Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Phoenix International Raceway … Team owner Richard Childress has five victories at Phoenix International Raceway, ranking him third on the all-time car owner victories list at the Avondale, Ariz. facility. This includes wins with Kevin Harvick in November 2013, November 2012 and March and November 2006. Prior to that, Dale Earnhardt won the Checker 500 on Nov. 4, 1990. In 103 starts at PIR, the Welcome, N.C.-based organization boasts 18 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes.
RCR in the NSCS … In 2,637 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 46 pole awards,105 wins, 469 top-five finishes and 1006 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 15.9. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Sprint Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR XFINITY 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 … RCR’s three full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers rank 10th (Dillon), 17th (Newman) and 18th (Menard) in the driver championship point standings.
March is Athletic Trainer Month … The Childress Institute funds a research project that measured the impact an athletic trainer had on youth football players through injury and concussion prevention, recognition and treatment. Dr. Jill Urban’s research uncovered that 1) only 37 percent of high schools have a full-time athletic trainer, 2) most of the 3.5 million youth tackle football players in the U.S. have access to an athletic trainer and 3) the rate for concussions in youth players is similar to those of high school and college football players. Learn more about our research projects at SaveInjuredKids.org.
Catch the Action … The Good Sam 500 will be televised live Sunday, March 13 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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This Week’s Dow Chevrolet SS at Phoenix International Raceway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 512 in the Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Dillon drove this Chevrolet SS four times in 2015, earning his best Sprint Cup Series finish with this car at Michigan International Speedway when he finished fourth in August.
Dillon at Phoenix International Raceway … Dillon has four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway to his credit, earning his best finish of 15th in March 2015.
Focusing on Collaboration and Partnership … At Dow Automotive Systems, the focus is on collaboration and partnership. Customers bring the opportunity, Dow brings the materials, and together Dow and their customers create an outstanding automotive solution. Whether you need to meet safety standards, lightweight requirements, structural advancements or assemble a multi-material design, Dow Automotive Solutions deliver sustainable, workable ideas for automotive and commercial transportation manufacturing as well as aftermarket repair for both markets.
Attention, Please … Dillon is scheduled to appear in the Phoenix International Raceway Media Center on Friday, March 11 at 2:45 p.m. Local Time for media availability.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Do you take a short-track car to Phoenix International Raceway or an intermediate car?
“Yeah, we take a short-track car to Phoenix. We want to get as much front turn as possible. Short-track cars are also lighter. The lighter the car, the faster the car. Every car we build now is as light and fast as we can get it. There aren’t a ton of differences in the cars because we feel like aerodynamics are really important no matter what track we’re racing.”
This Week’s Richmond / Menards Chevrolet at Phoenix International Raceway … The No. 27 team selected chassis No. 511 for this weekend’s 312-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Phoenix International Raceway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet SS will see track activity for the first time with the Richmond / Menards team during Friday’s practice sessions.
Menard in Phoenix … The Eau Claire, Wisconsin native has two top-10 finishes in 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at the one-mile track. He has completed 99 percent of laps in competition with an average start of 17.9 and finish of 21st.
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PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
With the new downforce package, Phoenix International Raceway is a flat track so does that mean you will be on edge more this weekend?
“I don’t think so. It will all come down to what kind of tires Goodyear provides this weekend. That will make a big difference. If they bring a good, sticky tire then we won’t notice a difference. If it’s a hard tire then yeah, we will be slipping and sliding around the track. And Phoenix is known for that.”
One of the shorter races on the schedule at Phoenix. Do you notice that as a driver?
“No, I mean, once you get strapped in, you really don’t know if it’s 312 miles or 500 miles. Or even 600 miles when we race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. They all go by pretty quick for us, not how it is for the fans.”
This Week’s Grainger Chevrolet SS at Phoenix International Raceway … Ryan Newman will pilot car No. 508 at the 1.022-mile track. It’s the first time this season for the car to compete.
Newman at Phoenix International Raceway … In 27 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, the South Bend, Ind., native owns one victory at PIR. He won the spring event in 2010. When it comes to the last 10 events at the raceway, he ranks fourth in driver points earned. In total, Newman owns four pole awards, nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. His average start is 13.0 and average finish is 17.1. He’s led 213 laps in competition.
Grainger Back on Board … Grainger is back on board the No. 31 Chevrolet as the primary partner for its second season with Richard Childress Racing for a number of races and will also serve as an associate sponsor on the No. 31 for all Cup Series events in which it is not the primary.
About W.W. Grainger, Inc…. W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 2015 sales of $10 billion, is North America’s leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products, with operations also in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Meet Newman … On Sunday, Newman is scheduled to participate in a question and answer session at the Team Chevy stage located in PIR’s midway area. It starts at 9:25 a.m. MST.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on racing this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway?
