RCR Event Preview – Atlanta Motor Speedway

ORAL-B USA 500 and
Great Clips 300

Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News and Notes

Event:           Oral-B USA 500
Date:             Sunday, August 31, 2014
Location:      Atlanta Motor Speedway

Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Atlanta Motor Speedway … In 130 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned nine wins and three pole awards, including Kevin Harvick’s emotional victory in the Cracker Barrel 500 on March 11, 2001. Dale Earnhardt won eight times at the Hampton, Ga.-based track under the RCR banner. Additionally, RCR boasts 29 top-five and 55 top-10 finishes at AMS and RCR-prepared Chevrolets have led 2,935 laps at the ultra-fast, 1.54-mile oval. Richard Childress, a former driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit, recorded his best finish at AMS of ninth in the Atlanta Journal 500 on Nov. 2, 1980.

RCR in the NSCS … In 2,464 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 46 pole awards,105 wins, 456 top-five finishes and 968 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 24 races, RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries have earned one pole award with Austin Dillon at Daytona International Speedway in February. Collectively, the organization has notched seven top-five and 22 top-10 finishes with drivers Dillon, Ryan Newman and Paul Menard. RCR’s three full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers rank ninth (Newman), 14th (Dillon) and 15th (Menard) in the driver championship point standings.

RCR Bristol Rewind … RCR teammates Menard, Newman and Dillon finished ninth, 13 and 28th, respectively, in the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

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 Oral-B USA 500 will be televised live Sunday, August 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

 
Austin Dillon
No. 3 Dow Chevrolet SS

This Week’s Dow Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 465 in the Oral-B USA 500. This is the same Chevrolet SS that Dillon raced to a 16th-place finish at Kentucky Speedway in June, a 16th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and a 21st-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

Dillon at Atlanta Motor Speedway …. In one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2013, Dillon finished 19th. He has two NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at the track. He finished eighth in 2013 and earned a sixth-place finish in 2012. The 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion has two starts at the 1.54-mile track in Truck Series competition, finishing sixth in September 2011 and 10th in March 2010.

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.

Get to the Points … Dillon ranks 14th in the championship point standings leading into the Oral-B USA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. With two races remaining until the Chase for the Sprint Cup, he is 19th in the Chase standings, 40 points out from the top-16 cut off, but can still earn a berth in NASCAR’s playoff system thanks to the “win and you’re in” mentality of the system.

Season-to-Date … According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Season-to-Date Statistics, Dillon leads the Sprint Cup Series in most Laps Completed (6,602).

Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to greet race fans at the Bad Boy Buggies display, located in the Atlanta Motor Speedway Fan Zone at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday. This session is limited to 75 people and wrist bands will be distributed.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

Do you think Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of the ‘raciest’ mile-and-a-half tracks we race at?

“I think Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of the raciest mile-and-a-half tracks on the circuit for sure. I love Homestead-Miami Speedway, too. Both tracks remind me of each other, but Atlanta Motor Speedway is definitely slicker. It’s one of those places that can be very frustrating and very fun at the same time. I really enjoy it at night, and I’m ready to get there. We saved one of our tests for later in the season and tested at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Our teams did learn a lot during the test, it was definitely helpful.”

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

This Week’s Duracell/Menards Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway … Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 454 during the 325-lap event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS was utilized earlier this year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. The RCR driver has amassed two top-five finishes (Las Vegas, Michigan) and four top-10 finishes (Las Vegas, Texas, Charlotte and Michigan) with this chassis.

Atlanta by the numbers … The Eau Claire, Wisc. driver has 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track. His best start of 16th came in 2013 and best finish of fifth came in March of 2010. Menard has one top-five finish and three top-10 finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He’s completed 3,849 of 3,927 laps (98%) and led two laps.

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Season-to-date … Through 24 Sprint Cup Series races of the 2014 season, Menard has completed 6,474 of 6,621 laps contested (97.8 percent), led 45 laps and is currently 15th in the driver point standings. In addition, the RCR driver has four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes this season.

Last time in Atlanta … The No. 27 Chevrolet team started 16th in last year’s 335-lap event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. An accident involving Menard in the early laps of the event resulted in a 24th-place finish.

PAUL MENARD QUOTES:

Atlanta Motor Speedway is another big track which has some abrasion to the asphalt. I know you guys seem to like that a lot.

“Yeah, if you took a poll of all the drivers, the number one track to race at is going to be Atlanta for everyone’s vote. It’s abrasive, it wears out tires and we slide around the track. It’s really fast for one lap, then it progressively gets worse from there. All of these factors make it really fun for drivers.”

How do you manage tires at a place like Atlanta?

“You go all out, all the time. There’s no conserving, so it’s full out all the time. It’s just a matter of what your car is doing and how to not make the tires angry. You still have to get all you can out of every corner.”

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

This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet SS at Atlanta Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 441 in Sunday night’s 500-mile event in Hampton, Ga. This chassis was utilized earlier this season at Kentucky Speedway (Start: 7th / Finish: 3rd) and Dover International Speedway (Start: 14th / Finish: 31st).

