the 16th and final Chase position, but Ryan Newman is only a few markers away from making his eighth Chase field. A win by any driver not already locked into the Chase standings places them in contention for this year’s championship playoff. Anything can happen, but Team Chevy is aptly poised to clinch the final few Chase spots not already secured.
No matter what happens on Saturday night, Team Chevy is well positioned to earn their 31st NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver’s title by making up 50 percent of the Chase field for the 11th consecutive season. Former champions Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart lead the all-star Chevy Chase group and will be paired with first time Chaser Kyle Larson and three more to be determined at Richmond. All drivers will vie to hoist the hardware in Homestead and bring home another championship to the Chevrolet camp.
Team Chevy drivers and teams should feel confident heading into Richmond because the brand is the most successful manufacturer at the Virginia track. Chevrolet has earned 37 victories in the 120 races that have been completed at the fairgrounds. The Chevrolet Racing group has been working hard to find the right balance with the current rules package for short-track racing. The last time the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was on a track less than 1-mile in length it was Chevrolet’s Kevin Harvick who took the victory. Recently, the Bowtie Brand has been building momentum as the Chase approaches, and hopes to take that recent confidence, knowledge, and expertise into battle as they fight for the year-end driver and manufacturer championship trophies.
Who will be in and who will be out? All the heart stopping action from Richmond begins Saturday night under the lights on September 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage of the 400-lap/300-mile contest will be available on NBCSN, MRN, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com.
DRIVER FAN Q&A APPEARANCES:
Friday, September 9th
o 12:45 p.m. – Ray Black, Jr.
o 1:00 p.m. – Brendan Gaughan
o 1:30 p.m. – Brandon Jones
o 2:10 p.m. – Alex Bowman
o 2:30 p.m. – Ty and Austin Dillon
o 2:50 p.m. – Justin Allgaier and Blake Koch
o 3:05 p.m. – Tommy Baldwin
o 3:15 p.m. – Jeff Gordon
o 4:00 p.m. – Sam Bass Autograph Session at UAW Trailer
Saturday, September 10th
o 1:30 p.m. – Sam Bass Autograph Session at UAW Trailer
o 3:05 p.m. – Tony Stewart
o 3:15 p.m. – Kevin Harvick
o 3:45 p.m. – Kyle Larson
o 4:00 p.m. – Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard
o 4:25 p.m. – Jimmie Johnson and Regan Smith
o 1:30 p.m. – Sam Bass Autograph Session at UAW Trailer
o 3:05 p.m. – Tony Stewart
o 3:15 p.m. – Kevin Harvick
o 3:45 p.m. – Kyle Larson
o 4:00 p.m. – Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard
o 4:25 p.m. – Jimmie Johnson and Regan Smith
Team Chevy Display Hours of Operation: Fri. Sept. 9th – 10:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. and Sat. Sept. 10th –10:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
TEAM CHEVY IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:
Chevrolet has won 39 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturer Championships
Team Chevy drivers have scored 760 wins and 684 poles in NSCS competition
CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK—RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY:
Chevrolet drivers have won 37 of 120 races at Richmond International Raceway. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers are:
Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, has taken the checkered flag at RIR three time (’06, ’11 & ‘13)
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, has three wins at RIR (’07 – TWICE & ‘08)
Tony Stewart, No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS, has three victories at RIR (’99, ’01 & ’02)
Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Chevrolet SS, has two wins at RIR (’08 & ’12)
Kurt Busch, No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet SS, has two victories at RIR (’05 & ‘15)
Jeff Gordon, Interim Driver, No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS, has two wins at RIR (’96 & ’00)
Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS, has made one trip to Victory Lane at RIR (’05)
Ryan Newman, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS, has one trophy from RIR (’03)
A Chevrolet driver has won one of the last three races at Richmond International Raceway
A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at Richmond International Raceway 48 times
Team Chevy drivers have scored 228 top-five and 464 top-10 finishes at Richmond International Raceway
A Chevrolet has led 15,156 laps (33.6% of possible 45,096 laps) at Richmond International Raceway
TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – POINT’S LEADER
