NASCAR: Team Chevy moves to Chicago

Photo: Team Chevy
For the first time this season, a tripleheader weekend for NASCAR’s three national series will be contested at two different venues. The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) will pair up for the journey to World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR), where Chevrolet returns to the track as the reigning winner in both series. The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will make its longest trek of the season to Portland International Raceway for the second road course race of the series’ 33-race schedule.

Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at World Wide Technology Raceway:World Wide Technology Raceway earned a spot on the NASCAR Cup Series’ schedule for the first time in 2022, making the 1.25-mile oval one of the newest additions to the circuit. In just the series’ second appearance at WWTR (2023), Chevrolet earned its first trip to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division at the track, courtesy of a victory by Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch. 
Chevrolet in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at World Wide Technology Raceway:Contrary to the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has a much longer history at WWTR with Saturday’s Toyota 200 marking the series’ 24th race at the track. The 1.25-mile oval nestled in Madison, Illinois, first played host for the NCTS in 1998 – an event that saw Rick Carelli take the victory behind the wheel of a Chevrolet. Since then, Chevrolet has become the winningest manufacturer in series’ history at WWTR with 12 victories, with six of those triumphs coming in the series’ last seven races at the track. Grant Enfinger was the most recent Team Chevy driver to claim a NCTS victory at WWTR (2023) – a monumental victory that earned GMS Racing the title as the winningest Chevrolet team in NCTS’ history.  

Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Portland International Raceway: Saturday’s Pacific Office Automation 147 will mark the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ third-ever appearance at Portland International Raceway. In the series’ debut at the 1.97-mile, 12-turn road course circuit in 2022, road course ringer AJ Allmendinger took Chevrolet to victory lane. The triumph in the series’ inaugural event was celebrated by a sweep of the top six finishing positions – recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams. One year ago, the Bowtie brand came just one spot short of defending its race winning title, but still grabbed four of the top five positions in the final running order. 
BUSCH BOASTS SERIES-LEADING STATS AT WWTR
While seeking his first win of NASCAR Cup Series season, Team Chevy’s Kyle Busch is heading to a track that fares statistically well for the two-time champion. The 39-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada, native has earned the series’ best average finish of 1.500 at World Wide Technology Raceway – recording a runner-up finish in 2022 and, most recently, a victory in 2023. Busch has tallied the most laps led in each of the series’ two appearances at the 1.25-mile oval – logging 66 laps led in 2022 and 121 laps led in 2023. Proving to be a contender in each event, Busch has also earned a series-best average running position of 3.024 heading into the series’ third consecutive trip to the track. 

SANCHEZ ADDS TO SILVERADO’S INTERMEDIATE STRENGTH
This weekend’s trip to World Wide Technology Raceway will mark the five-race countdown to the end of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ regular-season. Last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez became the series’ third repeat winner of the season – delivering Chevrolet its series-leading eighth victory in 11 NCTS races. Among its victories this season, intermediate-style ovals have proven to be a strong suit for the Bowtie brand. In five races on non-drafting, intermediate-style ovals, the Silverado RST has picked up four victories – each earned by a different Team Chevy driver (Rajah Caruth – Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Kyle Busch – Texas Motor Speedway; Ross Chastain – Darlington Raceway; and Nick Sanchez – Charlotte Motor Speedway). In addition, each of those victories saw the Bowtie brand earn at least 50 percent of the top-10 finishing positions.  
Perez Set for NCTS DebutRev Racing’s Andres Perez will make the jump into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this weekend for the first time in his young career. The 19-year-old Mexico City, Mexico, native will make his series’ debut behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Silverado RST. Perez, who is a part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, currently competes full-time behind the wheel of a Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series. The 2024 season marks just his second full-time season competing at the national level. In six ARCA Menards Series races this season, the Team Chevy driver sits as the series’ points leader with two top-fives and five top-10s.  
ALLMENDINGER, MAYER HIGHLIGHT NXS’ ROAD COURSE RINGERSReturning to the NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time this season, Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger will return to Portland International Raceway for the first time since his victory in the series’ inaugural event at the circuit. The 42-year-old Los Gatos, California, native has earned an impressive 13 career road course victories at the NASCAR national level – 11 of which have come in the NXS, making Allmendinger the only driver in series’ history to earn a double-digit win count on road courses. JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer became a first-time winner in the NXS last season at his home track of Road America. The 20-year-old Franklin, Wisconsin, native quickly became a series frontrunner on road courses when the Team Chevy driver took his No. 1 Camaro SS to three-straight road course triumphs with wins at Watkins Glen International and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. 
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SSInaugural NXS Race Win at PortlandJune 4, 2022Sam Mayer, No. 1 JR Motorsports Camaro SSFirst Career NXS Win – Road AmericaJuly 29, 2023
BOWTIE BULLETS:·       With 38 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has a winning percentage of 57.9% with 22 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – seven wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – seven wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – eight wins).
·       In eight tripleheader weekends this season, Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to earn a weekend sweep – accomplishing the feat three times (Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway).
·       Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at World Wide Technology Raceway:  Kyle Busch – one win (2023)
·       In 86 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 44 victories – a winning percentage of 51.2%.
·       Team Chevy’s William Byron is the only driver to have a double-digit win record in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen era – with his victory at Martinsville Speedway marking his 11th all-time victory in the Next Gen Camaro ZL1.
·       With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 858 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.  
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 511Toyota: 510 (-1)Ford: 473 (-38)
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 450Toyota: 425 (-25)Ford: 375 (-75)
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 423Toyota: 385 (-38)Ford: 351 (-72

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