5 IN FIVE: Kyle Larson has run the most laps in the top five this season (1,532) and is in a six-way tie for the most top-five finishes (four), which includes Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and William Byron. The 31-year-old driver ranks second in average running position (9.47) and fifth in average finish (12.70) among NASCAR Cup Series full-time drivers. Larson has also been atop the point standings after five Cup Series races in 2024. Following the event at Talladega Superspeedway this past weekend, he became the first driver this year to lead the standings after three consecutive races.

OUT FRONT: Larson has led at least one lap in seven of the 10 races this season for a total of 531 – 132 more laps out front than the nearest competitor. His laps led in 2024 are the most ever by the Elk Grove, California, native through 10 races in a season. When he set the Cup Series record for most laps led during a 36-race schedule in 2021, Larson had paced the field only 379 times through 10 events.

I SECOND THAT: Larson holds the second-best average finish for drivers with two or more Cup Series starts at Dover Motor Speedway. His 8.60 average in 15 starts trails only David Pearson, who averaged 8.00 in 16 starts.

DOVER DOWNLOAD: The “Monster Mile” is the track where Larson has led the most laps (899) in his Cup Series career. In 15 starts at Dover, Larson has one win (2019), seven top-five finishes and 11 top-10s. He has led over 80 laps on five occasions at Dover and has never finished outside the top five in those races. 

CONCRETE KING: Dover is one of three tracks—Bristol Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway are the others—to utilize a concrete racing surface. Coincidentally, Larson has won at all three venues. While with Chip Ganassi Racing, he won at Dover in October of 2019. In his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, he was victorious in 2021 at both Nashville and Bristol as part of his 10-win championship season. Larson is the only active driver to win a points-paying Cup Series race at all three concrete facilities. 

THROWING IT BACK TO TERRY: With the throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway fast approaching, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Throwback Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was revealed on Wednesday’s broadcast of “NASCAR Race Hub.” Larson’s paint scheme for the May 12 race at the South Carolina track will pay tribute to Terry Labonte’s classic livery that he drove to the 1996 Cup Series championship, which marked the second of 14 premier series titles for team owner Rick Hendrick. Larson was the team’s most recent champion in 2021. Check out all angles of the throwback paint scheme here. 

SUNDAY SIGNING: Larson will be at the Hendrick Motorsports merchandise hauler on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET to sign autographs for the first 100 people who purchase any No. 5 1:24 scale die-cast after the merch hauler opens on Friday afternoon. Those individuals who purchase a die-cast will receive a wristband to return for an autograph. 

YOUR CAR NEEDS: Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend. 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 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.
RUNNING STRONG: Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team remain among the frontrunners during the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. After 10 races, he is a season-high third in the points standings. Elliott has secured one win (Texas Motor Speedway) and ranks seventh in laps led (131) thus far. Additionally, he ranks fourth in laps run in the top five (899) and top 10 (1,568). Elliott holds the third-best average finish (10.80) and the fourth-best average running position (10.95). 

DOVER DOMINANCE: Elliott has 13 premier series starts at Dover Motor Speedway, recording two wins (2018 and 2022), one pole, one runner-up finish, nine top-fives – a track best for the driver – and nine top-10s. His 394 laps led at the 1-mile venue are his fourth-most on active tracks and his average finish of 9.85 is the fifth-best all-time (minimum two starts) in the Cup Series. In the five races where Elliott has led laps at the Delaware track, he has never finished outside of the top five.

CONQUERED THE MONSTER: The Dawsonville, Georgia, native became the youngest Cup Series winner at the “Monster Mile” in October of 2018 at the age of 22 years, 10 months and nine days. Elliott’s other triumph at the Dover, Delaware, track came in May of 2022 – his first of five wins, propelling him to the Cup Series regular-season championship that year.

MILE(STONE) MOMENTS: Elliott is part of two distinct milestones for the organization at Dover. He is not only the youngest Cup Series winner at the track but also was part of Hendrick Motorsports’ top-four sweep in May of 2021, with the No. 9 team finishing third.  

NEXT GEN NUMBERS: Since the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022, Elliott has earned six wins, placing him in a three-way tie for the fourth-most victories. In that span, he holds the best average finish (12.48), ahead of Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron. In the Next Gen era at Dover, Elliott ranks sixth in laps run in the top five (304) and top 10 (539). 