“The second Richmond race each year is especially intense just because you know that there’s a lot on the line. There are a lot of people racing for different things. It’s the end of our regular season. If you’re not in the Chase, it’s your last chance to win a race. There are some guys who will probably be fighting for points spots as you go in there, but Richmond is kind of your perfect short track. It has good speed, a short-track feel to it, and the tires wear out. That’s kind of what we all grew up racing on. It’s got a little bit of everything and that makes it a fun place to race.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION/MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET SS – 6TH IN STANDINGS
“There are things you have to do on a short track to work on conserving the tires. Also, making sure you are good on the short run, making sure you are good on the long run, because restarts have become so much more important over the last couple of years. You don’t know if you are going to have a long run to finish the race or if you are going to have short run. You’ve just got to be ready for everything and it seems like, at the short tracks, the preferred lane on restarts is becoming more and more important. You hope you are on the inside lane when it comes down to one of the final few restarts and, that way, you are able to gain positions instead of having to be on the defense. Richmond is a fun track. They used to call it the action track. That was when the groove would widen out and get to two, three lanes wide. We always hope to get back to that and it’s a matter of finding the right tire and the right downforce combination to allow the cars to race competitively side-by-side in safe situations. That is what we want to do – put on a good show.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 3M CHEVROLET SS – 10TH IN STANDINGS
“I’m really looking forward to representing the Red Cross this weekend at Richmond and having them on our car. They are a special group that is working for a good cause. I hope people take some time to go see them and donate blood this weekend.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – 11TH IN STANDINGS
“We’ve found some speed lately so I’m really proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports right now. I hate that we spun out in Darlington, I was charging too hard to get my lap back and I’m pretty disappointed in myself. We had a great Lowe’s Chevy and just didn’t get to show our potential but we win and lose as a team. I’m looking forward to Richmond, we’ve run really well there as of late and it would be great to have some momentum heading into the Chase.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW STYROFOAM 75TH ANNIVERSARY CHEVROLET SS – 12TH IN STANDINGS
“It’s been a good regular season compared to the last two. I feel like we gave some points up here and there, but overall the speed has been much better this year and we’re starting to turn things around and get in the right direction. Our mindset and our goal is to just do whatever it takes to make it into the Chase for the Sprint Cup. It would be huge to make it. It’s a big boost of confidence and that’s what we all do it for.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 SHERWIN WILLIAMS EMERALD CHEVROLET SS – 13TH IN STANDINGS
“Richmond is a really fun track and even though it’s only ¾-mile, it’s a lot of the same stuff that we battled at Darlington last weekend. The track surface is really abrasive and the tires get worn out and fall-off quite a bit during a run, 10 or 12 laps in and you’re going to lose a second a lap from your fast lap. We typically have long green-flag runs; so track position and having a good car on long runs is really important at Richmond”.
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS – 14TH IN STANDINGS
“Richmond is one of the best, if not arguably, the best short track we go to just because you fight a little bit of everything. You have two different shaped corners, D-shaped tri-oval. There is a lot of braking and acceleration. Forward drive is usually at a premium. It’s just that typical short track but it’s the right size that fits our race car. It’s a lot of fun.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – 15TH IN STANDINGS
“I’ll be heading into Richmond from California after putting on my Outlaw Kart Showcase, which was another really good event. It’s going to be pretty cool going to Richmond this weekend knowing the Target team is in the Chase. We’ve been working really hard the last few weeks, and the results have been there to show. Richmond isn’t a place where I feel I’ve run that great, but we usually end up finishing between 10th – 15th. This weekend we’ll be looking try and do better than our average and keep the momentum going leading into Chicago. As we kind of close out the regular season, it will be nice to have the chance at Richmond to thank the fans for all their support so far this season. All us drivers are lucky to have such great fans, and it’s cool to see Richmond doing some extra stuff to thank them for making this season another great one so far.”
