RCR Event Preview – Sprint Showdown, Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway & Get to Know Newton 250 at Iowa Speedway

1990 and 1993 races.

RCR in the NSCS … In 2,414 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 44 pole awards, 105 wins, 450 top-five finishes and 956 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 15.8. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Sprint Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90,’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.

The Collective RCR … Throughout the season’s first 11 races, RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries have earned one pole award with Dillon at Daytona International Speedway in February. Collectively, the organization has notched one top-five and 10 top-10 finishes with drivers Dillon, Ryan Newman and Paul Menard. RCR’s three full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers rank eighth (Newman), 14th (Dillon) and 17th (Menard) in the driver championship point standings.

RCR Kansas Rewind … In the Sprint Cup Series event at Kansas Speedway last weekend, teammates Newman, Menard and Dillon finished 11th, 17th and 19th, respectively.

Save Kids’ Lives by Joining the Childress Champions … Help support the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma by selecting your favorite driver when making a bronze level donation of $33 (Austin Dillon), $27 (Paul Menard) or $31 (Ryan Newman) to CIPT. To make a tax deductable donation, visit: . The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma invests resources in research, education and awareness to improve the treatment for critically injured children in the U.S. The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center was established through the generosity of Richard and Judy Childress. For more information, please visit www.InjuredKids.org.

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 – @RCR3ADillon, @RCR27PMenard, @RCR31RNewman, and driver Twitter pages @austindillon3 and @RyanJNewman. Information about the 15-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/austindillon3 , www.facebook.com/PaulMenard27 and www.facebook.com/RyanNewmanNASCAR.

Catch the Action … The NASCAR Sprint Showdown race will be televised live on Friday, May 16 beginning at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The NASCAR All Star race will be televised live on Saturday, May 17 beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Austin Dillon
No. 3 Dow Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s Dow Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 431 in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This Chevrolet SS was utilized by the Gil Martin-led team in 2013 on three occasions, with Kevin Harvick earning a win at Kansas Speedway (October), a sixth-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway (October) and an eighth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway (November).

Dillon in the Sprint Showdown … Friday night’s non-points exhibition race, which serves as a qualifying event for Saturday’s All-Star race, will mark Dillon’s first appearance in the Sprint Showdown. The top-two finishers will earn a starting berth in the All-Star race. In addition, you can vote Dillon into the Sprint All-Star Race by visiting NASCAR.com/sprintfanvote.

Welcome, Dow … Dillon’s rookie year in the Sprint Cup Series is also Dow’s first year as a primary sponsor with RCR and the No. 3 Chevrolet. Together, both teams embrace the power of safety, science and technology as RCR tests Dow products under the most strenuous conditions. Dow also drives innovation to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems, bringing a broad range of sustainable products and solutions to customers in nearly 180 countries. www.dow.com.

Double Duty … In addition to competing in the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series on Friday, Dillon is scheduled to race in Friday’s Camping World Truck Series race, which is scheduled to air live on FOX Sports 1 on Friday, May 16 at 8 p.m. ET.

#ALLin Challenge … Dillon is asking fans whether they are #ALLin for a new and exciting challenge every Wednesday on his Twitter account, @austindillon3. From capturing an “awkward hug” via video to submitting your best “poker face” photo to helping crew chief Gil Martin’s son Ford find a date for his upcoming prom, each challenge is unique and the winner, as voted on by Austin, wins race tickets or unique memorabilia. Follow @austindillon3 on Twitter every Wednesday for the #ALLin♠ Challenge.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

What are your thoughts on racing in the Sprint Showdown?

“We’re in the Sprint Showdown and we’re giving all we’ve got, especially as far as cars and engines. We’ll be pushing the limits. It’s two 20-lap heat races and it will be a wild one, I’m sure. Everybody wants to get into the Sprint All-Star Race so they have a shot at earning that million dollar pay out. It means a lot to our team and our guys. We’ll be fighting hard for every spot we can in the Sprint Showdown and see what we can get.”

Why should fans vote for Austin Dillon to get into the Sprint All Star race?

“Well, I’m going to give it all I’ve got. The other big thing is that all of the winnings from my side of it I’m going to give back to the Armed Forces Foundation. We’re going to be giving back to the military. They are the ones that allow us to race on the weekends. I hope you guys vote for me and we’ll put on a good show in the race.”

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

This Week’s Serta/Menards Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 461 in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS was previously raced at Auto Club Speedway where Menard finished in the ninth position.