WINNER’S CIRCLE: Elliott leads his current teammates in wins at Hendrick Motorsports, tallying 19 victories. He ranks third on the organization’s all-time list, trailing team vice chairman Jeff Gordon (93 wins) and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Jimmie Johnson (83 wins). 

AG IN DE: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will oversee his 36th Dover Cup Series race atop the pit box on Sunday afternoon. He has recorded three wins with two drivers on the 1-mile track, the first with Gordon in 2014 and the subsequent victories with Elliott in 2018 and 2022. In addition to Gustafson’s three victories, he has tallied 18 top-five finishes, 20 top-10s and 665 laps led. 

FOUR TIRES FAST: On lap 84 at Texas, the No. 9 pit crew laid down the fastest four-tire pit stop (9.076 seconds) of the 2024 season, according to data from Racing Insights. The over-the-wall squad has remained the same since 2018 and currently holds the fastest average four-tire pit stop time (10.858 seconds) this season. 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, the Atlanta-based company that has been a primary partner of Elliott in all nine of his full-time seasons at Hendrick Motorsports, will be on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Dover. This will mark the 11th time the brand has been the primary sponsor at the “Monster Mile” in the Cup Series. NAPA was on board for both of Elliott’s Dover victories with the No. 9 team. Get a look at all the angles of the 2024 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 here.

 

 

STEADY STREAKING: Avoiding mayhem during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, William Byron came home with stage points and a top-10 finish, crossing the line in seventh in the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Sunday’s result marks his fifth consecutive top-10 finish this season – currently tied for the longest top-10 streak in the series.

24 IN ’24: Byron’s 2024 Cup Series season has been impressive. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native leads the series in wins (three), is in a six-way tie for first in top-five finishes that includes Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman (four) and in a two-way tie for the lead in top-10s (seven). Byron is also tied for first in average finish among series regulars (10.00) and has led the sixth-most laps (149). He sits fourth in the 2024 Cup Series points standings after 10 races. 

NEXT GEN DUO: Since the Next Gen Cup Series car was introduced in 2022, Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle have a series-leading 11 wins. The duo is ahead of teammates Larson (eight wins) and crew chief Cliff Daniels (seven wins). Byron also has the second-best average finish (12.87) in the Next Gen car behind teammate Chase Elliott. Fugle and Byron rank fourth for the most wins by an active driver and crew chief pairing with 12 victories. 

SIMILAR IN SIZE: This Sunday’s race at Dover Motor Speedway will mark Byron’s 45th start on tracks 1 to 1.37 miles in length (Darlington Raceway, Dover, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Phoenix Raceway and WWT Raceway). In his previous 44 starts, the 26-year-old driver has collected two pole awards, two wins, 10 top-five finishes, 19 top-10s and 535 laps led. 

DOVER DIGEST: With nine Cup Series starts under his belt at the Delaware track, Byron has three top-five finishes at Dover, all being fourth-place efforts over the last four races. Since the inception of the Next Gen car, Byron has spent 308 laps running in the top five—the fifth-most of any driver—and 555 laps in the top 10—fourth-most of the field. 

MONSTER MILE MINUTES: This Sunday’s race will be Fugle’s fourth at the Cup Series level at the “Monster Mile,” finishing fourth in two of those three previous races, including last year’s 400-miler. The Livonia, New York, native has 11 other national series starts at the 1-mile track already under his belt, with eight in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Fugle captured one Truck Series win (in 2013) and one of those previous starts was with Byron (in 2016), where the duo started on the pole, led 80 laps and raced to an 11th-place result.

TWO-FOUR HISTORY: With Byron’s three wins thus far in 2024, he has extended the legacy of the No. 24 in the Cup Series. The No. 24 has five wins at Dover—all coming with team vice chairman and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. If Byron visits victory lane on Sunday, it will propel the No. 24 into a tie with the No. 9 for the fourth-most wins by a car number at the “Monster Mile.”

PIT ROAD PROWESS: After 10 races in the 2024 season, the No. 24 pit crew continues their success from last year. The five-person crew ranks second for the fastest average four-tire pit stop (11.060 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). 

