Information By: HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS – CONCORD, NC
Michigan International Speedway
Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024
2-Mile D-shaped Oval
2:30 PM ET
Location: Brooklyn, Michigan
TV: USA
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (24 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM
5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 1st
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
MICHIGAN MAN: Kyle Larson earned his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Michigan International Speedway in 2016, a win that was part of a streak of three consecutive triumphs in the Irish Hills (the last three wins for Chevrolet at this track). In his 15 starts at Michigan, Larson has three victories, seven top-five finishes, nine top 10s, has led 222 laps and completed 2,770 of 2,876 laps run.
WIN-DIANAPOLIS: In July, Larson earned Hendrick Motorsports’ record-extending 11th Brickyard 400 victory, his first on the famed oval and his series-high fourth win of 2024. With 27 career victories, Larson now ranks 32nd on the Cup Series wins list. The crown-jewel win at Indianapolis marked his 11th victory in the Next-Gen car, tying him with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron for the most.
FOLLOW THE LEADER: With three races remaining in the regular season, Larson leads the Cup standings by five points. The Elk Grove, California, native, tops the series with four wins, five poles and 28 playoff points. He is tied for second with nine top-five finishes and is in second alone with 780 laps led. That total is the second highest through 23 races in Larson’s career, behind only his 2021 championship season in which he paced the field for 1,468 laps in the first 23 events.
UP FRONT IN THE GREAT LAKE STATE: The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet has a streak of four consecutive top-10 finishes at Michigan. In that span, he has an average finish of 4.5 while pacing the field for 72 laps.
WELL DEFENDED: Last weekend at the Knoxville Nationals, Larson led all 50 laps to capture his third victory in the famed sprint car event. It marked the second consecutive year he led wire-to-wire at Knoxville Raceway.
AWAY BUT ALWAYS AVAILABLE: In 2024, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team recognizes “home” events by wearing white firesuits and “away” with blue. Its home races come at tracks with nearby Hendrick Automotive Group car dealerships. This weekend, the No. 5 team races “away” in the Irish Hills market. However, it’s easy to pick up a new set of keys from any one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 94 dealerships nationwide. Customers can also shop from the convenience of home by selecting the category, make, model and vehicle packages important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com.
HENDRICK AUTOMOTIVE GROUP IS HIRING: Join the more than 10,000 people nationwide who work at Hendrick Automotive Group. The company is hiring technicians and other positions 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.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 3rd
No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
SEASON UPDATE: With three races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, Chase Elliott heads to Michigan International Speedway third in points, only six markers behind the leader, Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson. The 28-year-old has one win (Texas Motor Speedway), seven top-five finishes and 12 top 10s. Elliott’s 10.43 average finish leads the field and is the second-best mark through 23 races in his career behind only the 2022 season in which he won the regular season championship. He also has the third-best average running position (10.98) and the fourth-most laps spent inside the top 10 (3,410).
HISTORY MADE: With his ninth-place finish last weekend at Richmond Raceway, Elliott is the first driver in Cup Series history to complete all but one lap through 23 races in a season. The previous record was all but two laps, a mark set by Kevin Harvick (2020), Greg Biffle (2012) and Matt Kenseth (2003). The only race this season in which Elliott didn’t finish on the lead lap was at Bristol Motor Speedway in the spring, though he still finished eighth.
IRISH HILLS READY: Elliott holds the best average finish (10.15) among active drivers with more than three starts at Michigan and the third-best all-time behind Carl Edwards (9.4) and Cale Yarborough (9.61). He has placed inside the top 10 in 10 of his 13 career Cup Series starts at the 2-mile oval – tied for his third-most top 10s on active tracks behind Kansas Speedway and Martinsville Speedway (11 each). The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has also led 144 laps and collected three top-five finishes at the Irish Hills track – all of which were runner-up results.