Sprint All-Star/Showdown Stats … Menard has six-career Sprint Showdown starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His best start of third came in 2011 and best finish of fourth took place in 2010 and 2013. The Wisconsin native has an average start of 11.5 and average finish of 13.7 in the NASCAR All-Star Race qualifying event. In 2012, Menard raced in the Sprint All-Star Race after qualifying by winning the Brickyard 400 (2011). He finished the non-points race 16th after starting in the seventh position.

About Serta … Serta is proud to be the manufacturer of the World’s Best Mattress™. Their commitment to quality has made them a leader in the industry, and they look forward to helping you find the right mattress so you can get a better night’s sleep for years to come. For more information on Serta, visit www.serta.com.

Season to-date … Through the first 11 races of the 2014 season, Menard has completed 3,432 of 3,557 laps contested (96.5 percent), led 45 laps and is currently 18th in the driver point standings.

Race Rewind … In the last Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Menard started the No. 27 Menards Chevrolet in the eighth position and took the checkered flag in fourth place, just two positions short of transferring into the All-Star race.

Showdown Format … The Sprint Showdown consists of two 20-lap segments with the winner and second-place finisher qualifying for the 30th running of the Sprint All-Star Race. The Sprint Showdown is scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time with live television coverage beginning on Fox Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET. Saturday night’s All Star race airs live on FOX Sports 1 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.

Cast Your Vote … Fans have the opportunity to vote Menard into the Sprint All-Star Race with the Sprint Fan Vote. You can vote for Menard online at http://www.nascar.com/SprintFanVote. Voting is unlimited. Fans can also vote on their mobile devices by using the NASCAR Mobile application. Votes from the application count twice.

PAUL MENARD QUOTE:

What are you thoughts on racing in the Sprint Showdown?

“The (Sprint) Showdown and All-Star weekend is always a good one since there are no points on the line. We can just race hard, have fun and gather some information for the Coca-Cola 600. A lot of families come out to watch during the Charlotte race weekends, so hopefully we can put the Serta / Menards Chevrolet into the All-Star race and put on a good show.”

Ryan Newman
No. 31 Caterpillar/Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s Caterpillar/Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 441 on Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chassis No. 441 has earned two top-10 finishes for Newman this season. It was utilized at Phoenix International Raceway (Start: 15th, Finish: 7th) and Darlington Raceway (Start: 7th, Finish: 10th).

Newman in the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race … Newman is eligible to race in the sport’s $1 million exhibition event thanks to his 2002 All-Star win during his rookie season, a feat only accomplished by one other rookie driver. He also qualifies by way of last year’s Brickyard 400 victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Saturday’s event marks his 13th-straight appearance in the All-Star Race.

Caterpillar … For nearly 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets. Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company principally operates through its three product segments – Resource Industries, Construction Industries and Power Systems – and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. More information is available at: www.caterpillar.com.

Engineered to Amaze … Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc. is the nation’s fourth largest retail home mortgage lender. The company closed a record $80 billion of volume across all 50 states in 2013. Quicken Loans generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Scottsdale, Arizona. The company also operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit, as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. Quicken Loans ranked #1 in customer satisfaction among all home mortgage lenders in the United States by J.D. Power for four consecutive years in 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Quicken Loans was named among the top-30 companies on FORTUNE magazine’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the last 11 consecutive years, ranking #5 in 2014. It ranked in the top-15 of Computerworld magazine’s “100 Best Places to Work In Technology” for the past nine years, ranking #1 in 2013. The company moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010, and now more than 8,500 of its 10,000-plus team members work in the city’s urban core. For more information about Quicken Loans, please visit www.quickenloans.com, on Twitter at @QLnews, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/QuickenLoans.

#31in31 … Fans are encouraged to enter the Quicken Loans “31 Mortgages in May Sweepstakes” for a chance to win a one month mortgage payment. Quicken Loans is awarding one winner per day in May. Plus, three winners will be awarded a trip for two to the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway, where one lucky winner will receive a full year’s mortgage payment. For details, check out QLRacing.com.

Meet Ryan … Newman is schedule to sign autographs for fans on Friday around 4 p.m. Eastern Time at the Sprint All-Star driver autograph session at the Sprint Experience. Visit the display for details. Plus, on Saturday at 3:40 p.m., he’s scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR merchandise hauler located in the track’s midway.

