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 115 starts at the 1.058-mile oval, Childress also has two pole awards, 16 top-five and 40 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 2,709 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 46 pole awards,105 wins, 473 top-five finishes and 1,024 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 … Heading into the second race of the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup, Dillon ranks 13th on the Chase Grid. Newman ranks 18th and Menard ranks 25th in the driver championship point standings.
Taking our cause to the Hill … Richard Childress and Bob Gfeller helped launch the U.S. Congress’ bipartisan pediatric trauma caucus in May 2016. Representatives Richard Hudson and G.K. Butterfield will host the second briefing discussing Pediatric Trauma in Sports on Wednesday, Sept. 21 in Washington, DC. Stay tuned as our advocacy initiatives grow and continue to Save Injured Kids across the U.S. Visit saveinjuredkids.org/.
Catch the Action … The Bad Boy Off Road 300 is scheduled to be televised live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.
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This Week’s Pumpkin Spice Cheerios Chevrolet SS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot chassis No. 485 in the Bad Boy Off Road 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This Chevrolet SS has previously been utilized by Dillon’s teammate Paul Menard.
Dillon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … In five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Dillon’s best finish is eighth in July 2015.
Pumpkin Spice Cheerios in the Chase … Made from real pumpkin puree and a delicious blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, Pumpkin Spice Cheerios has taken over store shelves and is now on Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Chevrolet as well, as Austin Dillon will race the No. 3 Pumpkin Spice Cheerios Chevrolet this weekend in New Hampshire. Pumpkin Spice Cheerios is the latest General Mills Cereal free from artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources. This limited edition Cheerios flavor is also gluten free.
Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to make an appearance at the NASCAR Fanatics SuperStore at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. ET. The first 10 fans in line at the appearance will be invited to enjoy a Pumpkin Spice Cheerios breakfast with Dillon.
NASCAR America … Dillon is scheduled to be an in-studio guest on NASCAR America on the NBC Sports Network on Wednesday, September 21. The show airs live at 6 p.m. Eastern.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on heading to New Hampshire Motor Speedway with it being a Chase race this time compared to a regular season race?
“New Hampshire Motor Speedway is challenging in some ways. The restarts really get tight and that’s something that I am going to focus on knowing that those are game changers. Hopefully we can get through those with flying colors and get through New Hampshire Motor Speedway with another solid finish. I’m looking forward to having New Hampshire in the Chase because I feel like it’s always been a good track for the No. 3 team.”
What is the biggest challenge for you at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?
“The restarts at the end. Making sure that we are aggressive enough and put ourselves in position. I feel like we’re going to have good long run speed and get around the track pretty good so just not giving up anything at the end of the race will be key.
This Week’s Libman / Menards Chevrolet SS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … The No. 27 Libman / Menards team has chosen chassis No. 487 for this weekend’s 300-lap race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This is the first time this season that the Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet will compete.
Magic Mile Stats … After competing in 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at the one-mile track, Menard has collected eight top-15 starts and eight top-20 finishes. He has completed 99.3 percent of laps in competition and holds an average start of 20.6 and finish of 23.0.
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PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
What was the biggest takeaway from the race in July with this new lower downforce package?
“We had a decent car when we were there in July. Anytime we go to a heavy braking track like New Hampshire with a lot more downforce, it’s hard on the brakes. There’s a lot more brake heat. We’ve seen more melted beads this year because of the added brake heat. You have to watch your temperature and control how hot the brakes are getting, all while keeping tape on the grill to create downforce. All the heat that transfers to the tires makes them harder with more air pressure build up. There’s a fine balance there for sure.”
Is it hard to get a handle on that place with all the different kinds of rubber that is laid down throughout the weekend?
“Yeah, the modifieds run a different tire than us. That rubber really burns off after a couple of laps, so the first run is usually pretty slippery but it fades away. This is one of the tracks that we’ll probably wait five minutes in practice before going out for a run. We’ll let a few other cars go out there and burn off the other rubber, so we can get a better feel for what our car will do with our tires. The track comes in pretty quick, though.”
This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet SS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman will pilot car No. 479 in Sunday’s Bad Boy Off Road 300. This is the first time this season the car will be in action.
Career Stats at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Newman will make his 540th 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 29 starts at NHMS, he owns seven top-five and 18 top-10 finishes. Also, he has led 722 laps in competition. The South Bend, Ind., native has an average start of 9.9 and average finish of 13.3. Plus he ranks fifth in most points earned in the last five races at Loudon.
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RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
What makes New Hampshire Motor Speedway unique?
“New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a track where you need to be extremely aggressive and extremely conservative at the same time. So you have to be patient and you have to be aggressive. It’s such a finesse track but at the same time the restarts are very critical because it’s hard to pass and you have to know when to go and you have to know when to hold. It’s a fun track. It’s challenging because it’s difficult to pass. It’s a track I’ve always been pretty good at.”