“Phoenix is so unique. The key is to have your car good in both ends of the track and that’s not easy to do. I think it’s a fun track. It’s so unique that it makes it a little bit of a different kind of fun. It really about finesse, too. You really can’t take your car past its limit because there is no banking to catch you.”
What is the toughest thing for you to figure out about the track?
“Phoenix is about track position. You have to have a good car and it helps to qualify well. If you get good track position at any point, it’s all about doing what you can to keep it for the duration.”
Do you feel like the track is getting racier through the aging process?
“I think it has gotten better. I think it was at its best when they used the tire machine on it when we first went there. That to me was one of the best new track preparations that we’ve seen in the past few years. I think this track will keep getting even better with age.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Phoenix International Raceway… In 60 Series starts at the one-mile paved track, RCR has captured three victories with drivers Kevin Harvick (2006), Clint Bowyer (2007) and Elliott Sadler (2012). The Welcome, N.C., organization has completed 11,724 laps of the 11,947 (98.1 percent) that they have competed. RCR has accumulated two pole awards, 23 top-five and 36 top-10 finishes, led 543 laps and averages a starting position of 11.4 and finishing position of 11.3.
Vegas Review … Austin Dillon was the highest RCR finisher in fifth, Brandon Jones was sixth, Ty Dillon seventh and Brendan Gaughan 10th, respectively, in the XFINITY Series Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The Points … All three RCR XFINITY Series full-time drivers remain in the top 10 of the driver point standings as the Series heads to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend for the fourth event of the season. Ty Dillon and Brandon Jones are tied for third and Brendan Gaughan is sixth.The No. 2 RCR team is tied for first in the owner point standings. Brandon Jones is currently second in the XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings.
Catch the Action … Coverage of this weekend’s XFINITY Series Phoenix 200 at Phoenix International Raceway will be televised live on Saturday, March 12, beginning at 2:30
p.m. Eastern Time on FOX. It will also be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.
This Week’s Ruud Chevrolet at Phoenix International Raceway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 145 this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. This Chevrolet Camaro has an average starting position of 7.1 and an average finishing position of 8.1.
Desert Stats … In seven previous XFINITY Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway, Dillon has earned three top-five and five top-10 finishes. The RCR driver holds an average starting position of 8.9 coupled with an average finishing position of 10.1.
Welcome Back, Ruud … Like RCR, Ruud is a pioneer in reliable performance. In 1889, Edwin Ruud invented the first automatic gas water heater and since then, the Ruud brand has grown into one of North America’s largest and most respected makers of quality heating, cooling and water heating products for residential and light commercial use. The Ruud reputation for engineering excellence, reliability, strength and top performance has been consistently recognized by leading consumer publications as a brand that can be trusted to deliver efficient, reliable performance day in and day out. Today, the proud performance histories of Ruud and RCR come together to serve as the cornerstones of future championship performance of two great brands, Austin Dillon and the No. 2 RCR-Ruud NASCAR XFINITY Series team.
No. 2 Team by the Numbers … With three XFINITY Series event complete in 2016, the No. 2 team has three top-five finishes and five laps led to their credit. Dillon returns to the driver’s seat of the No. 2 Chevrolet next weekend at Auto Club Speedway.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Why does Phoenix International Raceway drive like a short track, but it’s in fact one-mile in length?
“It has a lot to do with the angle and degree of the banking at Phoenix. Turns 3 and 4 are flat, and 1 and 2 is just a weird corner. You don’t really race anywhere like that all year long, so it’s a difficult driving track. When you have a good handling car, it helps a lot.”
This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet at Phoenix International Raceway … Ty Dillon will pilot chassis No. 157 for this weekend’s Phoenix 200. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro was utilized last November by the No. 3 team at PIR where Dillon started eighth and finished fifth.
Dillon in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Phoenix International Raceway … Dillon is slated to make his 82nd career XFINITY Series start this weekend at the one-mile short-track where he has two top five and four top-10 finishes in four starts. Dillon also made a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at PIR in 2014 where he finished 27th.
#NASCARGoesWest … Dillon finished seventh last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the first leg of the NASCAR Goes West tour. The 24-year-old driver is planning on staying on the West Coast to fuel another racing passion – mountain biking. Known for some of the best mountain biking trails in the world, Dillon plans to bike with fellow RCR crew members in the Las Vegas and Sedona, Ariz. area.
Meet Ty Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to sign autographs for fans at the Bass Pro Shops in Mesa, Ariz., on Thursday, March 10 beginning at 6 p.m. Local Time.
