Information By: HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS – CHARLOTTE, NC
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 2nd (2023)
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 in the drivers’ meeting room at the Daytona International Speedway media center on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 2:10-2:40 p.m. local time.
2023 RECAP: During the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team visited victory lane four times in points-paying races (Richmond Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway), tied for the series lead (with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron) with 15 top-five finishes and added 18 top-10s. He also won the non-points All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May and led a series-high 1,127 laps during the season en route to a runner-up finish in the point standings. Larson was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in its 75th season.
OH SO CLOSE: In 2017, Larson led the field with one lap to go in the DAYTONA 500. However, his Chevrolet ran out of fuel on the final lap and he coasted to a 12th-place finish. In 19 Cup Series starts at the 2.5-mile track, Larson has earned one pole position (2022) and five top-10 finishes.
WINNER AT DAYTONA: In July 2018, Larson won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway. The Elk Grove, California, native led a race-high 40 laps en route to victory. Notably, the triumph was the 400th national series win for the Hendrick Motorsports engine shop, which supplied horsepower to Chip Ganassi Racing.
STARTING STRENGTH: Larson has started in the top 10 in each of the last 10 races on drafting-style tracks (Daytona, Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway) – the longest active streak in NASCAR’s premier series. In 2022, the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet won the pole position for “The Great American Race.”
INDY IN THE DESERT: On Monday night, Larson tested an Arrow McLaren INDYCAR at Phoenix Raceway ahead of his attempt to run the Indianapolis 500 on May 26 in a Rick Hendrick-owned chassis. Larson’s entry is being fielded by Arrow McLaren in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. Following the 500, the 2021 Cup Series champion will compete in the Coca-Cola 600. Larson won NASCAR’s longest race in 2021.
HIGH LIMIT RACING: The 2024 High Limit Racing season begins Monday night, Feb. 12, at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida. Larson, the inaugural series champion in 2023, will compete for the 10-race Midweek Money Series championship in the No. 57 entry sponsored by HendrickCars.com.
CLIFF’S NOTES: No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels and Larson have teamed up for 16 wins since Larson joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 – the third-best total among active driver and crew chief pairings. Daniels and Larson have accomplished those wins in 100 races while the best active combination has posted 19 victories in 173 starts.
YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. From the convenience of home, HendrickCars.com 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.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 17th (2023)
No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the drivers’ meeting room at the Daytona International Speedway media center on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 2:10-2:40 p.m. local time.
TALKIN’ ABOUT DAYTONA: In 16 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, Chase Elliott has earned three top-five finishes, five top-10s and three pole awards. He’s led 159 laps on the 2.5-mile superspeedway, including two laps last August en route to a fourth-place finish. Elliott earned a runner-up finish in the 2021 DAYTONA 500, his personal best in the season-opening event. The 28-year-old driver is also a two-time Duel at Daytona winner (2017, 2018) and won a points-paying race on Daytona’s road course layout in 2020. In addition, he recorded a win at the venue in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports in 2016.
DRAFTING DATA: Of Elliott’s 18 Cup Series points-paying victories, three have come on drafting-style tracks. The six-time National Motorsports Press Association’s Most Popular Driver Award winner has two victories at Talladega Superspeedway (2019, 2022) and one at the recently reprofiled and reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway (2022). Accompanying his three wins across 35 starts on drafting tracks, Elliott has tallied nine top-five finishes, 15 top-10s and 493 laps led.
HISTORY MAKING: In 2016, Elliott became the youngest driver to earn the DAYTONA 500 pole award at the age of 20 years, two months and 17 days. That record still stands today. He earned his second pole for the prestigious event the very next year.
HE’S COMING HOME: 2020 Cup Series champion crew chief Alan Gustafson will make his return home to the “World Center of Racing” for the DAYTONA 500 this week. Gustafson grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida, just down the road from the legendary superspeedway. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, Gustafson enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering. This year marks his 20th season as a Cup Series crew chief.
