Richard Childress Racing Event Preview:
Pocono Raceway & Texas Motor Speedway
Race: Pocono 400
Location: Pocono Raceway
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Notes:
Richard Childress Racing at Pocono Raceway … In 120 starts at Pocono Raceway, RCR team owner Richard Childress has two wins, both with Dale Earnhardt, who won on July 19, 1987 and July 18, 1993. Additionally, RCR has earned one pole award, 16 top-five and 50 top-10 finishes at the uniquely-shaped three-turn speedway. Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed two of those top-10 finishes under the RCR banner. The Welcome, N.C.-based organization has a 17.6 average starting position, a 15.8 average finishing position, has completed 22,223 of the 23,596 contested laps (94.2 percent) with 599 laps led at the “Tricky Triangle.”
RCR in the NSCS … In 2,204 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, Richard Childress Racing has amassed 100 wins, 431 top-five finishes, 894 top-10 finishes and 42 pole awards, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 15.8 among all races contested. RCR has earned six Sprint Cup Series championships with Dale Earnhardt (1986, ’87, ’90,’91, ’93, ’94), 14 total championships (five NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.
The Collective RCR … Over the season’s first 13 races, RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries have notched four top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. RCR teams have completed 14,012 out of 14,274 total laps (98.16 percent) with drivers Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard, Elliott Sadler and Brendan Gaughan. The group has led a combined 174 laps.
Get to the Points … Following the FedEx 400 at Dover International Speedway, Harvick remains seventh in the driver championship point standings, 46 markers out of the top spot. Menard fell to 15th in the standings, while Burton dropped to 18th.
NASCAR Unites … NASCAR Unites – An America Salute kicked off with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Memorial Day Weekend, May 26-27) and will run through the events at Daytona International Speedway (Independence Day Weekend, July 5-7). Throughout the program, various RCR teams will sport red, white, and blue patriotic trim on spoilers, fins and side skirts. The patriotic initiative is designed to unite the NASCAR industry and fans this summer to celebrate America and support U.S. military families. For information on NASCAR Unites, visit NASCAR.COM/Unites, follow NASCAR Unites on Facebook.com/NASCARUnites or on Twitter: @NASCARUnites.
Interactive RCR …To keep up-to-date with the latest news and to view exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages – @RCR27PMenard, @RCR29KHarvick and @RCR31JeffBurton. Information about the 14-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com.
Catch the Action … TNT’s live coverage of the Pocono 400 begins Sunday, June 10 at 12 p.m. Eastern Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Qualifying for the 14th points-paying event on the Sprint Cup Series calendar will air live on SPEED on Saturday, June 9 at 11 a.m. ET.
Paul Menard
No. 27 Sylvania/Menards Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Sylvania/Menards Chevrolet at Pocono Raceway … Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 384 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet was built new for 2012 competition and was last seen on track at Auto Club Speedway in March where Menard finished 19th after starting from the 27th position in the rain-shortened Auto Club 400.
By the Numbers at the ‘Tricky Triangle’ … In 10 career Sprint Cup Series starts at the 2.5-mile tri-oval, Menard has finished all but one of his contested races and completed 96.7 percent of his laps (1,847 of 1,910). He has an average starting position of 22.6 and an average finishing position of 22.9. One year ago (June 2011), Menard logged his best start of second, and it was in last year’s August event that he earned his best finish of 10th at the Long Pond, Pa.-based facility.
Getting Loopy in 2012 … With 13 points-paying events of the 2012 season complete, Menard sits 14th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 41points out of the final Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup spot. In his sophomore year with RCR, Menard has an average starting position of 19.5, an average finishing position of 16.2, maintains an average running position of 19.2., and has completed 99.6 percent of his laps (4,269 of 4,288).
Racing Close to Home … The No. 27 team’s front-tire changer, Terry Spalding, grew up in Troy, Pa., 2.5 hours northwest of Pocono Raceway. This is Spalding’s second season as a member of the Sylvania/Menards pit crew and his third at RCR.
