Richard Childress Racing at Michigan International Speedway … In 157 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, RCR teams have earned three wins, two with Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990) and the most recent with Kevin Harvick (August 2010). Additionally, RCR has claimed 23 top-five and 55 top-10 finishes with 10 different drivers including Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, who recorded top-10 finishes at MIS in June 1978 and August 1979.
RCR in the NSCS … In 2,697 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 46 pole awards,105 wins, 473 top-five finishes and 1,023 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 11th (Dillon), 14th (Newman) and 24th (Menard) in the driver championship point standings.
Catch the Action … The Pure Michigan 400 is scheduled to be televised live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.
This Week’s Cheerios Chevrolet SS at Michigan International Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot chassis No. 528 in the Pure Michigan 400. This Chevrolet SS has been utilized by both the No. 31 team (Kansas and Homestead in 2015) and the No. 27 team (Atlanta 2016).
Dillon at Michigan International Speedway … In his junior season on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour, Michigan International Speedway ranks as one of Dillon’s most seasoned tracks with eight starts at the two-mile facility. He finished fourth in August 2015 to earn his best finish at the track and finished eighth in his most recent start in June 2016. He also earned his best starting position, fourth, in August 2015.
#CheerThe3 … Dillon continues a long-standing Richard Childress Racing tradition this weekend by carrying General Mills’ Cheerios brand on the No. 3 Chevrolet. General Mills has been an active sponsor in motorsports for more than 15 years, working with drivers including Austin and Ty Dillon, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin and Johnny Benson. Both Dillon brothers made their Daytona 500 debut with General Mills, with Austin in the Honey Nut Cheerios Chevrolet in 2013 and Ty in the Cheerios Chevrolet in 2015. In 2016, Cheerios is celebrating its 75th anniversary. The cereal debuted as “Cheerioats” in 1941. Cheerios has been a family favorite of the Dillon and Childress families for years. Its wholesome goodness is perfect for toddlers to adults and everyone in between. Made from whole grain oats, and without artificial flavors or colors, they’re naturally low in fat and cholesterol free. These wholesome little “o’s” have only one gram of sugar!
Dirt Trackin’ … Prior to arriving to Michigan International Speedway, Dillon is scheduled to race his Dirt Late Model in the American Ethanol Late Model Series at Tri City Motor Speedway in Auburn, Michigan on Wednesday, August 24. The race is located just a few miles away from Dow’s Midland, Michigan-based corporate headquarters.
Playin’ Hoops for Kids … Austin and Ty Dillon are hosting a 3-on-3 Celebrity Basketball Tournament presented by The Dow Chemical Company to benefit the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest University’s Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday, Aug. 31. The 16-team, double-elimination tournament will start at 4 p.m.
General admission and parking at LJVM for the event are FREE. For more information and tournament updates please visit https://saveinjuredkids.org/basketball/
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
We’re going back to Michigan International Speedway with the lower low downforce air package that you ran there in June. Are you happy that the decision was made to go back to Michigan with that same package?
“I’m very excited because I enjoy Michigan International Speedway. I’m just glad to be going to Michigan. Period. I don’t care about the packages. I think RCR has done a good job of going through the motions to get our aero department right to take advantage of these changes. Hopefully we settle in soon and start winning. I just enjoy the track, more than anything.”
Michigan was freshly re-paved just a few years ago. Is it beginning to widen out at all?
“I didn’t notice a whole lot in June. The low line was pretty stout. Hopefully, as time goes on it does widen out more but I think the preferred line would be right through the middle.”
This Week’s SYLVANIA / Menards Chevrolet SS at Michigan International Speedway … The Danny Stockman-led team will utilize chassis No. 531 during this weekend’s 200-lap event in Michigan. This is the fourth time in 2016 the Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet SS has seen action. Menard’s teammate Ryan Newman drove it at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Start: 4/Finish: 24) and Menard at Texas Motor Speedway (Start: 25/Finish: 26) and Pocono Raceway in July (Start: 3/Finish: 35).
Michigan Stats … Menard has four top-five and six top-10 finishes in 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Michigan International Speedway. The Eau Claire, Wisconsin native has led 16 laps in competition and holds one victory from the 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series event at the 1.5-mile track.
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PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
We are going back to Michigan International Speedway with the 2017 downforce package again. What did you learn there in June and are you happy they’re bringing that package back this weekend?
“I don’t really like that they change the packages all the time on us. I would like for them to just stick with one, but I understand it’s something we need to get time on to potentially use in 2017. The spring race was good for us. We didn’t qualify well but made adjustments so the car was really fast during the race. We passed a lot of cars. I forget the circumstances, but I think we got some damage on a restart maybe towards the end and didn’t end up with the finish that was conducive to how we were running. I’m looking forward to getting back this weekend.”
Another fairly new repave. Is Michigan beginning to widen out at all?
“Yeah, it is. The track always feels extremely narrow when you start practice, then in the race it really widens up. During practice you’re by yourself going almost 200-mph average, so there’s very little room for error. During the race it really slows down and you can run around the middle of the track to all the way down on the bottom. The groove really opens up and that’s something you don’t see for practice.
