RCR Event Preview – Martinsville Speedway

RCR at Martinsville … In 135 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned four pole awards and posted seven victories with drivers Dale Earnhardt (five times), Ricky Rudd (1983) and Kevin Harvick (2011). RCR Chevrolet teams have earned 27 top-five and 53 top-10 finishes at Martinsville dating back to the team’s first start there on April 10, 1972. RCR teams boast a 16.6 average starting position, a 16.1 average finishing position and have completed 62,992 of the 67,198 contested laps (93.7 percent) at the paperclip-shaped race track. Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed four of those top-10 finishes from 1976-1978.

RCR in the NSCS … In 2,288 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 101 wins, 42 pole awards, 435 top-five finishes and 915 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.9 and an average finishing position of 15.8. RCR has earned 14 total championships (six Sprint Cup Series championships with Dale Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90,’91, ’93 and ’94, five NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.

RCR California Rewind … In the Sprint Cup Series event at Auto Club Speedway two weekends ago, Paul Menard finished eighth to collect his third-straight top 10 of the 2013 season, while Harvick crossed the finish line 13th and Burton finished in the 17th position.

The Collective RCR … Throughout the season’s first five races, RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries have notched five top-10 finishes and completed 4,404 of 4,604 total laps (95 percent) with drivers Burton, Austin Dillon, Harvick and Menard. RCR’s three full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers rank eighth (Menard), 15th (Harvick) and 24th (Burton) in the driver championship point standings.

Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages – @RCR27PMenard, @RCR29KHarvick, @RCR31JeffBurton and driver Twitter page @KevinHarvick. Information about the 14-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com along with official driver pages – www.facebook.com/PaulMenard27, www.facebook.com/OfficialKevinHarvick and www.facebook.com/OfficialJeffBurton.

Catch the Action … Live coverage of the STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville Speedway will be televised on FOX Sunday, April 7, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

 
Paul Menard
No. 27 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet … Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 419 at Martinsville Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS is a new addition to the Richard Childress Racing stable this season.

Menard at “The Paperclip” … Menard has 11 starts at Martinsville Speedway. His best start of ninth came in 2010 and 2012 and best finish of 12th came in 2012. The Wisconsin native has completed 5,279 of 5,534 laps attempted (95.4 percent) at the half-mile oval.

About Pittsburgh Paints … PPG Pittsburgh® Paints is a nationally recognized brand trusted by painting contractors, building owners, architects, designers, and homeowners for over 100 years. Products include interior/exterior paints and interior/exterior stains. For additional information, please visit www.ppgpittsburghpaints.com.

Fun Fact … After the first five races this year, Menard is one of only five drivers to have completed 100 percent of laps (1,483) attempted this season.

Let’s Get “Sirius”… Be sure to tune in to Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 3. Menard will join host Claire B. Lang to chat about being eighth in the driver championship point standings and his performance this season.

Race Rewind … In his last appearance at Martinsville Speedway, Menard started the No. 27 Chevrolet from the ninth position and brought home a 12th-place finish, his best effort to-date at the track.

PAUL MENARD QUOTES:

Menard’s Thoughts on Racing at Martinsville Speedway:

“After having a weekend off I’m ready to get back to racing. We had some great momentum with a string of top-10 finishes before the break, so I’m hoping to keep that going this weekend. It’s difficult to pass at Martinsville because everyone is fighting for the bottom groove. Sometimes it feels like bumper cars out there, but it’s a fun track to drive. Qualifying and pit strategy are key because track position is so important at Martinsville. It’s going to be all about survival on Sunday.”

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s Budweiser Chevrolet at Martinsville Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 420 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the STP Gas Booster 500. This Chevrolet is new to the RCR line up and will run its first competitive laps this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

Martinsville Stats … Sunday’s race marks Harvick’s 24th-career Sprint Cup Series start at the Virginia-based facility. Since 2001, the 37-year-old driver has collected one win (April 2011), one pole award (April 2010), three top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. Harvick holds an average starting position of 13.3 coupled with a 16.7 average finishing position, has completed 97.4 percent (11,236 of 11,534) of laps contested and is credited with 363 laps led.