Cheeseheads Battle for the Cover … The Drive for the Cover campaign has officially kicked off and Menard has the opportunity to grace the cover of NASCAR The Game: Inside Line. The campaign positions 32 drivers in a five-round bracket-style tournament where fans will select the cover driver for this year’s game. In the first round, the Eau Claire, Wis., native faces Cambridge, Wisconsin’s Matt Kenseth. Fans can vote one time per day through June 9, on the NASCAR The Game: Inside Line Facebook page at .
Testing, Testing 1, 2, 3 … Menard and the No. 27 team will participate in an open test session June 6 and 7 at Pocono Raceway. They are utilizing chassis No. 379 from the RCR stable, which was last seen in action at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (May).
Race Rewind … Starting from the front row in the 2011 500-mile race at Pocono Raceway, Menard and the No. 27 Chevrolet team rallied to a 14th-place finish after an early pit road penalty.
In the Rearview Mirror: … Menard and the No. 27 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards team earned a 17th-place finish at Dover International Speedway after battling handling conditions for much of the 400-lap race.
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PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
Do you feel that Pocono Raceway was in need of being repaved?
“I can’t speak for the track because I don’t know what condition the actual surface was in. I’ve never walked on the track. I’ve only driven around it. As a driver, I always like the older, worn out tracks and I hate to see them repaved. But if there is asphalt that’s not going to last for the duration of the race, like we saw at Daytona (International Speedway) then it warrants a repave. Drivers don’t typically like it, though.”
Was driving off the exit of pit road and into turn one as rough in the car as it looked like on television?
“You definitely feel how rough it is, and at full speed you feel it even more. I find that we hit the splitter harder down the straightaway at tracks like Pocono (Raceway) than we did in the corners. The splitter really limits the travel which makes for a pretty rough ride.”
Are you concerned with the speeds that you might hit now that the track has been repaved?
“It’s all relative, actually. The speeds will be higher because the grip will be better, and barring any parts failure you should be able to stop better that you did before. A lot will depend on what kind of tires Goodyear brings for us to use. I am curious to see how turn one will be now. Turn one was really wide and depending on how well your car is handling you used to be able to run all over the place. I am hoping that is still the case, but we’ll have to see when we get there for the open test on Wednesday.”
The last time you raced at Pocono Raceway you got a top-10 finish. Do you feel like you can build off of that, or is it a whole new animal now?
“Unfortunately, we’ll be starting from scratch when we unload there this year. So much of what we do is based on how the tires are, and with a new surface we’ll have to learn everything all over again.”
Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Rheem Chevrolet at Pocono Raceway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 374 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built new for competition during the 2012 season, Harvick utilized this chassis at Auto Club Speedway in March and Darlington Raceway in May finishing fourth and 16th, respectively.
Tackling the “Tricky Triangle” … Harvick has made 22 starts at the 2.5-mile track over the course of his Sprint Cup Series career, collecting five top-five and eight top-10 finishes. The Bakersfield, Calif., native holds a 19.7 average starting position and a 14th-place average finishing position at the “Tricky Triangle”, with his best starting and finishing position of third coming in the fall of 2003 and in the spring of 2006, respectively. Harvick has completed 4,110 of 4,289 (95.8 percent) of the contested laps.
Going for a Loop in Pocono … According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Season-to-Date Statistics, Harvick has completed 14 Sprint Cup Series events at Pocono Raceway since its inception in 2006. The RCR driver ranks within the top 10 in several categories including: first in Green Flag Passes (1,234), third in the Closer category (gaining an average of three spots within the last 10 percent of laps in a race) and fifth in Quality Passes (599). The 36-year-old driver also ranks seventh in Speed in Traffic (157.652 mph), eighth in Average Running Position (13.863), ninth in Laps in the Top 15 (1,724) and Driver Rating (91.4) and tenth in Green Flag Speed (158.631 mph).