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – 16TH IN STANDINGS
“I’ve always liked Richmond. I have been able to win here in the past and I look forward to the challenge. I think you can bring a lot back from the day race, but the bigger thing is the cars have changed since then. Even though it will be the same package, the teams have built better cars. We were really competitive in the first race, and I think we’ll bring back a similar setup, but a better car, and work from there in practice.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KROGER/SCOTT PRODUCTS CHEVROLET SS – 18TH IN STANDINGS
“Richmond in April was tough on us, but we’re optimistic going into this weekend with the No. 47 Kroger/SCOTT Products Chevrolet SS. The last time we were there, my car was sliding around, it was sideways and had no forward drive. I was just hanging on to it and fought loose the whole race. I know my guys have really been working hard back at the shop and we are looking forward to a better weekend this time around.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 DUTCH BOY/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 21STIN STANDINGS
“I don’t remember the spring race that well. Richmond has always been a hit-or-miss track for us. We’ve gotten a top-five finish there but we also have a lot of finishes around 20th. We struggled as a company in this race last year for the Chase cutoff. We changed the cars around a lot this off-season and I thought we were more competitive in the spring. We’ve changed the cars more since then and made some gains, so I’m looking forward to how we shake out.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 NATURE’S BAKERY CHEVROLET SS – 23RD IN STANDINGS
“When you have a good car, it creates opportunities to pass. Turns one and two are kind of tight, and three and four are more of a long corner, so it’s a challenge to set the car up. We slip and slide there a bunch, anyway. There is more grip at night and I’m thankful for that.”
JEFF GORDON, INTERIM DRIVER, NO. 88 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS – 24TH IN STANDINGS
“I was just happy to do what is best for the team. We sat down and looked at the tracks and decided what would be best for everyone. These (Darlington, Richmond, Dover, Martinsville) are all tracks I feel very confident at.
“This (No. 88) team loves Dale Jr. and wants him back. They are in a really tough situation here, where not only are they missing Junior, but they have two different drivers filling in. But, they’ve handled it amazingly. Their demeanor and attitude about it has been phenomenal. It has really been a great experience for me. I’ve spent so much time with the No. 24 team that going into the shop with the 48/88 guys and spending time with Greg (Ives, crew chief) and their (No. 88) team has been great for my overall Hendrick knowledge and has allowed me to bond with those guys, as well as the bond I have with my (No. 24) guys, and see how the teams work separately and together.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 CODE 3 ASSOCIATES/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET SS – 27TH IN STANDINGS
“I’ve always felt like Richmond was the ultimate drivers’ track. When we didn’t have all the downforce like we do now, you used to literally move around the racetrack. You didn’t get stuck in one groove. You could be fast there running two or three different ways, using three different lines. You could do what you needed to do to complement your car or not hurt it. That’s what I have always liked about it. It’s always going to be my favorite track.”
MICHAEL MCDOWELL, NO. 95 MALWAREBYTES CHEVROLET SS – 34TH IN STANDINGS
“I love going to Richmond. It’s produced some great races over the years, and earlier this year was no different. The last lap pass for the lead was great racing. We struggled a little back in April, so we definitely have work to do going back to Richmond. We’ve improved quite a bit throughout the season, so I’m excited to go back and see what we can do.”