Ride Along with Harvick … Want to experience a lap around the track with Harvick? The King of Beers has launched the Budweiser 360° Ride-Along Experience to allow adult fans to do just that. The “surround video” technology gives race fans a 360-degree look at a lap around the track inside the cockpit of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet with Harvick. While Budweiser’s driver controls the steering wheel, fans have the ability to control their view with the unique experience. The Budweiser 360° Ride-Along Experience is viewable on desktop and laptop computers and can be accessed at www.Budweiser.com.

Prohibition Ends at Last … On Sunday, Anheuser-Busch and its family of wholesalers will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. The Cullen-Harrison Act took effect on April 7, 1933, legalizing the sale of 3.2 percent alcohol by volume beer in the District of Columbia and the 20 states in which state laws did not prohibit its sale. As the clock atop the brew house showed one minute past midnight on April 7, 1933, sirens and steam whistles sounded, the large wooden doors of the brewery’s Bevo bottling plant opened to the cheers of the thirsty, and 55 trucks laden with America’s favorite brew rolled out into the night, delivering the first cases of post-Prohibition Budweiser to the masses. Though the national repeal of Prohibition for all forms of alcohol did not become finalized until December 5, April 7 marks the most significant anniversary in the American beer industry.

Budweiser Clydesdales Celebrated … While the King of Beers honors the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, they also celebrate another major milestone – the 80th anniversary of the Clydesdales association with Anheuser-Busch. The Budweiser Clydesdales have been an integral part of Anheuser-Busch’s heritage since April 7, 1933, when August A. Busch Jr. and Adolphus Busch presented their father with two six-horse hitches of champion Clydesdales in celebration of the repeal of Prohibition. The Clydesdales’ strength and majesty symbolize Budweiser quality and team spirit. This week Warm Springs Ranch, Anheuser-Busch’s state-of-the-art Clydesdale breeding farm opened for public tours in Boonville, Mo. The ranch remains open until October 31 and tour spots can be reserved through www.warmspringsranch.com.

2012 Race Rewind … Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser team started second in this event last season, battled handling issues for the majority of the event and ultimately finished 19th.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

What type of mentality must a driver have to be successful at short-track racing?

“It’s a balance between being patient and making the right moves. You can get lapped pretty quickly if your car is off. You want to take care of your race car, but you want to take advantage of the opportunities when you get them.”

Talk about the importance of brake conservation at Martinsville Speedway.

“Braking is obviously going to be something that you look at when going to Martinsville (Speedway), but I think now the brakes and the rotors and everything are so good that the issue you have now is the tires. The brakes will basically melt the bead of the tire because they’re so hot, so you have to concentrate on not only the cooling of the brakes, but also the cooling of the tires.”

Jeff Burton
No. 31 Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s No. 31 Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma Chevrolet SS at Martinsville Speedway… Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 421 this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. This is a brand new No. 31 Chevrolet seeing its first on-track action during Friday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice session.

Burton in Hot Dog Heaven … Burton grew up an hour away from Martinsville Speedway in South Boston, Va. and Sunday’s event marks his 37th start at the half-mile facility. He has amassed 10 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes, led 940 laps and made one trip to Victory Lane in 1997.

About Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma … Life-threatening injury is the No. 1 killer of kids in America. Nearly 10,000 children die each year – more than all other causes combined. The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma invests resources in research, medical education and awareness to improve the treatment for critically injured children across the U.S. Join the Childress Champions by visiting www.InjuredKids.org, or find them on Facebook at and Twitter @InjuredKids.

Meet the Press … Burton will field questions from the gathered media inside the Martinsville Speedway infield media center on Friday, April 5 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Team Chevy Stage … Burton is scheduled to participate in a question-and-answer session at the Team Chevy stage located in the Martinsville Speedway display area on Sunday, April 7 at 9:20 a.m. ET.

