The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chevrolet begins 2024 season undefeated in all 3 series
Two weeks into the new NASCAR season, Chevrolet heads into Las Vegas Motor Speedway undefeated.
And not just in the top Cup Series, where Daniel Suarez of Trackhouse Racing won a three-wide photo finish at the checkered flag last week at Atlanta and William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports won the Daytona 500.
But the Chevy winning streak crosses all three NASCAR national series as the bowtie brand has swept the start of the year in the Xfinity and Truck Series as well. Nick Sanchez and Kyle Busch won the first two Truck Series races for Spire Motorsports, while Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing is 2 for 2 with wins at Daytona and Atlanta.
It’s the first time in NASCAR history a manufacturer sweep stretched through the first two weekends of a season. The Daytona sweep by Chevrolet made the automaker the only manufacturer to accomplish that more than once. Chevy also swept Daytona in 2018.
Chevrolet has now won at least one race in the NASCAR national ranks every weekend since The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway last October.
But NASCAR shifts this weekend to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which unlike Daytona and Atlanta is not a superspeedway. It’s a traditional 1.5mile oval — the type of track that comprises the bulk of the NASCAR schedule and a closer indicator on where
Ford and Toyota stack up against their rival.
Only thing is, Chevy last year was really good at Las Vegas, too. Byron won in March and Kyle Larson won in October for a Hendrick sweep of Las Vegas in Cup. Hill is the defending Xfinity Series race winner and can make it three-straight to open this season on Saturday. Busch won the Truck Series race last March.
The competition is hardly throwing in the towel and Ford and Toyota drivers are eager to get their new cars to victory lane this season. Ford and Toyota both unveiled new cars for the 2024 season, while Chevrolet made no changes to its 2023 model but has still beaten their updated rivals.
Las Vegas native Riley Herbst, who earned his first career victory last October in the Xfinity Series race at his home track, went so far as to predict he can win Saturday by 20 seconds. Herbst and Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace both quickly shook their heads ‘no’ when asked if the Chevrolet streak would continue through this three-race weekend.
“We’re just two races in, Chevrolet isn’t going to win all the races,” said Toyota driver Wallace, who was fifth at both Daytona and Atlanta.