NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Bank of America 500
Charlotte Motor Speedway
October 11, 2015
Race Highlights:
- Richard Childress Racing drivers Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman and Paul Menard finished seventh, 15th and 36th, respectively, in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- Newman ranks ninth in the Challenger round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, while Menard ranks 15th in the Chase for the Sprint Cup and Dillon ranks 21st in the standings.
- Joey Logano earned his fourth win of the 2015 season and was followed to the line by Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch.
- The 31st race of the 2015 Sprint Cup Series season is the Kansas 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, October 18, 2015, which is scheduled to be televised live on NBC beginning at 2:15 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Austin Dillon Drives the No. 3 Dow GREAT STUFF Chevrolet to top-10 Finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow GREAT STUFF Chevrolet team overcame adversity to earn a seventh-place finish in the Bank of America 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The race, originally scheduled for Saturday evening, was delayed one day due to inclement weather in the Concord, N.C., area. Dillon rolled off 14th at his hometown track and showed speed from the start of the event by racing his way to ninth before a NASCAR-mandated competition caution on lap 25. After changing four tires, adding fuel and making a minor right-rear air pressure adjustment, Dillon restarted 10th on lap 30. Once again, he showed his affinity for the 1.5-mile speedway, gaining four spots on the restart to overtake the sixth spot in less than one lap. Dillon remained a top-10 contender for a majority of the event, hovering in and around the top five for most of the race. He fell to 18th in the running order after making an unscheduled pit stop on lap 173 for four tires and fuel after reporting a vibration on the No. 3 Chevrolet. Dillon & Co. opted to remain on the track during the next caution on lap 141, positioning the Welcome, N.C. driver 10th for a lap 200 restart. Dillon continued to show speed and was scored in the top five with 75 laps remaining. Although Dillon felt another vibration in the closing laps of the race, he remained on the track and earned a seventh-place finish in the No. 3 Dow GREAT STUFF Chevrolet. Next, Dillon will drive the No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet in the Kansas 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, October 18. The race is live on NBC at 2:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
Start – 14 Finish – 7 Laps Led – 1 Points – 21
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
“We had a really good run today in the Dow GREAT STUFF Chevrolet and I think we could have finished even better if we didn’t have a vibration at the end of the race. Still, I’m proud of the team for all of their hard work this weekend. We overcame a lot to earn this finish and I think we’ll be good at Kansas Speedway next weekend, too.”
Paul Menard Finishes 36th at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Paul Menard finished 36th in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 334-lap race was postponed one day after consistent rainfall on Saturday night plagued the 1.5-mile track. Menard started 26th and after 11 laps of racing, reported the car was tight through the center of Turns 3 and 4 then loose off of Turn 4. The Justin Alexander-led team got the opportunity to make repairs during the NASCAR-mandated competition caution on lap 25 with four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. Menard kept his position within the top 26 until the Chevy driver sustained right-rear damage after getting into another competitor on lap 83. The Eau Claire, Wisconsin native continued to race with damage, falling back to the 33rd position, until the caution flag was displayed on lap 167. Because of the extent of the right-rear damage, Menard came to pit road three times on laps 169, 171 and 179. The 27 crew applied new sheet metal to the right rear and gave Menard four fresh tires and fuel. The team continued to race hard and make repairs, but fell several laps down to the leader and Menard ultimately crossed the finish line 36th. Up next for the No. 27 team is Sunday’s 267-lap race at Kansas Speedway.
Start – 26 Finish – 36 Laps Led – 0 Chase Grid – 15
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
“We got some damage earlier in the race and came to pit road multiple times to fix it. That’s what got us. The Richmond/Menards Chevy had decent speed there at the end, we were just caught a few laps down. I’m looking forward to Kansas next week.”
Ryan Newman Avoids Close Call to Finish 15th at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Ryan Newman drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS to a 15th-place finish in Sunday’s 500-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The South Bend, Ind., native started 10th and raced in or near the top 10 for the first half of the race. Shortly after a restart on lap 176, Newman made contact with the No. 20 car to bring out the caution. The Cat Chevrolet sustained damage to both the right and left sides. Crew chief Luke Lambert called his driver onto pit road on lap 178 for repairs. Newman returned to the track in 20th position. Two more stops were completed on laps 233 and 283 to help with the balance and, for the most part, the driver reported neutral handling but was not able to break back into the top 10 after the mishap to finish 15th. Newman’s result places the team in ninth heading into the second event in the Challenger Round. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to competition Sunday at Kansas Speedway. Caterpillar will be the primary sponsor.
Start – 10 Finish – 15 Laps Led – 0 Chase Grid – 9
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE:
“This certainly is not the finish we wanted to start the Challenger Round. The contact with the 20 car did not help us and from that point on, we struggled to break back into the top 10. We had a top-10 car and unfortunately not the finish to reflect it.”