This Week’s Freightliner Chevrolet SS at Michigan International Raceway … Ryan Newman will pilot car No. 548 in Sunday’s 400-mile event. This will be the third time this season that this Chevrolet was used in competition and second time Newman has raced it. Earlier this year at Richmond International Raceway, Paul Menard started 26th and finished 27th. Last month at Pocono Raceway, Newman qualified fifth and earned a 12th-place result.
Newman at MIS … Newman will make his 537th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start when the Series returns to the Irish Hills of Michigan this weekend. In 30 Sprint Cup Series events at MIS, Newman scored back-to-back victories in the fall 2003 and spring 2004 events. The “Rocket Man” also owns a pole award. In total, he’s recorded five top-five and eight top-10 finishes. He has led 111 laps in competition. The South Bend, Ind., native has an average start of 13.4 and average finish of 16.7. In four NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at the speedway, he has visited victory lane two times (2001, 2005).
Keep on Truckin’ … Richard Childress Racing has been associated with Freightliner Trucks since 2009. This weekend Freightliner Trucks will be on board the No. 31 Chevrolet as a primary partner for the Pure Michigan 400. Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 5-8 trucks and is a Daimler company, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer. For more information, go to www.Freightliner.com.
Put to the Test … Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, Newman and the No. 31 team are participating in a two-day test at Chicagoland Speedway in preparation for next month’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 on September 18th. That race also marks the first event in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
What makes Michigan International Speedway so unique?
“Michigan has become a big momentum track since it was repaved. Really, the key is keeping your speed up. It’s so important. Obviously you need good horsepower and good downforce to be a part of all that. Another key is not slipping out of the groove. That aspect seems so much more critical now than ever.”
What’s one thing you know you will have to work on when you get to that track?
“I think one of the most challenging things you have to think about there is the edge you have to find in qualifying because it is so close to wide open and you want to get everything you can out of the car. With that said, you have to also be mindful of some of the transitions like in Turns 1 and 2. There is just a little bit of a banking change where when you get your left front on that you crash so easily.”
We had a new rules package when we raced the first time at MIS. What were you able to learn?
“I thought we had a pretty good Chevrolet the first race. I think it’s important to go back and be able to utilize those notes. It’s nice to have some consistency when we are able to do that. Overall, it’s a matter of finding that level of grip and adjusting to it as a driver.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Road America … In 15 Series starts at the 4.05-mile road course, RCR has captured two victories with drivers Brendan Gaughan (2014) and Paul Menard (2015). RCR has accumulated four top-five finishes, six top-10 finishes, led 26 laps and averages a starting position of 13.2 and finishing position of 12.9. The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has completed 745 laps of the 759 (98.2 percent) that they have competed.
Bristol Review … Austin Dillon earned the win on Friday night and was the highest RCR finisher, Brendan Gaughan fifth, Brandon Jones ninth and Ty Dillon 25th, respectively, at Bristol 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 Road America for the 23rd event of the season. Ty Dillon is currently fourth, Brendan Gaughan is fifth and Brandon Jones is eighth. The No. 2 RCR team leads 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 Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville at Road America will be televised live on Saturday, Aug. 27, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. It will also be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.
This Week’s Rheem Chevrolet at Road America … Michael McDowell will pilot chassis No. 133 at Road America for the Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet has been utilized at the two previous road course events this season where Paul Menard and Sam Hornish Jr. finished second at both Watkins Glen International and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Welcome to the Team … This weekend, the No. 2 team welcomes a new driver to their lineup for the 2016 season. Michael McDowell will make his first start with the RCR team at Road America.
Road Course Ringer … In two previous NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Road America, McDowell has recorded one pole award and a runner-up finish. He holds an average starting position of 3.2, coupled with an average finishing position of 20.2. The NASCAR regular is no stranger to road course racing, McDowell has captured two pole awards, three top-five and five top-10 finishes in 12 road course starts in the XFINITY Series. He also has 31 starts in the NASCAR Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series, earning one victory, two pole awards and four podium finishes.
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New Leader … With the win this past weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, the No. 2 Rheem team took over the XFINITY Series owner’s championship point standings. The RCR team has a 13-point lead over second place with 11 races left in the season.
No. 2 Team by the Numbers … With 22 XFINITY Series events complete in 2016, the No. 2 team has two victories, one pole award, 14 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes, with 34 laps led to their credit. Paul Menard returns to the driver’s seat of the No. 2 Chevrolet next weekend at Darlington Raceway for NASCAR’s throwback weekend.
MICHAEL MCDOWELL QUOTE:
You’re making your debut with Richard Childress Racing this weekend in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Road America.
“I am excited to race for RCR at Road America. I have been close to winning there so many times in the past and I feel like this can by the year we can do it. I hope to put the No. 2 Rheem Chevrolet in Victory Lane on Saturday.”
This Week’s Bosch Chevrolet at Road America … Ty Dillon will pilot chassis No. 456 for this weekend’s Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville NASCAR XFINITY Series race. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro saw action last season at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America and this season at Watkins Glen International and Mid-Ohio.