TEAM CHEVY IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:
Chevrolet has won 39 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturer Championships
Team Chevy drivers have scored 760 wins and 684 poles in NSCS competition
CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK—RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY:
Chevrolet drivers have won 37 of 120 races at Richmond International Raceway. Victories by current Team Chevy drivers are:
Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, has taken the checkered flag at RIR three time (’06, ’11 & ‘13)
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS, has three wins at RIR (’07 – TWICE & ‘08)
Tony Stewart, No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS, has three victories at RIR (’99, ’01 & ’02)
Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Chevrolet SS, has two wins at RIR (’08 & ’12)
Kurt Busch, No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet SS, has two victories at RIR (’05 & ‘15)
Jeff Gordon, Interim Driver, No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS, has two wins at RIR (’96 & ’00)
Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS, has made one trip to Victory Lane at RIR (’05)
Ryan Newman, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS, has one trophy from RIR (’03)
A Chevrolet driver has won one of the last three races at Richmond International Raceway
A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at Richmond International Raceway 48 times
Team Chevy drivers have scored 228 top-five and 464 top-10 finishes at Richmond International Raceway
A Chevrolet has led 15,156 laps (33.6% of possible 45,096 laps) at Richmond International Raceway
TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – POINT’S LEADER
“The second Richmond race each year is especially intense just because you know that there’s a lot on the line. There are a lot of people racing for different things. It’s the end of our regular season. If you’re not in the Chase, it’s your last chance to win a race. There are some guys who will probably be fighting for points spots as you go in there, but Richmond is kind of your perfect short track. It has good speed, a short-track feel to it, and the tires wear out. That’s kind of what we all grew up racing on. It’s got a little bit of everything and that makes it a fun place to race.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 41 HAAS AUTOMATION/MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET SS – 6TH IN STANDINGS
“There are things you have to do on a short track to work on conserving the tires. Also, making sure you are good on the short run, making sure you are good on the long run, because restarts have become so much more important over the last couple of years. You don’t know if you are going to have a long run to finish the race or if you are going to have short run. You’ve just got to be ready for everything and it seems like, at the short tracks, the preferred lane on restarts is becoming more and more important. You hope you are on the inside lane when it comes down to one of the final few restarts and, that way, you are able to gain positions instead of having to be on the defense. Richmond is a fun track. They used to call it the action track. That was when the groove would widen out and get to two, three lanes wide. We always hope to get back to that and it’s a matter of finding the right tire and the right downforce combination to allow the cars to race competitively side-by-side in safe situations. That is what we want to do – put on a good show.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 3M CHEVROLET SS – 10TH IN STANDINGS
“I’m really looking forward to representing the Red Cross this weekend at Richmond and having them on our car. They are a special group that is working for a good cause. I hope people take some time to go see them and donate blood this weekend.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – 11TH IN STANDINGS
“We’ve found some speed lately so I’m really proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports right now. I hate that we spun out in Darlington, I was charging too hard to get my lap back and I’m pretty disappointed in myself. We had a great Lowe’s Chevy and just didn’t get to show our potential but we win and lose as a team. I’m looking forward to Richmond, we’ve run really well there as of late and it would be great to have some momentum heading into the Chase.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW STYROFOAM 75TH ANNIVERSARY CHEVROLET SS – 12TH IN STANDINGS
“It’s been a good regular season compared to the last two. I feel like we gave some points up here and there, but overall the speed has been much better this year and we’re starting to turn things around and get in the right direction. Our mindset and our goal is to just do whatever it takes to make it into the Chase for the Sprint Cup. It would be huge to make it. It’s a big boost of confidence and that’s what we all do it for.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 SHERWIN WILLIAMS EMERALD CHEVROLET SS – 13TH IN STANDINGS
“Richmond is a really fun track and even though it’s only ¾-mile, it’s a lot of the same stuff that we battled at Darlington last weekend. The track surface is really abrasive and the tires get worn out and fall-off quite a bit during a run, 10 or 12 laps in and you’re going to lose a second a lap from your fast lap. We typically have long green-flag runs; so track position and having a good car on long runs is really important at Richmond”.