MOST POLES: Gustafson leads all active crew chiefs with four DAYTONA 500 pole awards. He’s tied with NASCAR Hall of Famers Leonard Wood and Waddell Wilson for the most DAYTONA 500 poles overall. Gustafson’s first DAYTONA 500 pole came with Mark Martin in 2010 and the veteran pit boss also won three straight from 2015-2017, with Jeff Gordon taking the top spot in 2015 and Elliott following suit the next two years.
DYNAMIC DUO: Elliott and Gustafson are entering their ninth season together, becoming the longest active driver and crew chief combo in the Cup Series garage. The duo is currently second among active pairings with 18 points-paying victories. Gustafson and Elliott earned their first Cup Series title in 2020 and the team captured the regular-season championship in 2022.
NEW YEAR, SAME FACES: In 2024, the No. 9 pit crew remains the same as it has since 2018. 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).
NAPA RETURNS FOR 500: For the ninth consecutive year, NAPA Auto Parts will kick off the NASCAR Cup Series season on the hood of Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the DAYTONA 500. NAPA’s new blue-based primary livery will debut on track this week. Elliott has never started “The Great American Race” without primary sponsorship from the Atlanta-based company. This marks the 11th season NAPA has partnered with Elliott in his NASCAR career.
WHEN NO. 9 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.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 3rd (2023)
No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the drivers’ meeting room at the Daytona International Speedway media center on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 2:10-2:40 p.m. local time.
DAYTONA DUELS: William Byron will make his seventh start in the Duel at Daytona qualifying races on Thursday, Feb. 15. In last year’s qualifying race, Byron lined up on the outside row for his duel race but with split pit strategy taking place late in the event, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native finished 10th. However, in 2020, Byron captured his first win in a NASCAR Cup Series event when he started fourth in his qualifying race before going on to score the checkered flag.
TWENTY FOUR TO THE FRONT: In five of the last nine DAYTONA 500 races, the No. 24 has started from the front row – in 2015 with Jeff Gordon and in consecutive seasons, 2016 and 2017, with Chase Elliott all from the pole position. Byron most recently added to that stat by becoming the second-youngest DAYTONA 500 pole winner in 2019 (at 21 years, two months and 12 days), which also marked his first pole in the Cup Series. He wound up back on the front row for the 2021 DAYTONA 500.
BACK AT THE BEACH: During his time in the Cup Series, Byron has 12 starts at Daytona International Speedway. In that time, he has collected one win, two top-five finishes, three top-10s and led 95 laps. However, his stats don’t accurately depict Byron’s success at the 2.5-mile oval. Not only is this the venue where he collected his first pole award (2019 DAYTONA 500) and his first Cup Series win (2020 summer race), but he also won the Duel qualifying race in 2020. Additionally, Byron was in position to capture the win during the summer race in 2019 before inclement weather ended the event early, leaving him with a runner-up finish. Byron’s success at Daytona doesn’t end there. During his 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship campaign, he qualified third in the July race and led 29 laps to score the victory, becoming the youngest driver with an Xfinity Series win at Daytona at 19 years, seven months and one day.
SUPER ON SUPERSPEEDWAYS: When it comes to tracks that involve drafting, Byron is normally running upfront. He has three points-paying wins on these types of tracks – his first Cup Series win at Daytona in August of 2020 and at the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway in March of 2022 and in July of 2023. Since the start of the 2022 season, he has led 226 laps at drafting tracks and also has four consecutive top-10 finishes on that style of track – the longest active streak in the series.
RUDY RETURNS: Crew chief Rudy Fugle enters his fourth season with Byron at the Cup level and will climb on top of the No. 24 pit box for his fourth DAYTONA 500 and his seventh Cup Series start at the 2.5-mile oval this Sunday. In 2021, the duo started both races at the Florida-based track from the front row. Despite running up front in every Daytona event they’ve raced at together in the Cup Series, misfortune has struck the No. 24 as they have been collected in on-track incidents before the checkered flag on five occasions. Aside from those six Cup starts, the Livonia, New York, native has nine other starts at Daytona, with seven coming in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Fugle has one runner-up result, one top-five finish and two top-10s across those seven races. One of those Truck Series starts was with Byron, where the duo qualified and finished 13th.