STOUT GROUP: Elliott is in good company as one of five drivers with three or more runner-up finishes at Michigan before earning a win. Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon earned three second-place results before visiting victory lane at the 2-mile oval in 1998. Elliott joins Brad Keselowski and NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte with three runner-up results without a win at Michigan. Martin Truex Jr. has four.
700 STARTS FOR AG: On Sunday, Alan Gustafson is set to make his 700th start in his 20th season as a Cup Series crew chief. The 49-year-old is the longest tenured crew chief in the history of Hendrick Motorsports. He has earned 39 premier series victories – tied for the second-most among active crew chiefs – 201 top-five finishes and 349 top 10s with over 11,000 laps led. In addition to Elliott, Gustafson has worked full seasons with NASCAR Hall of Famers Gordon and Mark Martin as well as Kyle Busch and Casey Mears. The Ormond Beach, Florida, native captured the 2020 Cup Series championship with Elliott.
GREAT GUSTAFSON: Gustafson will call his 36th Cup Series race at Michigan on Sunday. In 35 prior starts with five drivers, Gustafson has collected two wins (Martin in 2009 and Gordon in 2014), five top-five finishes and 17 top 10s, with 370 laps led. Gordon started from the pole in 2014 and his qualifying lap stands as the fastest qualifying speed that did not occur at a superspeedway.
FASTEST FIVE: With 23 races complete, the No. 9 pit crew holds the fastest average four-tire pit stop time (10.687 seconds). The over-the-wall squad laid down the fastest four-tire pit stop (9.076 seconds) of the season at Texas in April, according to data from Racing Insights. 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).
GET UP AND GO: NAPA Auto Parts is back on the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend. The Atlanta-based company has been the primary partner for Elliott for all but three of his Cup starts on the 2-mile oval, including all three of his runner-up finishes.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 7th
No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
24 IN ‘24: William Byron’s 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season started off with three wins in the first eight races including the DAYTONA 500. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has seven top-five finishes (tied for fourth) and 12 top 10s (tied for third). Byron ranks 10th in laps spent in the top five with 1,406 and eighth with 2,894 laps in the top 10. With three races remaining in the regular season, Byron is seventh in the Cup Series points with 16 playoff points.
MICHIGAN MINUTES: Byron will make his 12th NASCAR national series start at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday. Of those 11 races, nine came in a Cup car with a best starting position of third in 2019 and a best finish of second in 2021. The 26-year-old has one Xfinity Series start at the 2-mile D-shaped oval, qualifying fourth and coming home second in 2017. He also made a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series appearance in 2016, starting third and finishing fourth with crew chief Rudy Fugle on the box.
OH SO CLOSE: Sunday will mark Fugle’s fourth Cup Series event at Michigan. The Livonia, New York, native has a track-best finish of second coming with Byron in 2021. Fugle has seven Truck Series starts at Michigan with has six top-five showings including three runner ups. His only finish outside the top four came in a 15th-place result in 2019. Fugle’s drivers have an average starting position of 5.4 and an average finish of 4.6 at Michigan in the Truck Series.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: After 23 races, the No. 24 crew ranks fourth for the fastest average four-tire pit stop (10.892 seconds). The squad, consisting of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler) had the fastest four-tire stop during last week’s race at Richmond at 9.442 seconds.
RAPTOR® TOUGH: Byron will sport his Raptor paint scheme that will run the majority of the season on the No. 24 Chevy. RAPTOR® is a durable protective coating that is designed to tolerate the toughest climatic conditions and can be applied to a wide range of items, including truck beds, lawnmowers, outdoor furniture and more. With 16 pre-mixed colors available, it’s easy to personalize anything you want to protect. RAPTOR® is available at local paint distributors, auto parts stores and online retailers.
