Information By: HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS – CHARLOTTE, NC
Hendrick Motorsports
Martinsville Speedway
Sunday, April 7, 2024
0.526-Mile Oval
3:00 PM ET
Location: Ridgeway, Virginia
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series race (8 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM PRN
5 Kyle Larson
9 Chase Elliott
24 William Byron
48 Alex Bowman
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 2nd
No. 5 HendrickCars.com 40th Anniversary Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com 40th Anniversary Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the Martinsville Speedway media center on Saturday, April 6, at 3 p.m. local time.
GRANDFATHERED IN: Last spring, Kyle Larson earned his first victory – and iconic grandfather clock trophy – at Martinsville Speedway for Hendrick Motorsports’ 28th NASCAR Cup Series win at the short track. With crew chief Cliff Daniels’ strategy calls setting up the team to have track position late, Larson led the final 30 laps to earn the victory. In his 18 starts at the 0.526-mile venue, Larson has earned one win, four top-five finishes, six top-10s and led 210 laps.
PAPERCLIP POINTS: Larson is one of six drivers to finish inside the top 10 in both Martinsville races in 2023 and carries a three-race top-10 streak (tied for the fourth-longest) at the track into Sunday’s race. Since 2022, he has run the third-most laps in the top 10 (1,287), run the fifth-most laps in the top five (665) and scored the fifth-most points (142) at Martinsville.
THREE OF FOUR IN 5: The 31-year-old driver has four short-track victories, three of which occurred since joining the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team in 2021. The trio of wins occurred in his last 14 starts, with wins at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2021 and Richmond Raceway and Martinsville in 2023.
FINE NINE: Larson leads several statistical categories over the last nine Cup Series short-track races. The 2021 Cup Series champion has the most poles (two) and the best average finish (4.89), while he is tied for most second-place finishes (two), top-five finishes (seven) and top-10s (eight). Larson has finished in the top six in eight of the last nine short-track events.
I SECOND THAT: Last Saturday at Richmond, Larson scored the 248th pole position for 14-time Cup Series championship organization Hendrick Motorsports. Sunday evening, Larson won stage one – securing a valuable playoff point – before finishing the race third. He scored the most points during the event to move from fifth to second in the points standings. With 144 laps led at the 0.75-mile track, he now leads the series with 368 circuits out front in 2024.
NEXT GEN(ERATIONAL) TALENT: Larson only trails Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron in wins in the Next Gen car. Byron has 10 victories, while Larson has eight in the most recent iteration of the car in NASCAR’s premier series, which debuted in 2022. In the Next Gen era, Larson also has two short-track victories (two behind the series lead) and his average finish (6.83, with a minimum of three starts) and points scored (467) on short tracks each rank second. In addition, the Elk Grove, California, native is one of three drivers to finish in the top five in this year’s two short-track races (fifth at Bristol Motor Speedway and third at Richmond).
PUTTING IN WORK IN THE PITS: The No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew has this season’s fourth-best average four-tire pit stop time (11.045 seconds). The five-person crew is comprised of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer).
YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive a ruby red featured No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to honor the 40th Anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports’ first win in NASCAR’s premier series, which occurred at Martinsville. 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.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 8th
No. 9 UniFirst 40th Anniversary Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
RICHMOND RUNDOWN: Chase Elliott and the No. 9 UniFirst team qualified second for last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway. The 28-year-old driver led the opening five laps of the race before ending stage one in seventh. After finishing stage two in 13th, he navigated his way into the top 10 in the closing half of the final stage. Restarting sixth for NASCAR overtime, Elliott gained one more spot to finish fifth – his best result of the season thus far. The 2020 premier series champion is now eighth in the Cup Series points standings.
2024 NUMBERS: Across the first seven races of this season, Elliott completed all but one of the 2,014 laps in competition. Additionally, he has the fifth-best average running position (12.48), is tied for the seventh-best average finish (12.71) and has the eighth-most laps inside the top 10 (912). Elliott has led 23 laps this season, including the 80,000th in the Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports. In 2024, Elliott and the No. 9 team have been consistently fast in qualifying, earning four consecutive top-10 starting positions and five total.