TY DILLON QUOTES:
You’ve had some success at PIR in the past few races. What’s your secret?
“I really enjoy short-track racing, it’s what I grew up doing with Team Dillon Racing. I think PIR really fits my style and our team really has been able to figure out the best race strategy. It starts with qualifying well and not having any mistakes throughout the day. Because it is a short race, there is not a lot of room for error. I love the intensity of every lap at PIR, fighting for every inch of track position and the wild restarts.”
So far, you’ve had three starts and two top-10 finishes. What are the advantages to a solid start to 2016?
“We’re third in the point standings and have been solid from the get-go. It’s important that we stay up front all season long and be consistent; finishing every race and not recording a DNF is critical in the XFINITY Series. But, it’s no secret that we want to get into Victory Lane and lock ourselves into this new Chase system. Hopefully that will come this weekend at PIR.”
This Week’s E-Z-GO Chevrolet at Phoenix International Raceway … Brandon Jones will pilot Chassis No. 156 this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro has one top-five finish to date.
Phoenix Stats … This weekend’s 200-mile event marks Jones’ first appearance at Phoenix International Raceway in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. However, Jones has two previous starts at the one-mile track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, garnering a best finish of 12th in 2014.
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Vegas Rewind … Jones and the No. 33 Chevrolet team qualified fifth for the 200-lap event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend. Despite battling a loose-handling Chevrolet in the early portions of the race, Jones was able to remain a fixture within the top-10 of the running order. During a caution period just past the halfway point, crew chief Mike Hillman, Jr., called the young driver to pit road for a round of chassis adjustments to help alleviate the loose-handling conditions Jones was experiencing. With positive changes to the No. 33 machine, Jones drove back to the fifth position and crossed the finish line in the sixth position.
Sign Here, Please … Jones is scheduled to sign autographs at the XFINITY Series autograph session on Saturday, March 12 beginning at 8:15 a.m. Local Time in the fan midway inside Gate 4 at Phoenix International Raceway. Jones is also scheduled to make an appearance at the Team Chevy stage at 11:15 a.m. for a Q&A session on Saturday.
BRANDON JONES QUOTES:
Phoenix International Raceway is a little different than most tracks, it’s flat with a weird backstretch. What do you like about racing there?
“I haven’t really had a good chance at figuring that place out yet. Every time I’ve been there, we’ve had a problem and haven’t had a good shot at it. We’ve run well in practice and found a lot of speed, but we haven’t had anything to show for it. I’m hoping to add a top-five run to my name after this weekend.”
It looks pretty narrow going into turn 1, does it look that way from the driver’s seat?
“Yes, Turn 1 is very narrow. It’s kind of weird though, it widens out toward the backstretch then going into Turn 3, it’s really wide through Turns 3 and 4. It’s an interesting race track. I didn’t have a chance to run on the old surface, so I can’t really say much about it. I like the new surface a lot.”
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Phoenix International Raceway … Brendan Gaughan will pilot chassis No. 162 this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway for the Phoenix 200. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro last saw track action at Michigan International Raceway in June where Gaughan started sixth and finished 12th.
Gaughan at Phoenix International Raceway … In nine NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at PIR, Gaughan has completed 1,771 of 1,781 (99.4 percent) of the laps he has competed. The Las Vegas native is credited with a 16.7average starting position and a 14.1 average finishing position. In 11 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Gaughan has led nine laps and averages a 14.6 finishing position.
Coming Soon at South Point … South Point Hotel & Casino will host the Silver Dollar Circuit Quarter Horse Show & Western Gift Expo March 15 – 20, 2016. For more information, visit
southpointcasino.com.
Don’t Miss Gaughan … On Saturday, March 12, 8:15 a.m., Local Time, Gaughan is scheduled to participate in an autograph session at PIR with fellow XFINITY Series drivers. The session will be held in the fan midway inside Gate 4 and is open for anyone with a grandstand ticket.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
Phoenix International Raceway is beginning to age after the repave, do you like that place?
“You know, I love the old Phoenix. I’m an old guy, and I do love the old PIR with the open backstretch where we used to have to cross over. I have to admit, the goofy deal they did with the kink has really made that place fun. It was already unique, but they have increased the uniqueness. The super flat front stretch is really tough to pass on. You have to make those daring moves in the dogleg and corner. I think the fans really love what they did. When you see a guy come off of Turn 2, and you can tell they do that dive bomb move all the way to the flat, way down on the apron with dust and rubber flying then they slide back up the track. The fans love it and that is what makes our sport great! We listen to the fans in Phoenix and whether by accident or intentional, they have made a fan favorite track.”