Newman at AMS … In 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Newman owns seven pole awards, including sweeping six straight poles encompassing the 2003 to 2005 Sprint Cup seasons. He owns two top-five and seven top-10 finishes. His best result of fifth place came last season and at the spring 2004 event. The South Bend, Ind., native has an average start of eighth and average finish of 18th. He’s led a total of 175 laps in competition. And in the Craftsman Trucks Series, he captured a victory in the fall 2008 race.

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Where’s Ryan? … Newman is scheduled to appear on Saturday at Walmart on N. Express Way in Griffin, Ga. He’ll be there at 11:30 a.m. on behalf of Oral-B to celebrate Engineering Excellence Made with American Jobs. Then on Sunday, he is scheduled to visit the Bad Boys Buggies display in the AMS Fan Zone at 3:10 p.m. followed by a stop at the Oral-B display at 3:45 p.m., also in the Fan Zone.

Point of Interest … In the last five races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the RCR driver ranks 10th in most driver points earned. He is ninth in the championship point standings entering this Sunday night’s race.

Atlanta Rewind … In last year’s event, Newman started 17th and after sustaining damage on pit road during the team’s first stop, rallied back from 40th place to finish fifth.

RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:

Do you see Atlanta as a real tune-up to the Chase as it’s the final 1.5-mile track before it starts?

“I don’t see it as the final tune-up. I see it as another opportunity. It is such a different animal of a race track because of the way the tires fall off. You really don’t see that as much with the track’s coming up, except for a place like Texas. I see Atlanta as its own kind of animal because of the tire-track combination. But it is important. It does build confidence, which is probably more important than the actual balance of the car.”

Do you think Atlanta will be a good challenge for the drivers considering the age of the track’s surface and Goodyear bringing back the multi-zone tire?

“I think as long as the tires hold the air, it won’t really matter. I don’t think the tires will impact the race. I think the impact is the track itself. The racing is going to be great because this track allows us to move around and we can slip and slide around. That’s what we like and that’s what the fans like to see. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Nationwide Series News and Notes

Event:         Great Clips 300 Benefiting Feed the Children
Date:             Saturday, August 30, 2014
Location:      Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga.

Richard Childress Racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway … In 29 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned three victories, two with Jeff Burton in 2006 and 2007 and one with Kevin Harvick in 2013. The Welcome, N.C. organization has led 465 laps at the 1.54-mile speedway and also accumulated nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. RCR averages a starting position of 12th and finish of 11.5.

Recap of Thunder Valley … Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan, Brian Scott and Cale Conley posted fourth, sixth, 11th and 15th-place finishes, respectively, in the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Getting to the Points … Ty Dillon moved up to third in the Nationwide Series driver point standings, 30 points from the leader, Brian Scott is fifth, nine points from fourth, and Brendan Gaughan is eighth as the Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Social Media …  To stay on track with the latest news and 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 and @RCR62BGaughan. RCR’s Nationwide Series driver Twitter pages – @bscottracing, @tydillon and @Brendan62. For additional photos, news and video log on to rcrracing.com.

Atlanta Coverage … Coverage of this weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, August 30, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. It will also be broadcasted live on PRN Radio and SiriusXM channel 90.

Brian Scott
No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s Shore Lodge Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway … Brian Scott and his No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro will race chassis No. 126 this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Richard Childress Racing-prepared chassis last raced at Darlington Raceway where Scott qualified seventh and finished 11th. This chassis has finished 17th or better in four previous races it has been utilized. Scott earned an 11th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway last spring with this chassis.

AMS Statistics … Scott will be making his fifth NASCAR Nationwide Series start this weekend in the Great Clips 300 Benefiting Feed the Children. In four previous starts, the Boise, Idaho-native has captured one top-10 finish with an average start of 19th and an average finish of 15.2. Scott earned his best starting position, 12th, and best finishing position, 10th, last season at the 1.54-mile speedway. He also has four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the track earning two top-10 finishes.

Nationwide Series Leader … Brian Scott continues to lead the Nationwide Series regulars with a 6.9 average starting position, and the most laps spent inside the top-15 (3,798, 94.8 percent). Currently fifth in the driver point standings, only 51 points out of the lead, the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet team has collected four top-five and 13 top-10 finishes this season. Additionally, Scott has earned two pole positions, doing so at Richmond International Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway.

Labor Day Events … Shore Lodge is proud to host the top live music acts from throughout the Treasure Valley and beyond every Sunday and Monday evening from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. in the Narrows Grill.

What are your points? … Scott and his No. 2 RCR Chevrolet Camaro team enter Atlanta Motor Speedway fifth in the Nationwide Series driver point standings.

Rearview Mirror …The No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro qualified ninth for the NASAR Nationwide Series Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. After a rain-delayed start to the 300-lap event, Scott secured himself inside the top 10 until the competition caution on lap 60. With 27 laps to go, Scott lost track position after brushing the outside wall and took the checkered flag in the 11th position.

BRIAN SCOTT QUOTES:

What are your thoughts heading to Atlanta?

