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| Chase Elliott racing at Pocono last weekend. He finished fourth on Sunday. |
“I’ve really struggled at Indy. We’ve just been trying to get better there. It has just consistently been a huge challenge for me every year. My excitement level probably isn’t as high as some others about going to Indy, but that’s just because of how hard it has been. I would love to get over the hump. I think it would be such a cool place to run well and have success at. We are looking forward to giving it our best shot this weekend.”
STRONG SHOWING: Chase Elliott, the driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, continues to lead all NASCAR Cup Series drivers with a 7.80 average running position and five stage wins this season. He has collected the third-highest number of stage points (150) in the series and has led the fourth-most laps (425). His 11 races led are second-most in the series résumé behind only Joey Logano (12).
NAPA IN INDY: This weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will don the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for a total of 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this season.
LOOKING BACK: Elliott and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team started last year’s race at historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 24th and rebounded after being collected in multiple on-track incidents to finish ninth. It was the 24-year-old driver’s best career finish at the 2.5-mile venue.
INDY RÉSUMÉ: In addition to Elliott’s five NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis, he has three starts at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one top-five finish and two top-10s.
GUSTAFSON AT THE BRICKYARD: On Sunday, No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 16th NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis. In his previous 15 races calling the shots for five different drivers (Elliott, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon) at the famed speedway, Gustafson has collected five top-five finishes – including a win in 2015 with Gordon – and one runner-up result, nine top-10s and 137 laps led.
PIT CREW POWER: Among the teams competing in the NASCAR Cup Series, the No. 9 pit crew ranks second in best average time for four-tire stops at 13.95 seconds through 15 races in 2020.
HOME SWEET HOME: No. 9 team engineer Tom Gray hails from Indianapolis. Gray attended Purdue University and majored in mechanical engineering technology. The Indy native was recently interviewed by Gustafson on “Behind the 9.” Watch the episode here.
BEHIND THE 9: Gustafson is trying his hand as a host in a new Hendrick Motorsports video series called “Behind the 9” in which he interviews each member of the No. 9 crew. Fans can learn about where they came from and the role they serve on the team, with each bringing a unique personality and skillset. Episodes are released every Tuesday on the Hendrick Motorsports Facebook page and YouTube channel. The most recent episode features mechanic Cole Timm.
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