PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 8 TRIPLEHEADER: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY

For the first time since the track held its last Championship race for all three NASCAR national series in 2019, Homestead-Miami Speedway will make its return to the post-season schedule to host a playoff tripleheader race weekend. The 1.5-mile South Florida oval will mark Race Two of the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), while holding the position of the Round of 8 elimination race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS).

CHEVY LOOKING TO GO BACK-TO-BACK AT HOMESTEAD

Two opportunities remain for Chevrolet’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers to take a win and a ticket to the Championship 4. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team has an extra boost of confidence heading into Race Two of the NCS Round of 8, with the team returning to Homestead-Miami Speedway as the track’s defending winner.

In the series single appearance at the 1.5-mile Florida oval in 2021, Byron became the youngest winner at Homestead after coming from deep in the field in the 31st starting spot. Byron drove his Chevrolet-powered machine to the Stage Two win, going on to lead 102-laps en route to Chevrolet’s first NCS win of the 2021 season. The victory marked Chevrolet’s sixth in 23 NCS races at the track.

In the opening race of the NCS Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain was just one spot shy of clinching a spot in the Championship 4 in his first career playoff appearance. A strong performance on pit road by the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 pit crew put Chastain in prime track position throughout the race, with an exceptional stop under caution with 71 laps to go giving Chastain a front row starting spot for the restart. Chastain went on to lead a race-high 68 laps before losing the lead with just three laps remaining, resulting in a runner-up finish for the team.

Another strong finish by Chastain moved the 29-year-old Florida native up to second in the NCS points standings, with an 18-point advantage over the playoff cutline. Joining Chastain in the top four of the standings is 2022 NCS regular-season champion, Chase Elliott, who sits third in the standings and 17-points above the playoff cutline. William Byron moved up one position to fifth in the points standings; and while he’s six-points below the cutline, Byron is heading into the final two races of the Round of 8 as the defending winner at both tracks. 

A look at where the Team Chevy NCS playoff drivers stand heading into Race Two of the Round of 8, including season numbers and career stats at Homestead-Miami Speedway:  

CHEVROLET SCORES MILESTONE WIN, CLINCHES NXS MANUFACTURER’S CHAMPIONSHIP

Josh Berry’s trip to victory lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway also marked a monumental day for Chevrolet’s history in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Berry’s victory delivered Chevrolet its 500th all-time victory in the NXS, while also clinching its series-leading 24th NXS Manufacturer’s Championship. This marks the sixth consecutive season that Chevrolet has taken the title in the series.

Chevrolet was able to secure the NXS Manufacturer’s Championship title with three races remaining in the 2022 season. The coveted title comes after a dominate season for the Camaro SS, with Berry’s victory marking the 23rd win in 30 NXS races this season. Of those wins, 20 have been recorded in the last 22 races, including the streak of the past nine in a row. 

BERRY PUNCHES TICKET TO NXS CHAMPIONSHIP 4

In his first full-time season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, JR Motorsports’ Josh Berry and the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro SS team will fight for the championship title. Berry’s third NXS win of the season didn’t come without a fight. Battling with fellow Chevrolet playoff driver AJ Allmendinger on a late race restart, Berry proved the speed of his No. 8 JR Motorsports Camaro SS; making contact with the wall before taking the lead for the final time. Berry’s victory was celebrated alongside his JR Motorsports teammates, with Noah Gragson finishing second and Justin Allgaier finishing third to make it a 1-2-3 sweep for the Chevrolet team.

With Berry’s automatic berth into the Championship 4, three spots remain for NXS playoff contenders to win and continue their championship hopes. Gragson’s 18th top-five finish of the season kept the 24-year-old Nevada native at the top of the points standings with a 44-point cushion over the playoff cutline. Justin Allgaier sits in the fourth position and 15-points above the playoff cutline, giving Chevrolet three drivers in the top four of the standings with two races remaining in the NXS Round of 8. 

ONE LAST CHANCE TO ADVANCE

Major playoff implications are on the line for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff contenders, with Saturday’s Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway marking the third and final race of the series’ Round of 8.

After damage sustained in a late-race crash in the series’ last race at Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet’s playoff contender Grant Enfinger and the No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado RST team will enter the Round of 8 elimination race eighth in the playoff points standings. Sitting at 29-points below the playoff cutline, a win is at the top of mind to keep Enfinger’s championship hopes alive. “Knowing the task at hand, I can’t wait to unload our Champion Power Equipment Chevy in Homestead,” said Enfinger. “Jeff (Hensley, crew chief) and I have run well there in the past, and with the low grip and high tire wear, that place has always been one of my favorites. We know what we need to do, so now it’s all about our execution.”

