Richard Childress Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Richard Childress has four victories as a team owner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Robby Gordon (2001), Kevin Harvick (2006) and Clint Bowyer (2007 and 2010). In 112 starts at the 1.058-mile oval, Childress also has two pole awards, 16 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes with 10 different drivers including Dave Blaney, Jeff Burton, Bowyer, Austin Dillon, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Green, Gordon, Harvick, Ryan Newman, Steve Park and Mike Skinner.
RCR in the NSCS … In 2,682 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 46 pole awards,105 wins, 472 top-five finishes and 1,019 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 16.0. 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 12th (Newman), 14th (Dillon) and 23rd (Menard) in the driver championship point standings.
Concussion Awareness … Can you recognize a concussion? Download our concussion facts to identify the signs and symptoms of head injuries at saveinjuredkids.org/concussion-facts/. Missing game time to let your brain heal can make the difference in a lifetime of health. Keep kids healthy and consult a doctor for a return to play plan.
Catch the Action … The New Hampshire 301 is scheduled to be televised live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.
Preview – New Hampshire 301
Austin Dillon:
| This Week’s Dow Race to Rio Chevrolet SS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot chassis No. 526 in the New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Dillon previously raced this Chevrolet SS at Bristol Motor Speedway in April.
Dillon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … In four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Dillon’s best finish is eighth in July 2015. Race to Rio with Dow … Dow is a proud partner of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams. The No. 3 Dow Race to Rio Chevrolet will feature Dow’s partnership with Team USA in action during the race weekend in New Hampshire. In 2010, Dow became the Official Chemistry Company and a Worldwide Olympic Partner, following a 30-year history of involvement with the Olympic Games. Dow is helping the most iconic of global sporting events achieve higher levels of performance and sustainability. Follow @DowChemical and stay-tuned this August to learn more. Austin Dillon Quote: This will be the first time at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with the 2016 downforce package. What do you expect there with that track? “I think you’ll see some affects under braking. Braking has been key this year to a lot of these tracks. We’ll be trying to get in there as hard as we can but we’ll have less downforce so I expect there will be some issues there getting into the corner.” |
Paul Menard:
This Week’s Dutch Boy / Menards Chevrolet SS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Menard will get behind the wheel of chassis No. 547 this weekend in Loudon, New Hampshire. This is the same Chevrolet SS Menard’s teammate Ryan Newman drove to a 10th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.
Magic Mile Stats … Menard has competed in 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His best start of seventh came in September 2012 and 2013 with his best finish of 12th in September 2012.
About Dutch Boy … Founded in 1907, Dutch Boy® paints continues to be an industry leader in delivering innovative and high-quality products and packaging solutions and is one of the most recognizable brands in the market over 100 years later. In recent years, a new vitality, a youthfulness, and the promise of Simple Solutions have also shaped the brand. Heritage and trust has been brought to life with energy and empowerment, inspiring DIYers and paint enthusiasts for generations to come.
Paul Menard Quotes:
Everybody says that New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a hard track to get a handle on. Why?
“New Hampshire is different. It’s pretty single groove, but you have to kind of run in the middle of the track so it makes it hard to pass because you can drive underneath somebody but you can’t finish the pass. A lot of the other short tracks you can get position on the inside and be gone. New Hampshire is a tough place to pass for sure and everybody is fighting for track position looking for the fast groove.”
What other track does it compare closely to or is New Hampshire its own beast?
“I guess you just have to put it in a category by itself. I can’t really think of a good comparison. Maybe Richmond International Raceway a little bit, if I had to pick one. But it’s pretty much in a category alone.”
Ryan Newman:
This Week’s Whelen Engineering Chevrolet SS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman will pilot car No. 527 in the New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This car raced two times so far this season at Bristol Motor Speedway with the 27 team (St. 14/Fin. 15) and with the 31 team at the Sprint All-Star Race (St. 14/Fin. 13).
Career Stats at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Newman will make his 531st NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start when the series competes at the 1.058-mile oval where he owns three victories; the 2002 and 2005 fall events and the 2011 spring race. The “Rocket Man” also owns seven pole awards. In total, he owns seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. Also, he has led 722 laps in competition. The South Bend, Ind., native has an average start of 9.3 and average finish of 13.5. Plus he ranks seventh in most points earned in the last four races at Loudon.
About Whelen Engineering … For the second time this season, Whelen Engineering, the “Official Warning Lights of NASCAR,” joins the No. 31 family of primary partners for this weekend’s New Hampshire 301. In May, Newman drove the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet SS to a 10th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600. This weekend, the South Bend, Ind. driver will be pulling double duty by also competing in the Whelen Modified Tour events at the Magic Mile on Friday and Saturday.
Whelen Engineering designs and manufactures high-quality audio and visual warning equipment for Automotive, Aviation, and Mass Notification industries worldwide. Founded in 1952, Whelen has become a leading provider of innovative sirens, warning lights, white illumination lighting, and controllers. Whelen has the largest staff of design engineers in the United States and the biggest field service force in the industry. With two state-of-the-art facilities in Chester, Connecticut and Charlestown, New Hampshire, Whelen products are proudly designed, manufactured, and assembled in the United States.
As the “Official Warning Lights of NASCAR,” Whelen provides all of the caution lights, pit road entrance and pit road exit lights, “hot pit/garage area” warning lights, as well as all of the warning lights used on pace cars and safety vehicles across all three NASCAR national touring series. Whelen also serves as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour and the NASCAR Whelen Euro-Series.
Media Availability … Newman will be accessible to the media in attendance at NHMS on Friday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time in the media center.
Ryan Newman Quotes:
Why do you think New Hampshire Motor Speedway fits your driving style?
“I think it’s like a sister track to IRP (Indianapolis Raceway Park) and I have had a lot of experience and a lot of successes at IRP. Both places cause you to be on that edge of being patient and aggressive and not having banking to rely on and really having to rely on your tires. I just really enjoy racing at New Hampshire.”
What is the hardest thing to figure out at New Hampshire?
“It’s all about getting track position. If you have lost track position for any reason, like if the caution comes out at the wrong time, just getting back on the cycle of being in the right group of cars that has the track position or being able to set yourself up for the end is the hardest thing to figure out. Track position is the key.”
Can you learn from other tracks and apply it to New Hampshire Motor Speedway?
“Loudon and Richmond used to be pretty similar. Now it seems with the tire fall off at Richmond, it kind of changes the strategy there and you don’t have much tire fall off typically at Loudon so I don’t know what the tire situation is this weekend at Loudon. It will be interesting to see.”
You are running in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour this weekend. Why do you compete?
“It’s so much fun to race those cars. It reminds me of running a Silver Crown and the Sprint Cars on pavement back in the day. Those guys are really good at what they do. It’s not like it’s a ringer show where you can come in and take the check. It’s a whole lot of fun and I enjoy racing against guys like Ryan Preece, Teddy Christopher, Ronnie Silk and those guys.”
Do you think the Whelen Modified Tour guys lean on you pretty hard when you are out there with them?
“I know they do, but that’s alright. As long as they don’t crash me, otherwise they better know it’s expected to come back.”