Points Racing … With 13 points-paying events complete, Harvick and the No. 29 team sit seventh in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 46 markers behind the leader. The team has collected three top-five and seven top-10 finishes thus far this season, completing 4,276 of 4,288 laps (99.7 percent) contested.
Gotta Have a Rheem … Rheem returns for their fifth appearance of the 2012 season as primary sponsor of the No. 29 team this weekend at Pocono Raceway. Rheem is privately held with headquarters in Atlanta and U.S. operations in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Minnesota and North Carolina. In its 86th year of operation, the company manufactures a full-line of eco-friendly, technologically advanced residential and commercial heating and cooling systems; tank, tankless, solar and hybrid heat pump water heaters; whole-home standby generators, controls, swimming pool and spa heaters; indoor air-purification products; and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The company’s premium brands, including Rheem, Raypak, Ruud and Richmond have been recognized with countless industry and consumer awards for reliability, innovative design and high quality. Rheem is the official heating, cooling and water heating supplier to Richard Childress Racing.
About MacLean-Fogg … Founded in 1925, MacLean-Fogg is a component solutions company and leading supplier of Fasteners, Engineered Components and Linkage & Suspension products serving many diverse industries. Rheem has partnered with MacLean-Fogg for the Sprint Cup race in Pocono where the company’s name will be displayed on TV panel of the No. 29 Chevrolet. The mission of MacLean-Fogg is to become the premier, worldwide supplier of value added, engineered and customer focused solutions that leverage material forming expertise in these three product fields. The keys to their success are the engagement of dynamic and adaptive employees, along with the MacLean-Fogg entrepreneurial culture. MacLean-Fogg’s goals are supported by a robust performance management process, and commitment to operational excellence.
Testing at the Triangle … Prior to the race this weekend at Pocono Raceway, Sprint Cup Series competitors will be on track for an open test on June 6 and 7. The team will utilize chassis No. 374 during the test, the same chassis they plan to race during the 160-lap event on Sunday.
The Last Time By … Harvick and the No. 29 team raced to a fifth-place finish in last year’s 500 mile event at Pocono Raceway while battling handling issues and overcoming a 32nd-place starting position.
In the Rearview Mirror: FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks … Harvick and the No. 29 Jimmy John’s team brought home a second-place finish at the “Monster Mile” last Sunday afternoon after overcoming a pit road mishap and battling a loose-handling Chevrolet during the 400-lap affair.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
How do you think the repave will change things at Pocono Raceway?
“I haven’t been there since they repaved it, but obviously it’s going to be really fast and I think they have put a lot of effort into making the race track safer with the barriers all around the track. Just to see that type of effort from the race track and the commitment they have for the sport is pretty cool. There is going to be a lot to learn over the first couple of days of testing, and as we go into the third day of practice hopefully we will have it figured out on the Rheem Chevrolet.”
How do you think the shortened distance of the race will change things?
“I think the shortened distance of the race will probably not change a whole lot, to tell you the truth. There are really short pit windows at Pocono (Raceway) anyway, and that’s what I focus on. So for me it won’t change a whole lot.”
Jeff Burton
No. 31 Armed Forces Foundation Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Weekend’s Armed Forces Foundation Chevrolet at Pocono Raceway … Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 385 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend. This No. 31 Chevrolet, built new for the 2012 season, was utilized twice this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March (started-22nd, finished-14th) and Texas Motor Speedway in April (started-24th, finished-29th).
Serving Those Who Serve … Burton and the No. 31 RCR team are proud to carry the colors of The Armed Forces Foundation this weekend at Pocono Raceway. The AFF offers vital assistance to active-duty and retired personnel, National Guard, Reserve Components and military families. As soon as a wounded warrior arrives at the hospital, the Armed Forces Foundation steps in to assist the family in traveling to his or her side and provides lodging for them to stay with their loved one. The foundation also provides financial assistance, therapeutic recreational and outreach programs, outdoor hunting programs, military family events, a national education initiative surrounding Veterans Day and Christmas toy drives. The AFF follows their motto “serving those who serve,” as a blueprint to provide a well-rounded program of assistance and support for the entire military family unit.
