Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course … In 10 Series starts at the 2.25-mile road course, RCR has accumulated three top-five finishes, four top-10 finishes, led 51 laps and averages a starting position of 8.8 and finishing position of 13.0. The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has completed 850 laps of the 852 (99.8 percent) that they have competed.
Watkins Glen Review … Paul Menard was the highest RCR finisher in second, Brendan Gaughan eighth, Ty Dillon 11th and Brandon Jones 13th, respectively, at Watkins Glen International.
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 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the 21st event of the season. Ty Dillon is currently third, Brendan Gaughan is sixth and Brandon Jones is eighth. The No. 2 RCR team is second in the owner point standings. Brandon Jones is currently third in the XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings.
Catch the Action … Coverage of this weekend’s Mid-Ohio Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will be televised live on Saturday, Aug. 13, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA. It will also be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.
This Week’s Rheem Chevrolet at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course … Sam Hornish Jr. will pilot chassis No. 133 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet finished second last weekend at Watkins Glen International with Paul Menard behind the wheel.
Left and Right Stats … In two previous NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Hornish has notched one top-five finish. He holds an average starting position of 4.5, coupled with an average finishing position of 16.5 with 15 laps led.
Hometown Proud … This weekend’s road course race takes Hornish to his home state of Ohio. Hailing from Defiance, Ohio, Hornish has been heavily involved in his community for many years. He was involved in the creation of a senior center, as well as the addition of a heart center at the Defiance Medical Center. Hornish now resides in Napoleon, Ohio with his wife and three children.
And, the Award Goes to Rheem … Rheem has earned the nationally acclaimed “Partners of Choice” award by David Weekley Homes, the nation’s largest privately held homebuilder. Out of 25 award winners across the United States, Rheem is one out of 10 companies to achieve an “A” ranking in Service for 2016. The award is part of the National Trading Partner Survey where nearly 1,000 David Weekley Homes employees – from executives to project managers – get an opportunity to rank suppliers. The team members are asked to evaluate 200 national partners on the effectiveness in delivering Quality and Service to the organization multiple times throughout the year. The suppliers earn good grades through demonstrative actions and customer feedback.
No. 2 Team by the Numbers … With 20 XFINITY Series events complete in 2016, the No. 2 team has one victory, 12 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes, with 24 laps led to their credit. Austin Dillon will return to the driver’s seat of the Rheem Chevrolet next week at Bristol Motor Speedway.
SAM HORNISH JR. QUOTE:
Talk about being in your home state and running a road course, one you’re pretty familiar with..
“I always enjoy coming back to Mid-Ohio, it’s the first track I ever got to run on that was longer than half of a mile. It seemed like 10 miles as a 14-year-old in a go-kart. Being that it’s so close to home, I remember going to watch races as a kid and now I get to be in them. It was an unexpected surprise to get this opportunity to race in my home state this year and while I have a pole and a third-place finish at the track, I’m still looking for a win here. It’s going to be great to be back in the No. 2 Rheem Chevrolet again. We had a strong run at Iowa Speedway that was hampered by a tire coming apart and kept us from the top-three finish that we deserved.”
This Week’s WESCO Chevrolet Camaro at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course … Ty Dillon will pilot chassis No. 456 for this weekend’s Mid-Ohio Challenge. This chassis was used last weekend at Watkins Glen International, where Dillon started eighth and finished 11th. Chassis No. 456 was also raced last season at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where Dillon finished third.
Dillon at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course … In two NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at the 2.258-mile, 13 turn road course, Dillon has one top-five finish. Dillon finished third last season at Mid-Ohio, his career-best road course finish.
WESCO … Since 2012, the black, blue and white colors of WESCO Distribution have been sported on Dillon’s Chevrolet. WESCO, a publicly traded Fortune 500 holding company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., is a leading provider of electrical and industrial supply.
Meet Ty Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to participate in the XFINITY Series autograph session on Friday, Aug. 12, beginning at 3 p.m. ET.
TY DILLON QUOTES:
What are the benefits of having back-to-back road course races?
“We definitely have a bad taste in our mouth after last weekend’s race in Watkins Glen, so it’s a plus that we have a chance to rebound this weekend at another road course. We ran into a little bit of bad luck this past weekend, so I’m hoping we can rebound with another strong run like we did last year.”
What was the key to success last season when you finished third?
“I think we had some success because we qualified well (third) and were able to run up front for a majority of the race. Track position is so important at road course races because it effects pit and race strategy. It will be important to qualify again within the top five, make no mistakes on pit road and maybe have a little luck on your side.”