Consistency has been key for Enfinger and the No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado RST team through the playoff run. Enfinger kicked-off his 2022 NCWTS playoff campaign with a win at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and with five races complete in the series’ playoffs, Enfinger has recorded an impressive four top-five finishes. 

PINK ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER’ CAMARO PACE CAR RETURNS FOR HOMESTEAD

Chevrolet’s partnership with the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative marks its 12th consecutive year in 2022. To help raise awareness, a specialty-themed pink Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE will serve as the official pace car for three NASCAR Cup Series races during the month of October, including Sunday’s NCS Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. For every lap run under caution, Chevrolet will donate $350 to the American Cancer Society to honor ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’. The 267-lap, 400.5-mile NCS playoff race at Homestead will mark the second of three races that are part of the initiative.

The first NCS event that is part of the program took place at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this month. The specialty-themed pink Camaro pace car led the NCS for 25 laps under caution at the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway, bringing Chevrolet’s contribution total to $8,750 towards the campaign so far.

FOR THE FANS

·       Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Homestead-Miami Speedway. 

·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Tahoe Z71, Silverado 2500HD LTZ Diesel, Silverado Crew ZR2, Blazer RS, Corvette Z51, Camaro ZL1, Pink Silverado 1500 Crew High Country Diesel.

·       At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Camaro ZL1 show car.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

Sunday, October 23

·       Ross Chastain: 11:05 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.

·       Noah Gragson: 11:25 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.

·       William Byron: 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:  

Friday, October 21: 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday, October 22: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday, October 23: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.  

Tune In: 

NBC will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 23. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Contender Boats 300 at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 22. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

FS1 will broadcast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 22. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. 

QUOTABLE QUOTES

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1

Are you looking forward to Homestead?

“I am really looking forward to Homestead. After this weekend in Vegas and having such a strong car, I can’t wait to get to Florida. I was talking with my engineers earlier last week and they were really pumped about the car we were bringing to Las Vegas and I think we proved how good it really was, so that gives me a ton of confidence for Homestead.”

Homestead is another intermediate track. Does that give you confidence?

“Absolutely. We tested there a couple of weeks ago and I got several laps in and practiced running the wall, which is great. The team told me they were prepared to fix the car if I got into the wall so I could really go out there and find the limits.” 

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 HUK CAMARO ZL1

What excites you most about Homestead-Miami Speedway?

" We ran well at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year and finished seventh in 2020. I can't wait to get there. I think it’s the most driver-friendly track. Actually, it’s not really friendly because you can get into the wall pretty easily, but it’s so much fun to run right up against the fence. You have to be disciplined in how you drive that track and save your tires. It’s an epic race. It’s always intense. My teammate, Tyler Reddick, is solid there and I think that's pushed our program to another level when it comes to running at Homestead-Miami Speedway. I feel like we've learned off of each other the last couple of years."

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Larson on running the wall at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

"I think this car is just a little different at Homestead-Miami (Speedway). Nothing crazy. I think running the wall is a little bit easier but maybe not way faster than it used to be compared to the other lanes. I still think it is just a lot easier to run the wall than before. You may see more people up there and it may be a little bit harder to pass than in the past."

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Daniels on how a test helps the team get ready for Homestead-Miami:

"The Next Gen car is definitely a different beast at Homestead-Miami (Speedway) than the car of the past. We had a good test there a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure the track will still be a little bit different when we get there and get all the cars out there and get some rubber on the track. With Kyle Larson's history of always running really well there, I have a lot of confidence in him. Hopefully, we can take what we learned at the test and put a good car on track for Sunday."

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1

How was your recent test at Homestead-Miami Speedway?

“I never touched the wall but I ran up against it just about as much as anybody else. I loved that we got to test there. Everyone figured out after about three or four laps the top was the place to be. I was watching 10 or 12 drivers that were running and everyone was getting better at running the fence. The drivers who tested there will be really good at running up top when we go back and I’m going to have my work cut out for me, that’s for sure. This Next Gen car is wider than the old car so I felt like I couldn’t get those last couple of inches to the wall so I learned about that a little bit. I never tagged the wall. We were getting ready to have our last long run of the day. We were going to run about 40 laps and we had rain wash out the remainder of our day. I got to learn a lot about the car and what it drove like. We got some decent long run speed but a lot of those other drivers and teams have done their homework well. It’s going to be a tough race this weekend.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Elliott on how to approach Homestead-Miami after a rough week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: "The good news is I feel like we have a really smart and talented group of guys that are going to work on it. We’ve been talking a lot this week and if this weekend goes bad, I can assure you it will not be for a lack of effort. Great opportunity here for us right now and we’re still very much alive in this deal. We just need to go down there and just try to have a solid weekend. Do we have to go win the race? No, I don’t think you have to go win the race, but I think you put yourself in position, getting some solid stage points, being up front and being in the mix. Those are things that are going to hedge your bet of being happy after Martinsville (Speedway)."