Point of Interest … Newman ranks eighth in the Sprint Cup Series championship point standings, trailing the current leader by 62 points, entering next weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.

Race Rewind … Last season, Newman started 11th and finished 13th in the non-points race.

RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE:

How do you approach the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race?

“I approach it like all the other races, it’s a race to win. But, I think it’s a race that carries a little more bragging rights to it. It is the All-Star Race and there is a million bucks on the line, so I wouldn’t mind earning that payday. Regardless of the format or how the fans vote, the event provides you with a fair chance to win the race and that’s why it’s a lot of fun for us. It’s like a championship, you have a chance. You just have to beat all the other guys doing it.”

What the best part of the All-Star race?

“That’s simple. We are at home and I think that’s what makes our All-Star race special. We are racing in front of the hometown crowd. Other sports travel somewhere different every year. We get to stay here in Charlotte so we get to compete in front of our family, co-workers and friends. It’s really cool to be able to do that.”

Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Nationwide Series News and Notes

Race:       Get to Know Newton 250 presented by Sherwin Williams
Date:        Sunday, May 18, 2014
Location: Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa

Richard Childress Racing at Iowa Speedway … In 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at the 7/8-mile track, Richard Childress Racing has led 438 laps and visited victory lane once with Elliott Sadler in 2012. Austin Dillon started from the pole in the June 2013 race and drove to a second-place finish. RCR averages a ninth-place starting position, a 12th-place finish and has accumulated five top-five and nine top-10 finishes.

Talladega Rewind … In the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway, Ty Dillon, Brian Scott and Brendan Gaughan posted 15th, 33rd and 34th place finishes, respectively.

Get to the Points … Heading into Iowa, all three full-time RCR Nationwide Series drivers are holding strong inside the top-10 of the driver point standings. Ty Dillon continues to lead the RCR drivers ranking fifth, Brian Scott is sixth and Brendan Gaughan in seventh.

Social Media …  To stay on track with the latest news, information and to view exclusive, behind the scenes content visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing, RCR’s NASCAR Nationwide Series team Twitter pages – @RCR2BScott, @RCR3TDillon, @RCR33NNS and  @RCR62BGaughan. RCR’s Nationwide Series driver twitter pages – @bscottracing, @tydillon, @caleconley and @Brendan62. For additional photos, news and video log on to rcrracing.com.

Iowa Coverage… Coverage of this weekend’s race at Iowa Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, May 18, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN. It will also be broadcasted live on MRN and SiriusXM channel 90.
Brian Scott
No. 2 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet at Iowa Speedway … This weekend at Iowa Speedway, Brian Scott and the No. 2 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet Camaro will race chassis No. 101. This chassis was most recently raced at Richmond International Raceway where Scott started from the pole position and captured a fifth-place finish. In addition to the spring race, this chassis was raced during the 2013 fall Richmond race where he sat on the pole, led 239 of 250 laps and finished second. The chassis has a strong history with spring victories at Phoenix International Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway in 2012, and also earned six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.

Scott at Iowa … Scott will be making his eighth NASCAR Nationwide Series start at the 7/8-mile asphalt tri-oval where he has seven previous starts earning one top-10 finish with an average start of 7.4 and an average finish of 17. Scott has qualified inside the top-10 in six of his seven starts with 1644 of 1750 (93.9 percent) laps completed.

Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff … This weekend at America’s Place to Race, the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro team welcome’s primary sponsor Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff, America’s original and best-selling, tobacco-free smokeless snuff. The first of a five primary-race partnership for the world’s largest tobacco-free smokeless company, SMS pairs with retail partner Casey’s General Store for the 250-lap event.

What are your points? … Brian Scott and his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro team enter Iowa Speedway sixth in the Nationwide Series championship driver point standings.

Where is Brian? … On Saturday, Scott is scheduled to sign autographs at Iowa Speedway alongside other Nationwide Series drivers under the Turn 4 grandstands at 10 a.m. CT. Scott will also be available to sign autographs on the red carpet as he walks into the driver/crew chief meeting located in the Newton Club at 11 a.m.

Rearview Mirror … Brian Scott and the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro qualified 10th for Saturday afternoon’s Nationwide Series Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway. The Shore Lodge team led six different times for a total of 10 laps during the first 60 circuits before getting caught up in an accident on lap 63. The No. 2 Camaro sustained sufficient damage and was unable to return to the track resulting in a 33rd-place finish.

