NASCAR CUP SERIES: AUTOTRADER ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE 400

April 14, 2024

Jeff Andrews

Press Conference

An Interview with:

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Jeff Andrews. Fantastic day for the 9 car getting back into Victory Lane. Walk us through the race from your perspective.

JEFF ANDREWS: Lot of highs, lot of lows for us. As a company, obviously the misfortune with the 5, what they went through there with the loss of the wheel, put them back. But just showing the strength of Hendrick Motorsports to have two more cars there in the top five. Certainly in contention all day long.

Obviously super proud of Alan and Chase and that whole team, the way they've continued to work, to get better, believe in each other, which I think is the most important thing.

Those two guys have an unwilling trust and belief in each other. Things haven't been where they needed to be in the last year, but they spent a lot of time this winter working on their team, their relationship, relationship with both of them and their team. We couldn't be more excited to see all of that start to pay off for them both and that whole team.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open the floor for questions.

Q. You obviously have great relationships with a lot of sponsors. What does it mean to you as the organization to give Hooter's a victory after 32 years of being winless?

JEFF ANDREWS: Yeah, all of our sponsors and partners are very important to us. Certainly for Hooter's, what a great win. As you said, it's been a long time for them. Great to see them in Victory Lane. Their belief in Chase, kind of their hometown boy, so to speak. Great to see them back. Proud of the job the team did for them today.

For all our sponsors, it's been a good start to 2024, and we're going to keep working, trying to stay ahead of this so we're in good shape when we head to the fall for the Playoffs.

Q. Is Chase Elliott back?

JEFF ANDREWS: I didn't get that.

Q. Is Chase Elliott back?

JEFF ANDREWS Is Chase Elliott back? Well, I would say outside of today, let's look at the whole season. I think that's a bigger picture than what that team pulled off today.

We don't as a company think Chase Elliott has ever been gone. We had some things to work on with the team, the support we were giving them. As I said before, he and Alan spent a lot of time this winter on rebuilding that team, putting the right folks in that team, people that believed as much in that team as Alan and Chase did.

I think when you get all the folks pulling together and rowing the boat in one direction, you start to see the results like we've had so far with that team in 2024.

Yeah, certainly Chase is back today. I think the bigger picture is what we've seen in 2024 is exactly the momentum we want to see built with that team. They're headed in a good direction. Now have an opportunity in the Playoffs. We're going to keep working as an organization to get even stronger than where we're at now.

THE MODERATOR: Jeff, congratulations.

JEFF ANDREWS: Thank you so much.