AT IT AGAIN WITH AXALTA: Once again, Axalta will be back onboard Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. This is Axalta’s 32nd year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports and has been a primary partner for three of Byron’s 10 wins at the Cup Series level. Earlier this year, Axalta unveiled their new 2024 paint scheme that will be debuted at Daytona.
BEACH BUMS: Kicking off Speedweeks in “The Sunshine State,” two crew members on the No. 24 team will be making their way back home for the first points-paying race of the 2024 season. Engineer Brandon McSwain grew up approximately 100 miles from the “World Center of Racing” in Auburndale, Florida. While just a few miles down the road from where McSwain grew up, engine tuner Ben Proctor calls Lakeland, Florida, home.
48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 30 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 20th (2023)
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the drivers’ meeting room at the Daytona International Speedway media center on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 2:50-3:20 p.m. local time.
FRONT OF THE FIELD: Last year at Daytona International Speedway, Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Racing team won the pole position for the DAYTONA 500. Bowman reigned from the front of the field for the start of the 2023 edition of “The Great American Race” with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson by his side. In an overtime finish, Bowman took the checkered flag fifth, becoming the first driver in 22 years to score a top-five finish from the pole.
RECORD HOLDER: The Tucson, Arizona, native is the only driver to start on the front row in six straight DAYTONA 500s (2018-2023) and is the only driver to start on the front row six times in the history of the crown jewel race. This sets him ahead of the five-way tie of drivers with five front-row starts each, a list that includes Jeff Gordon. Bowman has won the pole three times (2018, 2021 and 2023) and scored the outside starting position three times (2019, 2020 and 2022).
DETERMINED IN DAYTONA: This year, Bowman will compete for his fourth pole position and seventh front-row start in the DAYTONA 500. His success at this 2.5-mile superspeedway has helped contribute to Hendrick Motorsports’ claim of eight of the last nine pole positions for the season-opening points race and 11 straight poles by manufacturer Chevrolet.
FIRST 500: Collin Hoeffner, the No. 48 team’s new tire specialist, will approach Daytona this weekend to compete in his first DAYTONA 500 and points-paying race with the Ally Racing team. Hoeffner worked his first Cup Series race in April of 2023 at Richmond Raceway and joined the No. 48 team just ahead of 2024.
OUR ALLY: The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 returns to the track looking pretty in purple. In 2024, the online banking company is affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports for a sixth season, driver Bowman for a fourth season and serves as the Official Consumer Bank of NASCAR for a second year.
SEE IT WITH YOUR OWN EYES: Want a closer look at the new 2024 Ally Racing “digital camo” paint scheme? Visit the Ally Fan Zone Stage at Daytona to lay eyes on this year’s primary scheme, doubling as F1 graphic designer, Sean Bull’s, first NASCAR masterpiece. Not at the track this weekend?
LIVE FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT: This Sunday, Bowman fans can ride along and #Rally48 from the driver’s seat by tuning into NASCAR’s in-car camera on the No. 48 Chevy.
N.G.W.S.D: National Girls and Women in Sports Day (N.G.W.S.D) was on Feb. 7, 2024. The annual day is designed to honor the achievements of girls and women in sports and break gender stereotypes built around the sports industry. The No. 48’s primary partner, Ally Financial, has several influential women in leadership who help make the racing program a success including Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer Andrea Brimmer, Executive Director of Marketing Bridget Sponsky and Ally Racing’s Brand & Partnerships Manager Jessica Stroupe. At the 2022 espnW Women + Sports Summit, Ally announced a pledge to achieve equal spending in paid advertising across women’s and men’s sports programming over the next five years. Additionally, Ally launched Watch the Game, Change the Game – a new national advocacy initiative spanning broadcast, digital and social media channels aimed at rallying viewership of women’s competitions. In May of 2023, Ally reached the 1-year milestone of their 50/50 pledge and was ahead of schedule nearing a 60/40 split in its sports paid media spending across men’s and women’s sports.