BRIAN SCOTT QUOTES:

A lot of guys love the whole atmosphere of Iowa Speedway. Does the track being designed by a driver appeal to you?

“Yeah, Iowa is always fun. It’s great to go into the Midwest and see all the Midwest fans. They have a history of always having great attendance at the race track. Anytime you go to a race track that has a big fan base and you have people excited about the race and it being a stand-alone Nationwide race, that gets us pumped up. It’s a fun race track that you can race. There are at least two grooves and you can run side-by-side. Fast cars can work their way to the front and normally you have less Cup drivers there, so it’s an opportunity for a Nationwide guy to pull off a win and kind of spring board or jump start their season.

Does this track compare to anything else on the circuit?

“It’s kind of Richmond-esque. Everybody will say that, but they will say it with an asterisk because it’s like Richmond, but it’s not like Richmond. It’s shaped like Richmond, it drives kind of like Richmond, but the track is a lot wider. It has more grip, it has a lot bigger exits and the crucial thing about Richmond is tire management. You don’t have that as much at Iowa. It’s like Richmond, but it’s not.”

Ty Dillon
No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s WESCO Chevrolet Camaro at Iowa Speedway … Ty Dillon will pilot chassis No. 116 in this weekend’s Get to Know Newton 250 presented by Sherwin Williams. He drove this Richard Childress Racing-prepared Camaro to two top-10 finishes this season at Darlington Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Last season, Austin Dillon drove chassis No. 116 to a second-place finish at Iowa Speedway after qualifying on the pole and leading 207 laps.

Dillon at Iowa Speedway … The Welcome, N.C. native will be making his Nationwide Series debut at the 7/8-mile track Sunday afternoon. He has made four starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series recording two top-five finishes. In July, 2011 Dillon won the ARCA Series presented by Menards race in Iowa after qualifying on the pole and leading 193 laps.

Busy off-week … Despite having the week off from competition, Dillon and the No. 3 team participated in a Goodyear tire test at Dover International Speedway. The 22-year-old driver also visited Ron Fellows Performance Driving School to sharpen up his road course driving skills. The Nationwide Series is scheduled to visit three road courses this season, with the first being on June 21 at Road America.

Did you know? … WESCO International, Inc. supplies over 215,000 different products across North America. The Pittsburgh, Pa.-based company has partnered with RCR for five races thus far in 2014, and  partnered with Dillon in the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro for six races last season.

Last time out at Talladega Superspeedway … Dillon and the No. 3 team managed to rebound from an mid-race incident that damaged the left-front fender and finished 15th.

Season update … Nine races into the 2014 season, Dillon is tied for fourth in the driver point standings trailing the leader by only 31 points. He is also ranked second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings. Dillon has completed 99.9 percent of competition laps, leading ten, and recorded six top-10 finishes.

Meet Ty Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to participate in the Nationwide Series autograph session on Sunday beginning at 10 a.m. CT. The autograph session is scheduled to take place on the north end of the main concourse. Fans also have an opportunity to see Dillon and other NASCAR drivers throw out the first pitch at the Iowa Cubs game on Friday, May 16.

TY DILLON QUOTE:

What are your thoughts on making your debut in the Nationwide Series at Iowa Speedway?

“It’s a track where I have had success at in the past. I won an ARCA race there a few years ago, and was able to run pretty well there in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Danny (Stockman, crew chief) and I have been talking about our set-up for the track and I’m excited to race there because I know this team led a bunch of laps and had a chance to win there last year.”

Cale Conley
No. 33 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s IAVA Chevrolet Camaro at Iowa Speedway … Cale Conley will pilot chassis No. 107 in Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Iowa Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet saw track action last month at Richmond International Raceway where Conley earned a 15th-place finish. Additionally this chassis ran four times in 2013 with Dakoda Armstrong, Paul Menard, Ryan Gifford and Kevin Harvick behind the wheel. Collectively, they earned two third-place finishes at Michigan International Speedway and Dover International Speedway, and three top-10 finishes. This workhorse has raced on six separate occasions in 2012 earning one pole award with Paul Menard at Texas Motor Speedway, four top-fives and six top-10 finishes.

Back in the Driver’s Seat … On Sunday afternoon, Conley will make his first competitive laps at Iowa Speedway in the Nationwide Series. The 21-year-old driver is no stranger to the Newton, Iowa track with four K&N East Pro Series starts to his credit. Conley has earned one pole award (2012), two top five and three top-10 finishes. His best finish was third place in the spring 2012 event, along with four laps led.