PAPERCLIP PERFORMANCE: Elliott will make his 18th Martinsville Speedway start in the Cup Series on Sunday. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native made his Cup Series debut for Hendrick Motorsports at the track on March 29, 2015. Since then, he has led 1,040 laps at the Virginia short track – his most circuits led at any venue and 20.32% of his Cup career total. Across his 17 premier series starts at Martinsville, Elliott has one win (November of 2020), five top-five finishes and 10 top-10s – tied with Kansas Speedway and Michigan International Speedway for his most at active tracks. He is tied for the most stage wins at the track (six). In the Next Gen era (since 2022) at Martinsville, Elliott has the second-most laps led (322), the second-most laps spent inside the top five (939) and is tied for the sixth-most points earned (139).
GOING BACK TO ‘23: This race last season marked the return of Elliott to the No. 9 after six races missed due to his leg injury. In the spring 400-lap event, the six-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award winner started 24th and battled his way to a 10th-place finish – his third consecutive top-10 effort at the track.
SHORT-TRACK STATS: Elliott will make his 48th short-track start in the Cup Series on Sunday. In those previous 47 races, he garnered one win – Martinsville in November of 2020 – 15 top-five finishes, 25 top-10s, two pole awards and 1,584 laps led. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has finished inside the top 10 in eight of his last 10 short-track starts. Since the Next Gen’s debut, Elliott has the fifth-best average finish (9.18, among drivers with three or more starts) and scored the fifth-most points (376) on short tracks. Both of Elliott’s top-10 finishes in 2024 came on short tracks – eighth at Bristol Motor Speedway and fifth at Richmond.
AG’S PAPERCLIP PAST: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 39th Martinsville Cup race from atop the pit box. In his previous 38 Cup Series starts at the track, he has three wins, 15 top-five finishes and 27 top-10s with 2,017 laps led. Gustafson most recently visited victory lane at the Virginia short track with Elliott in 2020 to solidify the No. 9 team’s spot in the Championship 4. The veteran crew chief’s other two wins came with NASCAR Hall of Famer and Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon in October of 2013 and again in November of 2015. The latter victory was the final of Gordon’s career and propelled him into the Championship 4 in his last full-time season.
FOUR TIRES FAST: The No. 9 pit crew ranks second in average four-tire pit stop time (10.927 seconds). On March 17 at Bristol, the five-person team knocked out the fourth-fastest four-tire stop of the season with a time of 9.479 seconds. The No. 9 crew 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).
UNIFIRST IS BACK: UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF), a North American leader in providing customized work uniform programs, corporate attire and facility service products, is back on board as the primary partner on No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for its second of five races in 2024. This weekend, the UniFirst Chevrolet is trading in its typical green and white scheme for a special ruby red livery in honor of Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 7th
No. 24 Axalta 40th Anniversary Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
24 IN ’24: William Byron’s 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season is off to a strong start with a win in the prestigious DAYTONA 500 and a victory at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). In the seven races this year, Byron has an average finish of 12.71 – tied with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott and one other competitor for seventh-best among drivers. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has one pole award (COTA), two top-five finishes, four top-10s (tied for the fifth-most) and 61 laps led this season. He’s coming off a seventh-place finish at Richmond Raceway and sits seventh in the 2024 Cup Series points standings.
NEXT GEN DUO: Since the Next Gen Cup Series car was introduced in 2022, Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle have had a Cup Series-leading 10 wins. The duo leads Hendrick Motorsports teammates driver Kyle Larson (eight wins) and crew chief Cliff Daniels (seven wins).
MARTINSVILLE MINUTES: Byron’s time at Martinsville Speedway goes back to when he attended his first Cup Series race at the paperclip-shaped track in 2006 as a fan. Since then, the 26-year-old driver has moved through the NASCAR ranks and is poised to make his 13th Cup Series start at the 0.526-mile track. Of his previous 12 Cup Series starts at the Virginia short track, Byron has one win (April of 2022), four top-five finishes (tied for his most at a track), six top-10s and 221 laps led (tied for his third-most laps led at a track). Since the inception of the Next Gen car in 2022, he has led the third-most laps at Martinsville (212) and has scored the ninth-most points at the track (127).
NUMBER NOTES: The No. 24 has 10 wins at Martinsville, one of which was Byron’s triumph in 2022. Team vice chairman Jeff Gordon is responsible for the other nine wins in the No. 24. The 10 wins are tied with another Hendrick Motorsports number, the No. 48, for the third-most by a car number at the short track.