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET SS – 14TH IN STANDINGS
“Richmond is one of the best, if not arguably, the best short track we go to just because you fight a little bit of everything. You have two different shaped corners, D-shaped tri-oval. There is a lot of braking and acceleration. Forward drive is usually at a premium. It’s just that typical short track but it’s the right size that fits our race car. It’s a lot of fun.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – 15TH IN STANDINGS
“I’ll be heading into Richmond from California after putting on my Outlaw Kart Showcase, which was another really good event. It’s going to be pretty cool going to Richmond this weekend knowing the Target team is in the Chase. We’ve been working really hard the last few weeks, and the results have been there to show. Richmond isn’t a place where I feel I’ve run that great, but we usually end up finishing between 10th – 15th. This weekend we’ll be looking try and do better than our average and keep the momentum going leading into Chicago. As we kind of close out the regular season, it will be nice to have the chance at Richmond to thank the fans for all their support so far this season. All us drivers are lucky to have such great fans, and it’s cool to see Richmond doing some extra stuff to thank them for making this season another great one so far.”
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – 16TH IN STANDINGS
“I’ve always liked Richmond. I have been able to win here in the past and I look forward to the challenge. I think you can bring a lot back from the day race, but the bigger thing is the cars have changed since then. Even though it will be the same package, the teams have built better cars. We were really competitive in the first race, and I think we’ll bring back a similar setup, but a better car, and work from there in practice.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KROGER/SCOTT PRODUCTS CHEVROLET SS – 18TH IN STANDINGS
“Richmond in April was tough on us, but we’re optimistic going into this weekend with the No. 47 Kroger/SCOTT Products Chevrolet SS. The last time we were there, my car was sliding around, it was sideways and had no forward drive. I was just hanging on to it and fought loose the whole race. I know my guys have really been working hard back at the shop and we are looking forward to a better weekend this time around.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 DUTCH BOY/MENARDS CHEVROLET SS – 21STIN STANDINGS
“I don’t remember the spring race that well. Richmond has always been a hit-or-miss track for us. We’ve gotten a top-five finish there but we also have a lot of finishes around 20th. We struggled as a company in this race last year for the Chase cutoff. We changed the cars around a lot this off-season and I thought we were more competitive in the spring. We’ve changed the cars more since then and made some gains, so I’m looking forward to how we shake out.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 NATURE’S BAKERY CHEVROLET SS – 23RD IN STANDINGS
“When you have a good car, it creates opportunities to pass. Turns one and two are kind of tight, and three and four are more of a long corner, so it’s a challenge to set the car up. We slip and slide there a bunch, anyway. There is more grip at night and I’m thankful for that.”
JEFF GORDON, INTERIM DRIVER, NO. 88 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS – 24TH IN STANDINGS
“I was just happy to do what is best for the team. We sat down and looked at the tracks and decided what would be best for everyone. These (Darlington, Richmond, Dover, Martinsville) are all tracks I feel very confident at.
“This (No. 88) team loves Dale Jr. and wants him back. They are in a really tough situation here, where not only are they missing Junior, but they have two different drivers filling in. But, they’ve handled it amazingly. Their demeanor and attitude about it has been phenomenal. It has really been a great experience for me. I’ve spent so much time with the No. 24 team that going into the shop with the 48/88 guys and spending time with Greg (Ives, crew chief) and their (No. 88) team has been great for my overall Hendrick knowledge and has allowed me to bond with those guys, as well as the bond I have with my (No. 24) guys, and see how the teams work separately and together.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 CODE 3 ASSOCIATES/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET SS – 27TH IN STANDINGS
“I’ve always felt like Richmond was the ultimate drivers’ track. When we didn’t have all the downforce like we do now, you used to literally move around the racetrack. You didn’t get stuck in one groove. You could be fast there running two or three different ways, using three different lines. You could do what you needed to do to complement your car or not hurt it. That’s what I have always liked about it. It’s always going to be my favorite track.”
MICHAEL MCDOWELL, NO. 95 MALWAREBYTES CHEVROLET SS – 34TH IN STANDINGS
“I love going to Richmond. It’s produced some great races over the years, and earlier this year was no different. The last lap pass for the lead was great racing. We struggled a little back in April, so we definitely have work to do going back to Richmond. We’ve improved quite a bit throughout the season, so I’m excited to go back and see what we can do.”
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