What is one thing on your mind going into Loudon that you know you need to focus on?
“The biggest part about Loudon challenge wise for a driver is to make sure the car is good getting into the corner. You need to be able to get in confidently so you get past somebody and that’s a big part of connecting the corner on entry, middle and exit. Entry stability and the ability to commit to a pass and getting into the corner is huge there.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Kentucky Speedway … In 51 Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, RCR has captured four victories with drivers Kevin Harvick (2001), Austin Dillon (2012 sweep) and Brendan Gaughan (2014). The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has accumulated four pole awards, 21 top-five finishes, 35 top-10 finishes, led 907 laps and averages a starting position of 10.0 and finishing position of 8.6 RCR has completed 10,020 laps of the 10,118 (99.0 percent) that they have competed.
Chicagoland Review … Brendan Gaughan was the highest RCR finisher in eighth, Paul Menard ninth, Brandon Jones 10th and Ty Dillon 11th, respectively, at Chicagoland Speedway.
#OneGoal … With the regular season of competition complete, the inaugural XFINITY Series Chase begins this weekend with the Round of 12 at Kentucky Speedway. All three of RCR’s full-time drivers clinched a chase berth and will compete for the season-end championship. Ty Dillon is currently seeded fourth on the Chase grid, Brendan Gaughan seventh and Brandon Jones 11th. The first round of eliminations will take place following the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway next month.
The Points … The No. 2 RCR team is third 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 VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, Sept. 24, beginning at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. It will also be broadcast live on Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.
This Week’s Johns Manville / Rheem Chevrolet at Kentucky Speedway … Sam Hornish Jr. will pilot chassis No. 183 at Kentucky Speedway. This is the same Chevrolet Austin Dillon drove to a second-place finish at Kentucky Speedway in July.
Lucky in Kentucky … In five previous NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Kentucky Speedway, Hornish has recorded a pole award, two top-five and four top-10 finishes. He holds an average starting position of 2.6, coupled with an average finishing position of 10.2. The Ohio native has qualified fourth or better in all five appearances at the Sparta, Kentucky-based racetrack.
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No. 2 Team by the Numbers … With 26 XFINITY Series events complete in 2016, the No. 2 team has three victories, three pole awards, 15 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes, with 115 laps led to their credit. Austin Dillon will pilot the No. 2 Chevrolet next weekend at Dover International Speedway.
SAM HORNISH JR. QUOTES:
This will be your first time on the new surface at Kentucky Speedway. Did you watch the race here in the spring?
“When Richard Childress Racing gave me the original schedule of the races that they wanted me to run, I was excited to see Kentucky Speedway on there. I immediately thought, ‘yeah, that’s my kind of racetrack.’ I liked the old, wore-out, bumpy surface it had. But, then I remembered they had the repave and the track has really changed. I did get an opportunity to watch the XFINITY Series race at Kentucky in the spring. Austin (Dillon) did a great job and brought home a second-place finish. He gave Kyle (Busch) quite the run for his money there at the end. RCR has done a lot of work on their program for Kentucky and have put together a solid package to give us a good shot at the win. That’s how this team is, they work hard to get better and get to where they want to be. It’s going to be different for me going there, just from all the things I saw from watching it on television. I think you’ll still see some of the old characteristics where it’s tricky to get into Turn 3 and really keep the car underneath of you.”
Kentucky Speedway is your last race with the No. 2 team.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity Richard and everyone at RCR has given me to drive these races for them this season. I’ve really enjoyed working with the No. 2 Rheem team and getting to know everyone at RCR. We’ve had a good few races together. We had a tire go down at Iowa Speedway and ended up eighth but went to Mid-Ohio, won the pole award and finished second. This weekend, we’re looking for the win. I’ve tried to work hard myself when I’m not in the car to stay in shape, so I’m ready. I’ve had a lot of fun.”
This Week’s No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet Camaro at Kentucky Speedway … Ty Dillon will drive chassis No. 182 for this weekend’s VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro last saw track action at Darlington Raceway, where Dillon finished 12th. Dillon raced chassis No. 182 earlier this season at Kentucky Speedway to a seventh-place finish in the No. 3 Red Kap/Alsco Chevrolet Camaro.
Dillon at Kentucky Speedway … In five NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Kentucky Speedway, Dillon has one pole award, two top-five and four top-10 finishes. Dillon finished runner-up at the 1.5-mile speedway last September and finished third in Sept. 2014. He also won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on June 27, 2013.
First Round of the Chase Begins in Kentucky … Dillon ended the XFINITY Series regular season last weekend with an 11th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway. He enters the inaugural Chase as the No. 4 seed with seven top-five finishes, 14 top-10 finishes and one pole award.