Career Pocono Stats … This weekend’s 400-mile event marks Burton’s 37th start at the 2.5-mile facility and 633rd-career Sprint Cup Series entry. Burton garnered seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes at the track, leading 104 laps.
Getting Loopy at “The Tricky Triangle” … Burton has accrued impressive NASCAR Loop Data Statistics at Pocono Raceway since the inception in 2006. Of all drivers entering the event, he leads the Closers category, gaining an average of 4.3 positions over the last 10 percent of each contested race. Burton also has the seventh-mostgreen flag passes (1,165) with 544 coming while running in the top 15 (ninth-most). Burton has also spent 1,751 laps in the top 15, which ranks him eighth amongst his competitors. He also has the ninth-best average running position (13.94) at the facility know as “The Tricky Triangle.”
Meet the Press … Burton will field questions from the media inside the Pocono Raceway infield media center on Wednesday, June 6 at 4:15 p.m. ET to discuss the first day of Sprint Cup Series testing on the newly-repaved asphalt surface at the Long Pond, Pa.-based facility.
Poker Face … Burton will take part in the Pocono Celebrity Charity Poker Showdown on Thursday, June 7 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., benefitting the NASCAR Foundation and the Armed Forces Foundation. A limited number of playing spots are available. Fans can choose from three donation options: A $250 donation offers a pre-tournament, VIP meet-and-greet with drivers and celebrities on hand as well as entry to participate in the Poker Showdown, a $150 donation reserves a seat in the poker tournament and a $50 donation allows fans to attend the event as spectators. The top-finishing fan will receive their choice of an all-expense paid trip to Mohegan Sun in Montville, Conn. or a VIP Pocono Raceway race weekend experience. To register for the Pocono Celebrity Poker Showdown, fans can visit http://www.NASCAR.COM/Unites.
Team Chevy … Burton is scheduled to participate in a question and answer session at the Team Chevy stage located in the Pocono Raceway display area on Sunday, June 10 at 9:45 a.m. ET.
Vote for Burton … The Drive for the Cover campaign has officially kicked off and Burton has the opportunity to grace the cover of NASCAR The Game: Inside Line. The campaign will position 32 drivers in a five-round bracket-style tournament and fans will select the cover driver for this year’s game. Fans can vote one time per day on the NASCAR The Game: Inside Line Facebook page at . The first round of voting runs through June 9.
Race Rewind … After running in the top 15 for 240 of the first 364 laps in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway, Burton’s No. 31 BB&T Chevrolet suffered engine problems and relegating the RCR driver to a 22nd-place finish in an early exit.
Points Racing … Burton scored 321 points and sits 18th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings. After 13 points-paying events of the 36-race Sprint Cup Series season, Burton has one top-five and three top-10 finishes. The veteran RCR driver has spent 1,691 laps running in the top 15, has made 1,401 green-flag passes and led 34 laps.
JEFF BURTON QUOTES:
Share your thoughts on Pocono Raceway deciding to repave its asphalt surface.
“It was time to repave. The quality of racing will be much better because of the pavement and the race will also only be 400 miles. The grip level had gotten so far down that it was hard to keep everyone running a similar speed. Drivers got spread out a lot on a big track like that. To me, it was the track that needed the new pavement the most”.
How much do you think changing the race to 400 miles will make it a better race?
“I think a 100-mile cutback is a great idea for Pocono Raceway. I think it would be a great idea for some other race tracks too. There is no reason to run a 500-mile race just because that’s the way we’ve always done it. You need to run the kind of races that put on the best shows for the fans. There seems to be positive feedback from the fans on the decision to run 400 miles at Pocono. I think it will be a good race for many reasons, not just the fact it is 400 miles.”
Talk about the speeds you all carry going into turn one at Pocono Raceway. How much that will change with the new asphalt?