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Gustafson on rebounding from Las Vegas:

"The opening races in each round of these playoffs have not been good to our team. Unfortunately, that continued for us last week at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway). We were able to make it to the end, but we didn’t get the stage points or finish we needed to maintain our cushion. We know we have some work to do this week to make sure we’re prepared for Homestead-Miami (Speedway). Our goal is to get maximum points and just have a really solid race this weekend. That will help us going into Martinsville (Speedway).”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1

Byron on what he expects at Homestead-Miami:

"I’m excited to get back to Homestead-Miami (Speedway) this weekend. Obviously, the last time we raced there we got the win, but a lot has changed since then. We did test there about a month ago with the Next Gen car and it went really well. I think we have a lot of notes that we’re going to be able to apply and have a good starting point for the weekend. We’re only a few points outside the cutline, so we don’t need to do anything drastic during the race either. We just need to show up, execute everything we can control and maximize all the points we can."

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1

Fugle on what he expects Sunday at Homestead-Miami:

"I’m ready to get to Homestead-Miami (Speedway) this weekend. It’s a track I’ve always really liked racing at in any series. Just like most races this year with the Next Gen car, there’s still some unknowns. I think we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the test there recently as well as other intermediate track notes. Track position and pit stops are going to probably make the biggest difference on Sunday but with high tire falloff, varying strategies in the stages is also going to shuffle the running order. Like past races there, I think running the wall is probably going to be the fastest way around as the tires fall off. You just have to weigh the risk verse reward of doing that and possibly hitting the wall and breaking a suspension part."

TY DILLON, NO. 42 SUNSEEKERRESORTS.COM CAMARO ZL1

"Homestead is one of those places that every driver likes to run at. It's so unique, and having the ability to maneuver around using all types of different lines really makes it a fun challenge. I'm interested to see how our Sunseeker Camaro will drive here since this will be the first race at the track with the NextGen car, but at other low grip places this year we have shown some speed. Managing our tires is going to be one of our highest priorities, so if we can do that throughout the race and stay in contention, I think we will have a solid showing."

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 THE MORGAN LAW GROUP CAMARO ZL1

“Homestead is a track that can be pretty fun. We went down there and tested a few weeks ago and felt like we learned a good chunk of things that affect balance and what we can do with our car down there. It’s a tough race. You’re up against the fence trying to make a lot of speed and not make a mistake. I think we have a shot to run really well there as long as we can keep it out of the wall and keep ourselves up front. I think we can have a good day.”

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Ives on heading to Homestead-Miami this Sunday:

"Homestead-Miami Speedway is unique from the mile-and-a-half tracks we visit. Thankfully, we learned a lot when we tested there last month. Our pit crew has been hitting their stride and we know that pit stops are going to be so important with the tire fall off. Noah (Gragson) likes running the wall and loves going to Homestead, so that confidence makes a huge difference. If we continue to maximize our opportunities and stay clean on pit road, I think we can put the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in victory lane."

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 PRINCESS CRUISES CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts on Homestead-Miami Speedway?

"We had a really good test down there last month and I am really confident we will have a good car. I liked the car on the first day of the test and Ross had the same feelings on the second day."

What are your thoughts with three races remaining in the 2022 season?

"We are doing a good job bringing fast cars to the track each week. If we keep doing that we have a chance to win Sunday and at the remaining races."

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST

Enfinger's thoughts on what it takes to tackle Homestead:

 “Knowing the task at hand, I can’t wait to unload our Champion Power Equipment Chevy in Homestead. Jeff and I have ran well there in the past, and with the low grip and high tire wear, that place has always been one of my favorites. You’ll see guys painting the line, running the middle, and eventually running up on the fence, and it’s going to make for a great show. We know what we need to do, so now it’s all about our execution. I’m excited!”

JACK WOOD, NO. 24 LOGITECH G SILVERADO RST

Wood's thoughts on making his first-career start at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

"I'm looking forward to going to Homestead; I've never been there before, but I have been studying a lot of film and preparing for this race pretty thoroughly. The trucks haven't raced there in two years, so I think we will have a good opportunity by preparing harder this week. The track layout looks really cool where we will be able to move around and experience some tire fall off, which will be fun for all of the drivers. We're getting really close to the end of the season, so I'm mainly excited to get back to the racetrack with my Logitech G Chevy after having a few weeks off."