Sprint Fan Vote. Vote Now, Vote Often … Fans have the opportunity to vote Burton into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 18 with the Sprint Fan Vote. The Sprint Fan Vote was launched in 2004 as a way to bring one more deserving driver into the Sprint All-Star Race to compete for the $1 million payout. There are three ways you can vote for Burton.

Mobile Handsets

Use the NASCAR Mobile ‘2013 application

Votes from the application count double (x2)

Voting on handsets is unlimited

Online

NASCAR.COMhttp://www.nascar.com/SprintFanVote
Voting online is unlimited

The Sprint Experience

Voting stations will be set up in the Sprint Experience mobile display each race weekend

Race Rewind 2012 … Burton and the No. 31 Chevrolet team finished 22nd in the 2012 event at Martinsville Speedway after suffering electrical issues just past the halfway mark of the event.

JEFF BURTON QUOTES:

Do you worry about keeping the fenders clean when you go to Martinsville Speedway?

“Absolutely. I think you have to make sure you are patient, but aggressive. The more people you run into, the more it damages your car and makes it harder to drive.”

You also need to keep your cool at Martinsville Speedway, correct?

“It is so important to remain focused. It’s harder at Martinsville Speedway than anywhere else we go on the schedule. Keep your eye on the ball and try not to let the things going on around you dictate what you do. Your goals need to dictate your actions. I think Martinsville is the hardest race track to stay focused on your goals.”

Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes

Race: Kroger 250
Date: April 6, 2013
Location: Martinsville Speedway

Richard Childress Racing’s Camping World Truck Series History … In 276 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, RCR has earned 27 wins, 102 top-five finishes, 170 top-10 finishes and 37 pole awards RCR also earned 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 10.3.

RCR at Martinsville Speedway … Richard Childress Racing has 17 previous Camping World Truck Series starts at the half-mile race track. In those 17 appearances, the Welcome, N.C.-based organization boasts three wins; Mike Skinner in 1996, Jay Sauter in 1998 and Kevin Harvick in March 2012. Accompanying those wins are two pole awards, eight top-five 10 top-10 finishes with a 99.3 percent (3,838 of 3,867) completion of the laps contested and 710 laps led. RCR holds a 12.6 average starting position coupled with a 9.5 average finishing position.

Points Racin’ … With one Camping World Truck Series race completed so far in 2013, Dillon is fourth in the driver championship point standings, trailing the leader by seven markers, while Brendan Gaughan is 28th in the standings, 32 points outside the top spot. The No. 3 team is fifth in the owner championship point standings and the No. 62 team is in the 29th position.

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 and @RCR62BGaughan. RCR’s Camping World Truck Series driver Twitter pages – @tydillon and @Brendan62.

Catch the Action … Flag-to-flag coverage of the Kroger 250 is scheduled to be televised live on Saturday, April 6 beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on SPEED and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Ty Dillon
No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Silverado
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet at Martinsville Speedway … Ty Dillon will pilot chassis No. 021 from the Richard Childress Racing stable in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250. Dillon drove this Chevrolet on three different occasions in 2012, collecting a runner-up finish in the spring race at Martinsville Speedway.

Martinsville Nuggets … This weekend’s Kroger 250 marks Dillon’s third Camping World Truck Series appearance at the half-mile facility. Dillon holds a fourth-place average starting position coupled with a 15th-place average finishing position. He has completed 98.7 percent (444 of 450) of the contested laps and earned one top-five finish.

Make a Difference … With the help of Drive4COPD, Dillon and his older brother Austin are taking part in NASCAR’s Race to Green campaign, a fully-integrated and massive national tree planting initiative designed to engage the NASCAR industry and excite fans. The month-long initiative focuses heavily on sustainability programs that NASCAR, the industry and a wide range of partners have in place to help reduce the sport’s carbon footprint. COPD is helping to reduce the sport’s footprint by donating five trees for each lap the Dillon brothers lead during the month of April.