“You will be smoking going to into turn one, that’s for sure. The grip level will also be better. Let me tell you, going into turn one at Pocono Raceway is always an event. There is a lot of stuff going on in there. You are going so fast into the corner where you aren’t supposed to go that fast. It will be interesting to see what happens now that we are going faster, but I think the transition will be quick and the grip level will make it smoother than what it used to be.”
Talk about the old pit road entrance at Pocono Raceway.
“I hope they fixed that (laughter). The access roads and pit road entrances at Pocono Raceway were repaved about six years ago and they didn’t do any grating. They just laid some asphalt. It was so unbelievably rough. It was just time for a complete repave. It needed an update and I’m glad they did it. I think it will make the racing better and everyone will feel better going there. It’s a fun race track and I enjoy going there, but it was time for an update.”
Race: Texas 400
Location: Texas Motor Speedway
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Notes
RCR at Texas Motor Speedway … Richard Childress Racing has 10 previous NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the Fort Worth, Texas-based facility, earning one victory (Jay Sauter, 1999), five top-five and six top-10 finishes and three pole awards. RCR boasts a 4.2 average starting position combined with a 9.7 average finishing position at the 1.5-mile track. Collectively, the Welcome, N.C.-based race team has completed 98.9 percent of the contested laps at Texas Motor Speedway.
RCR’s Camping World Truck Series History … In 226 Camping World Truck Series starts, Richard Childress Racing has earned 25 wins, 84 top-five finishes, 140 top-10 finishes and 32 pole positions, along with the inaugural series championship in 1995 with Mike Skinner and again with Austin Dillon in 2011. The organization has an average starting position of 9.6 and an average finishing position of 10.2.
Truck Line-up … Brendan Gaughan will pilot the No. 2 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The No. 2 team will join Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team along with Joey Coulter and the No. 22 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team for Friday night’s 167-lap event.
Season in Review … Through the first six races of the season, RCR’s Camping World Truck Series entries have acquired one victory at Martinsville Speedway with Kevin Harvick behind the wheel, and have notched four pole awards, with Harvick at Martinsville Speedway, Tim George Jr. at Kansas Speedway, Dillon at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and most recently, last weekend at Dover International Speedway where Harvick claimed the top spot. The Welcome, N.C. organization has three top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, and has led 371 laps in 2012.
To the Points … With six 2012 Camping World Truck Series races in the books, Dillon remains third, in the driver championship point standings, 13 markers behind the leader, while Coulter is 10th, 57 points outside the top spot. RCR’s No. 2 team is seventh in the owner’s point standings utilizing three different drivers (Harvick, Gaughan and George Jr.).
Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news and information and to view exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing, RCR’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team Twitter pages – @RCR3TDillon, @RCR22JCoulter and @RCR2CWTS. RCR’s NCWTS driver Twitter pages – @tydillon, @JoeyCoulter, @timgeorgejr, @Brendan62 and @kevinharvick.
Catch the Action … Flag-to-flag coverage of this weekend’s Texas 400 is scheduled to be televised live on Friday, June 8, beginning at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on SPEED and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
Brendan Gaughan No. 2 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will pilot Chassis No. 061 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series stable. This Chevrolet Silverado was acquired from the merger with Kevin Harvick Inc., at the end of the 2011 season. After undergoing a remodel in the off season, this RCR entry will make its first paces of the 2012 season this weekend.
Texas Details … In 15 Camping World Truck Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, Gaughan has notched four victories, six top-five and 10 top-20 finishes. He holds an 18.3 average starting position coupled with a 14th-place average finishing position. The Las Vegas native has completed 92.2 percent (2,190 of 2,376) of the laps contested at Texas Motor Speedway and has led for 163 laps.
Winner, winner … Gaughan is no stranger to Victory Lane in the “Lone Star State.” He won his first Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in 2002 and went on to win the next three consecutive events at the track. Gaughan is the only driver to have sweep four consecutive Truck Series events at the 1.5-mile facility.
