NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
FedEx 400 presented by Autism Speaks
Dover International Speedway
May 31, 2015
Race Highlights:
- Richard Childress Racing teammates Paul Menard, Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon finished eighth, 18th and 33rd respectively, in the FedEx 400 presented by Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.
- Menard ranks 12th in the Sprint Cup Series championship point standings, trailing current leader Kevin Harvick by 144 points, while Newman ranks 13th and Dillon 24th.
- Jimmie Johnson earned his fourth win of the 2015 season and was followed to the line by Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, Kasey Kahne and Aric Almirola.
- The 14th race of the 2015 Sprint Cup Series season is the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 7, 2015, which is scheduled to be televised live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Dillon Relegated to 33rd-Place Finish at Dover after Late-Race Incident Ruins Promising Run for No. 3 Dow Chevrolet Team
Austin Dillon and Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 team honored veterans at Dover International Speedway this weekend by running a special patriotic paint scheme that featured the names of 370 Dow employees who are veterans of the U.S. military on a silver, red, white and blue No. 3 Chevrolet SS. Dillon and the team were poised for a top-12 finish in the FedEx 400 presented by Autism Speaks NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday afternoon, but damage incurred during an on-track incident relegated them to a 33rd-place finish. Dillon started the race from the 12th spot and maintained a top-12 running position until developing a loose-handling condition on entry to the corners and a tight-handling condition on exit to the corners around the one-mile oval. After dropping to 18th in the running order, Dillon received the relief he needed in the form of a pit stop on lap 164. The team changed four tires, added fuel and made a big swing at the chassis issues they were facing with shock and wedge adjustments. With handling much improved, Dillon restarted 18th on lap 168 and worked on regaining track position. He made it up to 12th, but had nowhere to go when two cars tangled directly in front of him with 14 laps remaining, causing radiator damage to the No. 3 Chevrolet when he plowed into the back of them. With heavy smoke pouring out of the car, Dillon pitted multiple times for repairs in the closing laps and fell 10 laps down to the race leader. He finished 33rd in the Dow Chevrolet and now ranks 24th in the point standings leading into the next race on the schedule at Pocono Raceway on June 7.
Start – 12 Finish – 33 Laps Led – 0 Points – 24
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
“The pit crew was awesome today and we had a very solid run going in the Dow Chevrolet. Some days just don’t go your way. We ran solid all day and I am proud of the team.”
Paul Menard Earns Third Top-10 Finish of 2015 at Dover International Speedway
The No. 27 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet SS team started Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway in the 18th spot and finished eighth. In the opening laps, Menard radioed to crew chief Justin Alexander the car was starting to free up and by lap 52 noted the handling was tight through the center of the corners and free on exit. Racing within the top 20, the Alexander-led team prepared for a pit stop of four tires, fuel, wedge and track bar adjustments during the lap-73 caution. Menard took the green flag from the 20th position during the restart on lap 79 and moved his way through the field. He was scored in the 12th spot by lap 118. The Richard Childress Racing team came to pit road four additional times during the 400-mile event for a combination of four tires, fuel, wedge and air pressure adjustments to remedy the tight-handling Chevy. By the last pit stop on lap 379, Menard was in the seventh position and in need of no adjustments. The Wisconsin native lined up fifth for a green-white-checkered flag finish and was blocked on the restart, leading the team to an eighth-place finish. This marks Menard’s third top-10 finish of the 2015 season and moves him to 12th in the driver point standings, just six points away from 10th. Next up for the No. 27 team is Sunday’s event at Pocono Raceway.
Start – 18 Finish – 8 Laps Led – 0 Points – 12
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
“It was a good day. We made some really good adjustments to the Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevy. We were pretty tight all day long and kept making adjustments to help that out. It really helped it where I needed it. I could make my in-car track bar adjustments to help it where the other changes didn’t hit it. Overall it was a good day. We just haven’t been finishing where we’ve been running. To come away from Dover with a top 10 is good. We should have been top five, but our lane just didn’t go at the end.”
Ryan Newman Finishes 18th at the Monster Mile
Ryan Newman drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS to an 18th-place finish in Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway. The South Bend, Ind., driver started 17th and maintained his position while battling a tight-handling condition throughout the opening green-flag segment of the 400-lap event. The afternoon’s first caution flag flew on lap 79, allowing interim crew chief Todd Parrott to direct the No. 31 driver down pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. By halfway, Newman was running lap times competitive with those inside the top five and had worked his way up to the 12th spot. An unscheduled stop under green-flag conditions on lap 247 dropped the No. 31 Chevrolet to the 26th position in the running order. As the laps wound down, the Caterpillar driver found himself battling for a top-20 finish. A late-race caution set the field up for a green-white-checkered finish. Newman restarted 22nd and passed four cars on his way to an 18th-place finish. With today’s finish the No. 31 Caterpillar team is currently 13th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings. Next Sunday the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams will be back in action at Pocono Raceway. Grainger will be on board as primary partner for the first time in 2015.
Start – 17 Finish – 18 Laps Led – 0 Points – 13
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE:
“We fought a tight-handling car early in a (green flag) run, but had strong speed on long runs. We were making gains throughout the day, but unfortunately fell victim to an unscheduled stop on pit road. We’ll take our finish and move on to Pocono. It’ll be great to have Grainger on board for the first time this season.”