Dillon at Road America … In two NASCAR XFINITY Series races at Road America, Dillon has one top-10 finish. He made his debut at the 4.05-mile road course in 2014 with a 17th-place finish and last season brought home a top 10.
Welcome, Bosch … Bosch has been a technical partner of RCR since 2015. RCR and Bosch test technologies on the track today that will make connected vehicles safer, more efficient and more comfortable for motorists tomorrow. Bosch Spark Plugs have been powering the winners in motorsport since the early 1900s, and has been the official oxygen sensor of NASCAR since the Sprint Cup Series moved to fuel-injected engines in 2012. That’s why RCR trusts Bosch Spark Plugs and Oxygen Sensors, as well as Bosch Fuel Injectors and Bosch Fuel Pumps, to meet the exacting specs of its finely-tuned racing engines.
No. 3 team to-date … With two-thirds of the XFINITY Series schedule in the books, Dillon currently ranks fourth in the driver point standings with four races to go before the first race of The Chase. The No. 3 team has accumulated seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes along with one pole award (Daytona International Speedway).
TY DILLON QUOTE:
There are only four races before The Chase. How does that change your approach?
“Well, you saw last weekend at Bristol (Motor Speedway), we take a few more chances to try a go for a win. We’re close to being locked into The Chase on points and hopefully this weekend we can lock ourselves in with a win. It’s a tough balance, because you want to be aggressive and win races, but you also need to make sure you’re carrying as much momentum as possible into that first round of The Chase. I think this weekend is another great opportunity to win a race and show that we have speed at these road courses.”
This Week’s M-D Building Products / Menards Chevrolet at Road America … Brandon Jones will pilot chassis No. 126 this weekend at Road America. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro has been driven by Jones in the season’s previous road course races at Watkins Glen International and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where he finished 13th and 19th, respectively.
Getting Loopy … With 22 races in the books during the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series season, Jones ranks third among series regulars in the percentage of laps completed, with 99.15 percentage completed – 3,504 of a possible 3,534 laps.
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Meet the Driver … Jones is scheduled to appear at the XFINITY Series autograph session on Friday, Aug. 26 starting at 3:30 p.m. CT.
BRANDON JONES QUOTES:
Road America is such a long racetrack, how does it compare to the other two road courses you have already raced on this season?
“It’s going to be a tough one. I was able to run Road America on a simulator a couple of times to try and prepare. It’s a big track, going down through the woods and all of that is fun. It will be cool to get on the track and race with the M-D Building Products Chevrolet. I know a lot of drivers enjoy Road America.”
When you do some of the simulator work, do you get to a track and feel like you have a handle on it or do you ever get on track and feel as if it was not like the simulator?
“Sometimes the simulations are mapped for a track’s older configurations and sometimes things that are mapped are just a little off. You can pick up on small things on the simulation, try to look for them in real life and get a little spun out if it is not exactly accurate. The biggest thing the simulation helps with is just seeing the track for the first time, which was the case for the majority of the season and this weekend at Road America. I was able to run Indianapolis Motor Speedway before going there and the lift points were very similar. That aspect of the simulation is what I really enjoy.”
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Road America … Brendan Gaughan will pilot chassis No. 120 this weekend at the 4.05-mile road course.The No. 62 team has utilized Chassis No. 120 in both road course races this season where Gaughan started 12th and finished eighth in both events.
Statistically Speaking Road America … In four previous NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Road America, Gaughan has completed 203 of 203 (100 percent) laps that he has competed. The Las Vegas native has led 12 laps and averages a starting position of 13.2 and finishing position of 7.8. In 2014, Gaughan earned his first XFINITY Series victory at the 14-turn road course after starting from the fifth position.
Meet the Driver … Gaughan is scheduled to participate in the XFINITY Series autograph session Friday Aug. 26 beginning at 3:30 p.m. CT in Victory Lane, adjacent to the garage.
By the Numbers 2016 … The 41-year-old driver is currently ranked fifth in the driver points standings with three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes through 22 events this season. According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Gaughan is currently ranked third in the closers category, with an average finish of 10.91. He also ranks fourth in quality passes with 728 passes completed this season, and ranks sixth in average running position with an average of 12.778.
This Week at South Point Hotel & Casino … This week, the South Point Arena will host the AviSight Drone Academy Aug. 23 – 26. The academy will focus on world-class training programs for unmanned vehicle systems given by instructors with Federal Aviation Administration certification and military background. For more information, visit southpointarena.com.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
How would you classify Road America in the trio of road courses?
“Road America is in my opinion, one of the top-two road courses in America, it and Laguna Seca. If you were to describe the perfect road course, those two tracks are the definition. Road America has it all, I love that place. It has the big elevation changes, blind corners, downhill braking zones, uphill braking zones and disappearing braking zones; it is all there. The 4.05-mile road course is the total package. The course gives drivers 14 different corners to capitalize on and make gains. It shows the technical capabilities of these XFINITY Series cars. Plus, the fans are amazing in Wisconsin. They are in every turn all the way around the course. I always look forward to racing there, and I said that long before I won in 2014.”