A Look Back … Gaughan’s last Camping World Truck Series start under the RCR banner came at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May wherehe started the 134-lap event from the 11th position. The No. 2 South Point Hotel & Casino team was issued a pit road penalty for the team leaving the pit wall too early, forcing Gaughan to start from the tail end of the longest line. He rallied back to the 12th position before the checkered flag was displayed to the field.
Home Sweet Home … Chase Masterson, mechanic and front-tire changer on the No. 2 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet, hails from Flower Mound, Texas, 17 miles northeast of the track. Masterson has worked at RCR since 2010.
Meet Gaughan … Gaughan is scheduled to participate in a Camping World Truck Series autograph session on Friday, June 8 at 4:30 p.m. local time at Texas Motor Speedway with fellow RCR teammates Joey Coulter and Ty Dillon.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTES:
You’ve won at Texas Motor Speedway on four previous occasions. Is this one of your favorite tracks?
“Texas (Motor Speedway) feels different than any other race track because of all the history there. It’s a great feeling knowing I’ve been successful here in the past and to have RCR and ECR behind me this time. I think it’s an extra confidence booster. On the other hand, if I have a bad race, it makes it all that much worse.”
Some say Texas is like a second home for you. What are your thoughts on this?
“The speedway is near one of my mother’s horse ranches. We spent a lot of time there as a kid. My family likes to be known as a bunch of cowboys, so it’s important for me to run well there. I think next to our hometown track in Las Vegas, Texas (Motor Speedway) is the most important track on the Camping World Truck Series schedule to my parents.”
Ty Dillon No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Ty Dillon will pilot chassis No. 019 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series stable in Friday’s Texas 400. Dillon earned the pole award with this RCR Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and went on to finish in the 10th position. This chassis was driven to four additional top-10 finishes in 2011 by Dillon’s older brother Austin, including a victory at Chicagoland Speedway last September.
Fort Worth Nuggets …This week’s 167-lap event marks Dillon’s second appearance at the Fort Worth, Texas-based facility. Dillon earned his first career top-five Camping World Truck Series finish there in November 2011, capturing a third-place result after starting from the eighth position in his second career Truck Series start.
Points Racing … Dillon remains third in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series drivers championship point standings, 13 markers behind the leader Justin Lofton.
Sunoco Rookie of the Year Update …Dillon continues to lead the 2012 Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings after consuming the lead following the third race of the season. He now sits 33 points ahead of driver Cale Gale after six races on the Camping World Truck Series schedule.
Season to Date … Dillon earned impressive stats with six races complete on the Camping World Truck Series schedule. According to NASCAR’s Season-to-Date Loop Data Statistics, the Welcome, N.C., native is the Series’ second-fastest driver early in a run and third-fastest driver on restarts. Dillon has earned an average running position of 8.4, ranking him fourth overall. He also sits fourth in the Driver Rating category (98.8) and Laps Run in the Top 15 with 900 laps.
A Dream Realized … Prior to arriving in Texas, Dillon is scheduled to drive Team Dillon Racing’s No. 41 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet in the 2012 Prelude to the Dream Dirt Late Model race at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on Wednesday, June 6. The 20-year-old driver joins his brother Austin and a full lineup of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veterans in the invitation-only race, which can be viewed live at 8 p.m. Eastern Daytlight Time on HBO Pay-Per-View. Dillon is scheduled to make his first appearance in the race and will pilot a 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock car capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower in the charity event, which benefits Feed the Children.
Record Breaking … After a sixth-place showing at Dover International Speedway last weekend, Dillon broke NASCAR’s record for consecutive top-10 finishes made by a rookie driver to start the season. The late Ricky Hendrick earned five consecutive top-10 finishes in 2001. Dillon has yet to finish outside the top 10 in the first six races of the season.