Takin’ a Break … Since the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, the Camping World Truck Series has had five weeks off from racing. During that time, Dillon raced the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March and earned an 11th-place finish. He has also run dirt races with Team Dillon Racing throughout the southeast. He also joined his brother, Austin and grandfather, Richard Childress on a hunting trip to Argentina.

Welcome Home … Tracy Ramsey, the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops hauler driver, hails from Fredericksburg, Va., a town 217 miles from the Martinsville, Va., short track. Ramsey, an 11-year veteran of RCR, came to the No. 3 team from Jeff Burton’s No. 31 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team where he worked as the tire specialist.

Race Rewind: Daytona … Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops team started the 100-lap affair at Daytona International Speedway from the fifth position and quickly jumped into the lead by lap seven. The RCR team led for the next 56 laps around the superspeedway, before relinquishing the lead to pit for fuel. Working in the draft, Dillon was on his way back to the front when a late-race incident ended the event under caution, relegating the Bass Pro Shops team to a sixth-place finish.

TY DILLON QUOTES:

How does it feel to race in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, then take a month off from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series?

“Even though we’ve had a month off from racing in the Truck Series, I spent a lot of that down time dirt racing with Team Dillon Racing and testing the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. It helps keeping your driving skills sharp by turning some laps on dirt. I also had the opportunity to race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the No. 33 WESCO Chevrolet. It definitely helps being able to race something and keeping your mindset on racing.”

This weekend marks your third appearance at Martinsville Speedway, what are your thoughts heading into the event?

“We’ve had some fast trucks the last few times we’ve gone to Martinsville (Speedway). I’m looking forward to seeing what this weekend has to bring. We had a good run going last fall, but we got caught up in an incident and didn’t get the finish the team deserved.”

Brendan Gaughan
No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Silverado
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Martinsville Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will pilot Chassis No.033 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series stable in the Kroger 250. In seasons past, this Chevrolet was utilized by the No. 22 team and was most recently driven to a third-place finish during the October event at Martinsville Speedway.

Taking on the Paperclip … This weekend, Gaughan will make his 13th-career Camping World Truck Series appearance at the half-mile facility. Throughout the years, the Las Vegas native has collected four top-10 finishes, has a 25.5 average starting position, 14.3 average finishing position, completed 99.9 percent (2,704 of 2,706) laps contested and has been credited with seven laps led. Gaughan’s best start of fourth came in 2003, while he earned his best finish of sixth in 2006.

South Point Hotel & Casino … Opened in December of 2005, the South Point resort was the first megaresort located south of McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip. The facility consists of a 25 story hotel tower and 90,000 square feet convention center located on a 60 acre site along Las Vegas Boulevard in Enterprise, Nevada. South Point Hotel offers a total of 2,163 rooms and 160,000 sq. ft. meeting and convention space; the largest of any hotel in Las Vegas that is not on the Strip. For more information, visit www.southpointcasino.com or call 1-866-796-7111.

Enjoying Some Down Time … The Camping World Truck Series took a five week break since the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Gaughan used his off time wisely logging laps during multiple test sessions, spending time with family and was scheduled to participate in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway until rain canceled qualifying, resulting in the No. 21 team missing the event.

Race Rewind: Daytona International Speedway … Gaughan and the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet team were relegated to a 29th-place finish following a mid-race, multi-truck accident during the Camping World Truck Series season opener at Daytona.

BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:

Explain your love/hate relationship with Martinsville Speedway.

“We’ve always raced well there (Martinsville Speedway), but qualifying just kills us and I have to get better at it. I love Martinsville, the staff and the people in the community are great, but I have tried every way possible to get a good lap in at that track and haven’t figured it out yet. I have decided that I am going to be one with Martinsville and make it part of my DNA this weekend. I am determined to get better at the track, and part of it is making up my mind that we are going to do well there.”

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