NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
SYLVANIA 300
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Race Highlights:
- Richard Childress Racing drivers Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Austin Dillon finished 10th, 15th and 22nd, respectively, in the SYLVANIA 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
- Newman and Menard rank sixth and 13th, respectively, in the Challenger round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, while Dillon ranks 21st in the standings.
- Matt Kenseth earned his fifth win of the 2015 season and was followed to the line by Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards.
- The 29th race of the 2015 Sprint Cup Series season is the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, October 4, 2015, which is scheduled to be televised live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Austin Dillon Finishes 22nd at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Cheerios Chevrolet
Austin Dillon drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Cheerios Chevrolet to a 22nd-place finish in the SYLVANIA 300 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Dillon started from the 16th position but dropped to 36th in the running order after incurring a NASCAR-issued penalty for speeding on pit road following the team’s first stop of the race on lap 38. The RCR team spent the first half of the race chasing track position, and managed to stay on the lead lap. Dillon raced his way to 20th by the race’s halfway point. When the caution flag was displayed on lap 192, the team pitted for two tires, a wedge adjustment and fuel, positioning Dillon 11th for the restart. Dillon remained in and around the top 10 for the next 30 circuits before pitting under caution for right-side tires on lap 212, placing Dillon 18th for the lap-214 restart. The Welcome, N.C. driver fought for track position in the closing laps, ultimately finishing 22nd in the Cheerios Chevrolet. Next, Dillon will drive the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet in the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, October 4. The race is live on NBCSN at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Start – 16 Finish – 22 Laps Led – 0 Points – 21
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
“Slugger Labbe and the No. 3 Cheerios team gave me a really fast Chevrolet this weekend. We were in the top three in race run average during final Happy Hour practice on Saturday. It’s just a struggle to pass at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and we fought a tight-handling condition in the center of the corners all day. I’m proud of the team and ready for Dover next week.”
Paul Menard Earns 15th-Place Finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Paul Menard started Sunday’s SYLVANIA 300 from the 20th spot and finished 15th after battling a tight-handling race car. After 25 laps of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, Menard radioed his Chevy was tight in the center of the turn, which got worse during the long run. Crew chief Justin Alexander remedied the conditions Menard was facing through routine pit stops during the 317.4-mile event with a combination of four-tire and two-tire stops with fuel and wedge adjustments. When the yellow flag was displayed on lap 203, Menard reported from the 19th position that his SYLVANIA/Menards Chevy was handling better than before. The Eau Claire, Wisconsin native crossed the finish line 97 laps later in the 15th spot, locking in the 13th position on the Chase Grid.
Start – 20 Finish – 15 Laps Led – 0 Chase Grid – 13 (Tied)
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
“Not the finish we wanted today, but we made a lot of gains there at the end. Justin (Alexander, crew chief) and the guys made good changes and, by the end of it, our SYLVANIA/Menards Chevy was handling better. We will go on to Dover and work hard to make it to the next round of the Chase.”
Ryan Newman Earns Second-Straight Top-10 Finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Ryan Newman drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS to a 10th-place finish in Sunday’s 300-lap event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The South Bend, Ind., native started ninth in the second race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship and raced inside the top 15 for most of the race. Newman’s biggest challenges were restarts and loose-handling conditions in Turns 3 and 4. Crew chief Luke Lambert used visits on pit road at laps 38, 121, 160 and 193 to make improvements. The No. 31 team experienced a close call on lap 203 when racing three wide and made contact with another competitor. The driver kept the No. 31 Chevy under control and after a short red flag to clean up debris, Newman restarted 13th on lap 209. The Cat team’s final four-tire service occurred on lap 239. The Cat Chevrolet restarted 22nd and when the checkered flag waved; Newman collected his second-consecutive top-10 finish in The Chase. Newman is now sixth in the Chase Grid with one race remaining in the Challenger Round. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to competition next Sunday at Dover International Speedway. Quicken Loans will be the primary sponsor.
Start – 9 Finish – 10 Laps Led – 0 Chase Grid – 6
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE:
“Our biggest challenge today was on restarts. We ran most of the day in 13th. We just needed a little more out of our Caterpillar Chevrolet to be a contender, so to come out of here with another top-10 finish feels great heading into the final race in this round. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, our chances to transfer into the next round look good. Dover is another track I’ve won at, so I hope for more good things to happen to this race team.”