“Monster Mile” Recap … Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops team earned a sixth-place finish at Dover International Speedway in the rain-shortened Lucas Oil 200 last weekend. Qualifying fifth for the scheduled 200-lap event, Dillon raced within the top 15 for the first half of the race before the first red-flag was displayed due to rain around the Dover, Del., facility. Green-flag racing resumed 15 minutes later with Dillon scored in the fourth position. With a loose-handling condition developing on the No. 3 Chevrolet, Dillon slipped to sixth as rain again began falling over the one-mile concrete oval, forcing NASCAR officials to call the race 53 laps short of the scheduled distance.
Impressive Top-10 Finish in Nationwide Series Debut … Dillon made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway. Driving the No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, the 20-year-old qualified third and maintained a position in the top-15 for the majority of the 200-lap event. Dillon moved into the top-10 in the later portion of the race, claiming an eighth-place finish when the checkered flag was displayed.
Meet the Driver … Dillon is scheduled to participate in a Camping World Truck Series autograph session Friday, June 8 at 4:30 p.m. at Texas Motor Speedway with fellow RCR teammates Joey Coulter and Brendan Gaughan.
TY DILLON QUOTES:
You earned a third-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway last November in your second Camping World Truck Series start. What did you learn during that race that will help you this weekend?
“I learned a lot about how the truck handles in traffic and how to get around the track. Austin (Dillon) and Joey (Coulter) were a big help in getting me comfortable before the race. We’ll go back with some good notes and hope to have another strong performance.”
After racing the NASCAR Nationwide Series last weekend at Dover International Speedway, will it be difficult to adjust to racing in the truck?
“I don’t think it will be too much of a change. I was able to adjust between the car and the truck on Friday. You just have to be careful at how much speed you carry when entering the corner. In a truck, you can carry more speed but in a car, you have to slow down just a little bit since they don’t have as much downforce.”
Joey Coulter
No. 22 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Joey Coulter will pilot chassis No. 024 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series stable for Friday’s Texas 400. This chassis was built new for the 2012 season and was utilized once at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. Coulter started that race from the third position and finished seventh.
Coulter at Texas … Coulter has two previous starts at the 1.5-mile speedway in the Camping World Truck Series, both occurring during the 2011 season. In the spring event, Coulter finished fifth and followed with a sixth-place finish in the fall. Additionally, he has one start at the Fort Worth, Texas-based facility in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.
Get to the Points … After his 11th-place finish at Dover International Speedway, Coulter remains 10th in the Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings. He is 57 points behind leader Justin Lofton.
Six Races In… More than a quarter of the way through the 2012 season, Coulter ranks third in Fastest Drivers Early in a Run according to NASCAR’s Season-to-Date Loop Data Statistics. He is sixth in Fastest Laps Run and fourth in Quality Passes.
Rewind: Dover … After starting from the second position at Dover International Speedway, Coulter battled a tight-handling condition on the No. 22 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Rain became a factor and the race was red flagged just past halfway. When green-flag racing resumed, Coulter was called to the pits by crew chief Harold Holly, and restarted back in traffic. The race was ultimately called on lap 147 of the scheduled 200-lap event due to rain and Coulter was credited with an 11th-place finish.
Meet Coulter … Coulter is scheduled to sign autographs at the Camping World Truck Series autograph session on Friday, June 8 at 4:30pm Eastern Time at Texas Motor Speedway. He will be joined by RCR teammates Ty Dillon and Brendan Gaughan.
Birthday Boy… Coulter will celebrate his 22nd birthday by making his 32nd Camping World Truck Series career-start in the Texas 400.
JOEY COULTER QUOTES:
With two top-10 finishes in your first two starts at Texas Motor Speedway, how do you prepare this weekend to go for your third?
“I prepare just like I would for any other race. This track has been good for us in the past. We’ll use that success and our notes from those races to help us in our team preparations for this weekend. Good finishes like those give us good momentum heading into the race weekend.”
How do you transition from Dover International Speedway, a one-mile concrete oval, to Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile intermediate-style track?
“At Dover (International Speedway), you really get the sensation for speed, so it makes you feel like you’re going a lot faster than you really are. Texas (Motor Speedway) is a fast track and a lot of fun to race. The two tracks are very different with different driving styles.”