Meet Ty Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to sign autographs in the Midway on Saturday, Sept. 24 beginning at 3 p.m. ET as part of the XFINITY Series Chase driver autograph session.
TY DILLON QUOTE:
You finished third in 2014 and second last season in this race. What will it take for you to make it to the winner’s circle?
“For us, we strongly believe in our 1.5-mile program. It’s obviously a point of emphasis with five of the next seven races being 1.5-mile in length. We’ve been very good at Kentucky Speedway these last two races with third and second-place finishes, but for whatever reason we haven’t been able to finish and make it to Victory Lane. I’m always confident when the car comes off the trailer and I know we’re going to have a good starting spot. So, I think the key for this weekend will be to qualify well, minimize any mistakes, have a clean day on pit road and race top five all race. If we do that, we’ll be in a great position to win the race.”
This Week’s NIBCO / Menards Chevrolet Camaro at Kentucky Speedway … Brandon Jones will pilot chassis No. 181 for the opening race of the NASCAR XFINTIY Series Chase this weekend at Kentucky Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro previously raced at Michigan International Speedway and Darlington Raceway, earning a pair of top-10 finishes.
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Kentucky Nuggets … Jones has two previous XFINITY Series starts at the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway, earning a top-five finish in 2015 and an 11th-place finish earlier this season. Jones also has two top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and a 12th-place finish in the ARCA Racing Series at Kentucky Speedway.
Meet the Driver … Jones is scheduled to appear at the XFINITY Series autograph session on Saturday, Sept. 24, starting at 3 p.m. ET in the Fan Midway.
BRANDON JONES QUOTES:
The inaugural XFINITY Series Chases starts this weekend at Kentucky Speedway. What is your outlook for this weekend and this first round of the Chase?
“We’re going to do the same thing we did at Chicagoland Speedway last weekend. We’re going to try to get another top-10 finish out of the day. I feel like three top-10 finishes in a row will advance us to the next round pretty easily. Once we get to the next round, we will try to get up front, take some chances, makes some risky moves and go for the win. We’ll have nothing to lose. It is awesome to see all the RCR cars in this first round of the Chase. It is cool that we’ll all be up there competing against each other for the championship.”
What did you think of the recent Kentucky Speedway repave and what will it be like getting another shot at it this weekend?
“The track was extremely edgy with the new surface. You saw a number of drivers – myself included – get out of the groove and into the wall off Turn 4. Luckily for us it was just in practice. Hopefully that won’t happen again, but we have a much better understanding of how to approach the new surface with our setup. I also have a lot more confidence in myself going there for a second time this season.”
How much did the repave change your entry points and lift points around the track based on what it was before?
“It was a big change. You are always on the edge at Kentucky, but you didn’t know when the car was going to snap loose or if it was going to be OK and you would be able to drive it off the corner. You could at least chase the car around a bit on the older surface, but now there is just so much grip that if you lose it at all the car gets away from you so fast. I know what to expect going into this weekend’s race and I’ll know where I need to be in the NIBCO/Menards Chevrolet.”
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Kentucky Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will pilot chassis No. 180 Saturday night at the 1.5-mile speedway. Gaughan drove this Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway during the 2016 season. Chassis No. 180 has an average starting position of 13.0 and an average finishing position of 16.6.
Gaughan’s Kentucky Speedway Stats … In eight NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Kentucky Speedway, Gaughan has accumulated four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. The Las Vegas-native earned his second career XFINITY Series victory at Kentucky Speedway in September 2014. Gaughan has led 29 laps, averages a starting position of 9.2, finishing position of 5.8 and has completed 99.9 percent of the laps competed.
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Meet Brendan Gaughan … Gaughan is scheduled to appear in the Midway on Saturday, Sept. 24, beginning at 3 p.m. ET as part of the XFINITY Series Chase drivers’ autograph session. Wristbands will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 2 p.m. ET in the Midway.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTES:
Kentucky Speedway kicks off the XFINITY Series Chase, are you up to the challenge?
“Kentucky (Speedway) is statistically my best racetrack. We had a tough time there in the spring for the first time in a long time, but I still love the track even with the resurface. I have heard rumors the track will drag tires again to widen the groove. It really doesn’t matter to me, I will drive the track and focus on running up front.”
What do you like most about Kentucky Speedway?
“I just love the track, I have always loved it even before our win in 2014. The people at Kentucky are great, Mark (Simendinger, track president) and Tim (Bray, director of communications) are some of the best in the business. I always enjoy the events they set up for us to do. Considering the actual track, I would say Turn 3 and 4 are my favorite style of corner in our sport. They are the traditional flat corner, very similar to my home track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”