About IAVA … Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) will adorn the hood of Conley’s No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at Iowa Speedway. IAVA is the first and largest organization for new veterans and their families, with nearly 300,000 members and supporters nationwide. IAVA is dedicated to standing with the 2.8 million veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan from their first day home through the rest of their lives. The organization supports new veterans in health, education, employment and building a lasting community for vets and their families.

They Say It’s Your Birthday … Conley celebrated his 22nd birthday on Tuesday May 13th.  Born in 1992, the world was a different place than today. Kriss Kross’ “Jump” was the No. 1 song on the Billboard 100 charts and “Basic Instinct” was the No. 1 movie at the U.S. box office. Conley share’s a birthday with Stephen Colbert, Robert Pattinson, Dennis Rodman, Darius Rucker, Stevie Wonder and Buckethead from Guns & Roses.

Meet Cale … Fans will have multiple opportunities to meet Conley this weekend at Iowa Speedway.  On Sunday, Conley will participate in the Nationwide Series driver autograph session from 10:00 – 10:30 a.m CT at the north end of the frontstretch concourse.

Follow Cale … Fan’s can follow the young driver on Twitter @CaleConley, Facebook www.facebook.com/caleconleyracing and Instagram @CaleConley

CALE CONLEY QUOTES:

Do you have extra confidence heading to Iowa since you’ve run well there in the K&N Series?

“Not so much extra confidence, because the K&N Series cars handle so different. Looking back to Richmond (International Raceway) I ran well there in K&N, and thought that would carry over to the Nationwide Series, but it didn’t since each car handles so different.”

What’s your mindset heading into Iowa this weekend?

“I’m heading into this weekend with the mindset of it all still being new. I’ll utilize Friday’s test session to log laps and get acclimated to the feel of the car on track. When we hit the track on Saturday for practice, I’ll be pretty up to speed on what to expect and have a strong mindset to communicate with Nick (Harrison – crew chief) and the feel I need.”

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

This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Iowa Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will pilot chassis No. 130 this weekend in the Get to Know Newton 250 at Iowa Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared chassis was previously piloted at Texas Motor Speedway in April and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. In 2013, this chassis was driven by Kevin Harvick at Chicagoland Speedway in September and by Paul Menard at Kansas Speedway in October, who both brought home top-10 finishes.

Gaughan’s Stats at Iowa …The Las Vegas native will make his fifth NASCAR Nationwide Series start on Sunday at the 7/8-mile tri-oval track. In his four previous starts, Gaughan has earned one top-10 finish. The 38-year old driver also has three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Iowa. In the Truck Series, Gaughan averagesda start of ninth and 23.7 place finish.

In the Rearview Mirror: Talladega Superspeedway… Two weeks ago at Talladega Superspeedway, Gaughan had a strong qualifying run and started 11th. The No. 62 team was involved in a mid-race incident and suffered damage that was beyond repair to return to action forcing Gaughan to take a 34th-place finish.

To the Points … Heading into Iowa, Gaughan and the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino team remain seventh in the driver point standings.

Meet Brendan Gaughan … Fans will have the opportunity to see Gaughan and other Nationwide Series and NASCAR Next drivers at the Iowa Cubs game on Friday, May 16, beginning at 6 p.m. CT. On Saturday, Gaughan is scheduled to participate in the Nationwide Series autograph session at Iowa Speedway alongside 23 other drivers under the Turn 4 grandstands at 10 a.m. CT.

BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTES:

What are your thoughts on Iowa Speedway?

“I have been good at Iowa. Rusty Wallace built the mimic of Richmond International Raceway, but for some reason I run well at Iowa and not Richmond. Rusty did a great job with this track. My favorite thing about Iowa Speedway is how the fans show up. I have always told people that’s what is really impressive at Iowa. You go to the grandstands and walk out to the parking lot and it looks like a Big-10 football game. The atmosphere is just amazing to me. It is like the Field of Dreams, if you build it in the Iowa cornfield – they will come.”

Do you consider Iowa a short track or a speedway?

“I think that is why I like Iowa; it almost drives like an old Irwindale Speedway, which is one of my best short-tracks ever. The track has a high groove and you can run that higher line and keep the momentum and drive it like a speedway. Those were always the tracks that where I was better. I may also be biased to Iowa because when Rusty built it, he was my teammate and then I drove for him and had no choice but to like Iowa.”