“Atlanta is one of the more exciting race tracks we go to. When tires are new, they’re fast, but they wear out so much. In the Nationwide Series, you don’t have enough sets of tires for the race. So you really have to extend a run, stay out on old tires that have no grip when you don’t want to. When you have new tires and other people don’t, you really can feel like a superhero. It makes it exciting. You definitely have to manage the race there more than anywhere else. As a driver, as a team, you have to manage your tires and you have to manage the outcome of the race. When to pit, and strategy can mix a lot of things up. This is one of the more interesting and exciting races of the whole year.”

How much does Atlanta change each time you go back to the track?

“I think Atlanta has almost aged to the point where it’s not changing much. It seems like the new tracks with the new pavement are aging from year-to-year a lot more than the old ones. The old ones seem like they have kind of leveled out. Atlanta really depends on how hot and how slick it is. It’s a temperature sensitive track. And, it’s a track where your first lap out in practice – you’ve got to know what you’re doing. You have to know your marks because from one lap to the second lap, you’ll fall off a quarter of a second and it can really shake up the practice charts. As a driver, if you don’t know what you need to do and where your marks are, you can end up chasing the car and chasing false things all practice because you’re off a little bit.”

Ty Dillon
No. 3 Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet Camaro at Atlanta Motor Speedway … This weekend Ty Dillon will race chassis No. 145 at the 1.54-mile speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Camaro made its way to victory lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month, and recorded top-10 finishes this year at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway with Dillon behind the wheel.

Dillon in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at AMS … Dillon will be making his first Nationwide Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday night. In 2012, Dillon won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race after qualifying on the pole and leading 40 laps. Earlier this month, Dillon participated the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series test at AMS.

Double-duty … Dillon will be doing “double-duty” this weekend as the 22-year-old, Welcome, N.C.-native makes his Sprint Cup Series debut in the No. 33 Realtree/Rheem Chevrolet SS for Circle Sport Racing.

America’s Oldest Brewery on board … D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., an American Owned and Family Operated brewery based in Pottsville, Pa., has partnered with Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Nationwide Series team this season. Brewing beer for 185 years, Yuengling will be featured on the hood for the sixth time this season.

Seasonal Beer … In addition to Yuengling’s 99 calorie, masterfully developed Light Lager, be sure to add their seasonal beer to your grocery list. Yuengling, the 185-year-old establishment, is brewing its seasonal Oktoberfest, scheduled to hit stores this month. Copper in color, this medium bodied beer is the perfect blend of roasted malts with just the right amount of hops, capturing a true representation of the style.

Bristol Motor Speedway race rewind … Dillon raced to a fourth-place finish last Friday night in Food City 300, recording the team’s fourth top-five finish of the season.

Points update … Dillon moved up one position to third place in the driver point standings after last weekend’s top-five finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. Also competing for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award, Dillon currently is in second place.

TY DILLON QUOTE:

You’ve won a Truck Series Race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, what do you like about the track?

“Atlanta is a little bit different than the other 1.5-mile speedways on the circuit. It’s a little more technical, I think. The win in the Truck Series two years ago was awesome. I was able to hold off Cup drivers that were in that race. I learned a lot that race and I’d love to make it back to victory lane this time around in the Nationwide Series car.”

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

This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will pilot chassis No. 149 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Camaro will see track action for the first time on Friday, during the first Series practice.

Gaughan’s Stats at Atlanta … The Las Vegas-native will make his third Nationwide Series start at the 1.54-mile track on Saturday night. In two previous starts, Gaughan averages a start of 27th and a finish of 23.5. The 39-year-old driver also has eight starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he led five laps, completed 1,040 of 1,045 laps and earned two top-10 finishes.

Don Vito’s Italian at South Point … When Italian cuisine strikes your fancy; Don Vito’s Italian at South Point Hotel & Casino is the place to visit. The culinary team starts with only the freshest ingredients and transforms them into traditional favorites that Don Vito’s regulars rave about. Start with a Caprese style salad of ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella Chef Matthew Rios makes by hand and then move into a second course of homemade gnocchi and ravioli, which are two local favorites. The accommodating services will make your pre-show dinner, special occasion or night on the town an even more memorable experience.

In the Rearview Mirror: Bristol … Gaughan and the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino team captured their fifth top-10 finish on Friday night in the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. After qualifying 11th for the 300-lap event, Gaughan spent the majority of the evening inside the top 10, making the right adjustments to bring the Richard Childress Racing Camaro home in the sixth position.

To the Points … Gaughan remains eighth in the driver point standings, 18 points behind seventh, as the Nationwide Series heads into Saturday night’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTES:

What are your thoughts on Atlanta Motor Speedway?

“Atlanta has always been very unique, with brute speed and high-banks. It is just a fast race track that has a few bumps and a lot of rolls. If you look back, it has some of the most famous finishes in NASCAR.”

Is tire management key at Atlanta?

“Tire management has always been important at Atlanta. I have not been there in a few years. I am still going to say that learning to manage your tires at the track is crucial, because it is so fast you do not want your tires to get hurt early.”

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