LIBERTY U IS BACK: Byron will sport Liberty University on board his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the third weekend in a row. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the Liberty University No. 24 will surely stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron, starting in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since its founding in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offer more than 600 degree programs, from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in strategic communication, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s Liberty University paint scheme, click here. 
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media in the Dover Motor Speedway media center on Saturday, April 27, at 9:15 a.m. local time.

FOUR TOP FIVES: Alex Bowman led the way for Hendrick Motorsports at Talladega Superspeedway with a fifth-place finish. This marks his fourth top-five of the season and ties him for the NASCAR Cup Series lead with five others, including Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson. Bowman’s four top-fives are his most through 10 races in a season. In addition to Talladega, his top-fives have come in the prestigious DAYTONA 500 (finished second) at Bristol Motor Speedway (finished fourth) and at Circuit of The Americas (finished fourth).

RISING IN THE STANDINGS: Through 10 races in the 2024 Cup Series season, Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Racing team are 10th in the driver points standings. He is in a six-way tie for the third-most top-10s this year (five). Among drivers who have started in all the points-paying races this season, Bowman ranks eighth in average finish (14.20). 

CAKE AND CONFETTI: Bowman has multiple occasions to celebrate heading into this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway. On Thursday, he turns 31 years old. Bowman will start his 300th career Cup Series race on Sunday at one of his favorite tracks. Seven drivers have been victorious in their 300th premier series start. During Bowman’s eight seasons with Hendrick Motorsports (2016 and 2018-present), he has tallied seven wins, 36 top-five finishes, 84 top-10s, four pole positions and 1,307 laps led. 

LEADING THE SWEEP: In 2021, Bowman drove the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet to victory lane at Dover. His win established a historic day for Hendrick Motorsports, with the team becoming the third organization (and fourth occurrence) in Cup Series history to finish 1-2-3-4 in a single event. Bowman took the checkered flag ahead of teammates Larson (second), Chase Elliott (third) and Byron (fourth). It was the first time that the organization had a four-car sweep atop the scoreboard. The victory also marked the No. 48’s series-best 12th win at the “Monster Mile.”

DOVER DATA: In Bowman’s 12 Cup Series starts at Dover, he has scored one win, five top-fives finishes (his most at any track) and 142 laps led. He has finished in the top five in all three of his most recent starts at the 1-mile track in “The First State.” The driver of the No. 48 has run the 10th-most laps in the top five (133) in the Next Gen era (since 2022) at Dover. Bowman missed last year’s race due to a back injury. 

FINANCE FUN: April is Financial Literacy Month. The No. 48 team’s primary partner and online banking company, Ally, knows that financial behaviors are learned early. Earlier this month, Bowman joined Ally in its largest single-day “Adventures with Money” reading event. Together, they visited Clara Love Elementary School near Texas Motor Speedway with over 70 volunteers to reach over 900 students. Last week, Bowman, his five-person pit crew and Ally volunteers visited University Meadows Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina, to read books and play Jeopardy games about financial literacy with kids in the team’s local community. These readings are two of many that Ally will lead nationwide this year, educating thousands of students on the importance of financial knowledge.

PIT ROAD REPORT:  The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew ranks seventh on pit road for the fastest average four-tire stop (11.331 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). 

AUTOGRAPHS WITH ALEX: Bowman will be active in the fan zone this weekend in Dover. He will be at the Hendrick Motorsports merchandise hauler on Sunday at 10:35 a.m. ET to sign autographs for the first 100 people to purchase a No. 48 1:24 scale die-cast this weekend. Fans can buy these die-casts on Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday until his signing (or until 100 have sold). These individuals will receive a wristband to come back for the designated autograph session time.

RESCUE A DOG IN DOVER: Looking to rescue a furry friend? Visit Brandywine Valley SPCA this weekend in Dover, Delaware. This shelter is located just 15 minutes from the track and is the beneficiary of Ally and Bowman’s donation to a Best Friends Animal Society shelter in this weekend’s race market. The 2024 season marks the fourth consecutive year in which Bowman and Ally are supporting Best Friends and their vast network of partners. Since the start 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.