THE FUGLE FILES: This Sunday’s race will mark Fugle’s seventh in the Cup Series at Martinsville. In his first six Cup Series starts, Fugle has one win (2022), three top-five finishes and four top-10s with the No. 24 team. Aside from his Cup Series starts, the Livonia, New York, native has 14 additional national series races at the paperclip-shaped track under his belt, all in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. In those 14 races, Fugle has accumulated one win (March of 2019), six top-five finishes and 12 top-10s. Two of those Truck Series starts were with Byron, both in 2016, where the duo started seventh in both races, racing to a third-place result in the spring and an eighth-place finish in the fall.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: Through seven races in the 2023 season, the No. 24 pit crew continues their success from last season. The five-person crew ranks third-best in average four-tire pit stop time (11.016 seconds). The No. 24 pit crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler).
AT IT AGAIN WITH AXALTA: Axalta will be back on board Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 but with a special ruby red flair to honor Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th Anniversary. This is Axalta’s 32nd year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. The company has been a primary partner for four of Byron’s 12 wins at the Cup Series level, including this year’s DAYTONA 500 victory.
RELAY(ING) A WINNER: After hosting a head-to-head bracket-style contest, Relay Payments announced the winning paint scheme voted on by fans. Running at the Chicago Street Course in July and then later at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the playoffs, this year’s No. 24 paint scheme was in the fans’ hands for what Byron’s race car would look like with the winning paint scheme featuring a split black and white design with green accents and chrome numbers. Relay Payments, the fintech company modernizing payments for the trucking and logistics industries, joined last summer as a partner for the No. 24 team.
48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 30 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 11th
No. 48 Ally 40th Anniversary Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
TOP FIVE TIE: Seven races into the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, Alex Bowman is in a five-way tie for the most top-five finishes – a group that includes Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson. Bowman’s top fives include a second-place finish at the season-opening DAYTONA 500 and back-to-back fourth-place results at Bristol Motor Speedway and Circuit of The Americas.
RICHMOND REWIND: Last weekend at Richmond Raceway, Bowman earned his best qualifying spot of the season. Taking the starting grid from the fourth position for the Easter Sunday race, Bowman maintained his top-five spot in the opening 70-lap segment to finish third – his best stage finish of the year – and earned valuable stage points. Just over a quarter of the way through the regular season, he is 11th in the Cup Series points standings.
SHORT-TRACK IMPACT: Heading into the second consecutive short-track race on this year’s schedule, Bowman is one of eight active drivers in the Cup Series with multiple victories (two) on that track type. Virginia is home to both wins (Richmond and Martinsville Speedway), which came in his career-best season in 2021. The 30-year-old also has five top-five finishes and 12 top-10s at short tracks.
MARTINSVILLE MEMORY: The Tucson, Arizona, native heads to Martinsville as a contributor to Hendrick Motorsports’ 28-win count at the historic short track. Bowman’s victory at the 0.526-mile venue in October of 2021 is one of four wins by the series’ winningest organization in the last seven races at the track.
WINNING NUMBER(S): The No. 48 Chevrolet has 10 wins at “The Paperclip” for Hendrick Motorsports – with Bowman delivering one. That mark is tied with another of the team’s iconic numbers, the No. 24, for the third-most victories by a car number at Martinsville.
LOOKING GOOD IN RUBY: This weekend at Martinsville, the No. 48 Ally Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will debut a ruby red paint scheme to pay tribute to Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary in the Cup Series. The scheme commemorates the organization’s first win in the series, which came at Martinsville in 1984.
RALLY ON PIT ROAD: The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew ranks seventh in average four-tire pit stop time (11.213 seconds). The five-person crew is composed of Andrew Bridgeforth (rear-tire changer), Jacob Conley (fueler), Brandon Grier (tire carrier), Allen Holman (jackman) and Donnie Tasser (front-tire changer).
CHANCE TO WIN A CHEVY CAMARO: Ally and Hendrick Automotive Group have teamed together to celebrate Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary by giving away a 40th Anniversary Edition Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE through the Ally “Win Your Wheels fueled by HendrickCars.com” sweepstakes. The winner will also receive a private meet and greet with Bowman at this year’s fall Martinsville race. NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports and No. 48 fans can enter to win at Ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar. The sweepstakes will end on Sept. 20, 2024.
ADOPT IN MARTINSVILLE: Bowman and Ally are supporting Best Friends Animal Society and their vast network of partners for the fourth consecutive year. Since the beginning of the 2022 season, the pair has been committed to a combined weekly donation of $4,800 to a Best Friends network partner local to each weekend’s race. This weekend’s beneficiary is Martinsville-Henry County SPCA. Located less than five minutes from the track, those interested can visit the dogs and cats looking for homes at their shelter. Can’t visit in person?