This Week’s Jeld-Wen Chevrolet at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course … Brandon Jones will pilot Chassis No. 126 in the Mid-Ohio Challenge this weekend, the second road course race of the NASCAR XFINITY Series season. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro is the same chassis raced last weekend at Watkins Glen International, where Jones started 22nd and finished 13th.
Mid-Ohio Stats … Jones will be making his second-career XFINITY Series start at the 2.258-mile road course. In 2015, Jones finished 29th in just his third start for RCR.
About Jeld-Wen … JELD-WEN is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of reliable windows and doors. The extensive product offering encompasses windows, exterior doors, interior doors and related building products that are sold globally through multiple distribution channels, including retail home centers, wholesale distributors and building products dealers. JELD-WEN consistently ranked as Oregon’s largest privately owned company. JELD-WEN began in 1960 as a small Oregon millwork plant with 15 employees and today has approximately 20,000 employees across more than 100 locations in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. These strategically located facilities aim to serve their localities to best accommodate regional preferences and standards, and help minimize resources and costs required for transportation.
Available at Menards … Menards carries JELD-WEN windows and doors as well as the tools, materials and supplies for all of your home improvement projects from just needing a light bulb, gallon of paint or household items to building a deck, fence or new home! A family-owned company started in 1958, Menards currently operates 287 home improvement stores located throughout 14 Midwestern states. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s no wonder their famous slogan – “SAVE BIG MONEY” – is so widely known and easy to remember. Menards does things right, the company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town, and the way guests are always treated like family.
Meet the Driver … Jones is scheduled to appear at the XFINITY Series autograph session starting at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 12.
BRANDON JONES QUOTES:
What is it like racing and seeing the fans all over the road course watching from the hills at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course?
“There is a great environment at Mid-Ohio. I was pretty happy to run there last year with RCR in the XFINITY Series car. It was kind of up-and-down day. We would run inside the top 10, then fell back a little bit at the end. The biggest thing I took away from that experience was just making sure to stay on the racetrack. Every once in a while you would dip off and go off the racing surface, so it is important to limit those incidents. Aside from that, you just have to find areas around the track where you can make up a little bit of time on the competition and take advantage of other drivers’ struggles.”
Mid-Ohio is often described as a technical road course, what exactly does that mean?
“Turns 1, 2 and 3 are pretty self-explanatory and simple, but then you start to hit the off-camber corners and some of the wild corners around the rest of the course that you can’t even see coming up. That part of it is really tough. If you mess up at the beginning of one of those corners, it messes up the rest of your lap. You really have to try hard to hit the beginning of all of the esses turns. That is what makes a good lap. Being consistent around the entire course is the biggest thing. You really have to make sure you really hit your marks. You can’t really throw the car around or you will get passed and thrown off into the grass. If we can stay on course and make gains throughout the day, we should have a solid race with the Jeld-Wen/Menards Chevrolet.”
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course … Brendan Gaughan will pilot chassis No. 120 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Chassis No. 120 was utilized last weekend by the No. 62 team at Watkins Glen International, qualifying 12th and finishing eighth.
Statistically Speaking … In two previous NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Gaughan has completed 164 of 165 (99.4 percent) laps. The Las Vegas native has led five laps and averages a starting position of 9.5 and finishing position of 16.0.
DYK at the South Point Hotel & Casino … Did you know the South Point features a state-of-the-art arena and equestrian center? Since opening in February 2006, the South Point Arena has quickly become a fan favorite in Las Vegas, showcasing numerous events. The Arena is conveniently located near the 80,000 sq. ft. exhibit hall, and just a short distance from the amenities of the South Point Hotel & Casino. With permanent seating of 4,600 and accommodations for 1,200 horses, the South Point Arena is perfect for a variety of events. The South Point Arena also features the popular Cinch Saloon, a western-themed bar located on the concourse overlooking the arena floor.
Meet Brendan Gaughan … Gaughan is scheduled to participate in the XFINITY Series autograph session Friday, Aug. 12, beginning at 3 p.m. ET located in the driver’s meeting tent.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
How technical is Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course?
“At Mid-Ohio you have to be very precise. You must know what you are doing to get into the corners with proper technique, or there are big penalties. You must be technical to hit the apex of turns well and get into the braking zones in order to carry speed. I love it. It is true road racing. It’s technical and my kind of fun. The straightaway coming out of the keyhole turn and headed to the esses is as fast as Watkins Glen. The braking zone after the long straightaway is the gutsy risk/reward section of the course. We are probably dropping 100 miles per hour headed in there. I love Mid-Ohio. I look forward to the technical aspects of racing the sports car course.”