48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 10th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
THREE TO GO: With three races remaining in NASCAR’s regular season, Alex Bowman’s eighth career NASCAR Cup Series win at the Chicago Street Course locked the No. 48 Ally Racing driver into the postseason. Following the completion of 23 points-paying races this season, Bowman has six top-five finishes and 17 lead-lap finishes. His 12 top 10s are tied for third most and are already more than he recorded in 2023. Following competition at Richmond Raceway, Bowman continues to defend the 10th spot in the point standings, 164 markers behind leader and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson.
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY: This Sunday, the Tucson, Arizona, native will make his 15th start at Michigan International Speedway. In 14 previous starts, Bowman has three top 10s, and 19 laps led. He has also completed 93.5% of the laps run in those events. Bowman’s best Michigan finish came in a ninth-place showing in 2022.
BIKING AT WATKINS GLEN: On Aug. 14, Bowman made a special trip to Watkins Glen International Speedway for “Bike at the Glen.” He joined fans and took a lap around the 2.45-mile historic New York road course on a bicycle. He also spoke to fans and guests about his racing career, making healthy choices, and his passion for helping rescue animals.
BOOKS WITH DETROIT GIRL SCOUTS: On Friday, Aug. 16, Bowman will visit the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan headquarters. The No. 48 team’s primary sponsor Ally, a digital bank, is an advocate for financial literacy, especially when it comes to youth. Ally volunteers read to thousands of kids each year. Bowman will read with children for a third time this year, picking up “Emma and the Cosmophone” to share with a group of Daisy and Brownie scouts. Bowman will then lead a round of “Jeopardy!” to encourage active learning and boost the scouts’ financial fundamentals. Previous readings this year included a visit to Clara Love Elementary School near Texas Motor Speedway and University Meadows Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina.
ALEX IN THE FAN ZONE: On Sunday, fans can visit Bowman in the fan zone at the Ally Activation footprint. At 11:05 a.m., the driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro will participate in a Q&A. While in Ally’s space, fans can play games to win “Bowman Bucks” for prizes and enter to win the “Win Your Wheels” sweepstakes sponsored by Ally and HendrickCars.com.
ANYONE CAN WIN WITH ALLY: To celebrate Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary, Ally and HendrickCars.com are giving away a special edition Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE to one lucky fan through the “Win Your Wheels” sweepstakes. Only 40 of these Chevrolets will be manufactured and the other 39 will be sold exclusively through select Hendrick Automotive Group Chevrolet dealerships. Enter to win at Ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar. The promotion ends Sept. 20, 2024.
MAKE A FURRY FRIEND IN MICHIGAN: Over four years, Bowman and Ally have donated over $650,000 to Best Friends shelters and their vast network of partners. Every race weekend, the pair donates $4,800 to help homeless pets at a shelter local to the track. This weekend, the charitable donation will go to Little Traverse Bay Humane Society, a shelter in north Michigan serving pets and the people who love them since 1951.
ALLY RACING PIT CREW: The Ally Racing pit crew joins Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 9 team and No. 24 team pit crews in the top 10 for the best average four-tire stop this year (11.031). The 14-time championship winning organization’s No. 48 crew is composed of jackman Allen Holman, tire carrier Brandon Grier, front-tire changer Donnie Tasser, rear-tire changer Andrew Bridgeforth, and gasman Jacob Conley.
FIRST LAP: This Sunday, Ally Financial, the Official Consumer Bank of NASCAR, will invite a group of first-time racegoers to Michigan. In conjunction with Ally Racing’s First Lap program – a unique experience where Ally partners with local community groups to invite new, diverse fans into racing – Ally welcomes their Diverse Abilities Employee Resource Group (ERG) to the track. This group consists of over 1,600 members nationally who are committed to raising awareness and acceptance for persons with disabilities or other physical/mental differences within the workplace. In the U.S., around 1 in 4 adults have some type of disability – including 12% who have difficulty with walking or climbing stairs, 6% who have difficulty with hearing and nearly 13% with cognition difficulties. There are also more than 40 million American adults who have an anxiety disorder, and nearly 53 million people serving as a caregiver.