Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Charlotte Motor Speedway … In 154 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing teams have earned seven points-paying victories (four wins with Dale Earnhardt, one with Jeff Burton and two with Kevin Harvick) and four All-Star race victories (three with Earnhardt and one with Harvick), giving RCR 11 total Sprint Cup Series checkered flags at the Concord, N.C.-based track. RCR boasts 21 top-five and 49 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile track. Childress, a former driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit, contributed two of those top-10 finishes from 1978 to 1979. The Welcome, N.C. organization has led a combined 1,149 laps at the Charlotte facility.
RCR in the NSCS … In 2,715 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 46 pole awards,105 wins, 473 top-five finishes and 1,025 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 … Dillon clinched a spot in Round of 12 and ranks 12th on the Chase Grid heading into the fourth race of the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Newman ranks 18th and Menard ranks 25th in the driver championship point standings.
In Memory of Johnny Siler … All RCR entries will run decals in memory of long-time RCR fabricator Johnny Siler this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Siler passed away on September 24 following a battle with cancer. His 22-year career at RCR was more than a job, it was his passion and he truly loved it. The RCR community plans to celebrate Siler’s live with a celebration of life service on campus on Wednesday.
Education for First Responders … The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma funds education to provide the people that save injured kids’ lives with the latest techniques. This week we support the North Carolina Office of EMS and EMS World Expo at their annual conferences with education to treat and save injured children. We also partnered with N.C.’s Office of EMS for Children to launch our Pediatric Airway online course, partially funded by Speedway Children’s Charities Charlotte chapter. Learn more about our programs https://saveinjuredkids.org.
Catch the Action … The Bank of America 500 is scheduled to be televised live on NBC beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow Coating Materials Chevrolet SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Dillon has made five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, securing his best finish of seventh in October 2015. He also has three Sprint Showdown starts to his credit, with a best finish of sixth in 2015. Dillon earned back-to-back NASCAR XFINITY Series wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway last year and is a three-time pole winner at the track. In three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dillon has two top-10 finishes.
A Family Tradition … Dillon grew up watching races at Charlotte Motor Speedway from his grandfather’s condo, which overlooks the racetrack.
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#TheChase … Dillon advanced to Round of 12 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup and now sets his sights on Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, where he finished 12th, sixth and third, respectively, in the spring.
Questions, Please … Dillon is scheduled to take questions from the media in the infield media center at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Thursday, October 6 at 12:45 p.m. ET.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
You made it to the Round of 12. What are your thoughts on heading to Charlotte Motor Speedway?
“Truthfully, some of my best tracks are in this round. Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega. To head into Charlotte Motor Speedway with a better shot at the championship is awesome. The track is so close to home so it will be special to see all of our fans and all of our RCR employees try to come out to the race. I’m looking forward to the second round. I know that is going to be a challenge. I feel like our mile-and-a-half program at RCR has always been pretty solid so I’m excited about Charlotte Motor Speedway.”
Paul Menard and the No. 27 Valvoline / Menards Chevrolet SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway… Menard has competed in 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at the Concord, North Carolina-based facility. He has four top-10 starts and two top-10 finishes with 6,433 of 6,838 laps completed in competition. The Richard Childress Racing driver has raced over 9,000 miles at the 1.5-mile track.
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Turnin’ Left for a Cure … In support of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation (MTJF), Menard ran a special teal and gold MTJF/Sherry Strong steering wheel in the No. 27 Chevrolet to help raise awareness for Childhood and Ovarian Cancer. The race-used steering wheel was autographed by Menard and is on the auction block until Oct. 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET. All proceeds from the auction will go towards raising awareness and funding research for Childhood and Ovarian Cancer. To place a bid on Menard’s steering wheel, visit fanaticsauctions.com/Gold-and-Teal-Steering-Wheel-Autographed-by-NASCAR-Driver-Paul-Menard-plu152260116037.html
PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
Do you notice when the race in the fall is 100 less miles than in the spring at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
“My bladder might. For us drivers, 500 miles versus 600 miles both goes by pretty quick for us. I’m not sure about the fans in the stands but for us, it’s pretty quick. The longest race of the year for me as a driver is probably Darlington and the 500-miler there. There’s no rest breaks and no margin for error at Darlington. At Charlotte, you can search around and find different lines. You have a few times where you can catch your breath and relax. Charlotte is a fun track, though. It’s another place where the top groove has come in pretty well. Anytime that groove comes in, it makes for a great race.”
Charlotte is a temperature sensitive track. How does the weather play a role in racing this track?
“I hope it’s cooler this weekend than it was back in May. Typically the cooler the weather, the less the top groove comes in and you’re stuck to the bottom of the track since that’s where the grip is made. It’s definitely temperature sensitive. We do have a couple practices at night, which is unique there because we don’t practice at night very often. We’ll get to learn a lot of things during those night practices and can apply them to the race.”
Ryan Newman and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Newman will make his 542nd NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start when the Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway. In total at CMS, Newman has recorded runner-up finishes two times (fall, 2003; Coke 600, 2009) along with nine pole awards, four top-five, 13 top-10 finishes. The “Rocketman” has led 277 laps in competition. The South Bend, Indiana native has an average start of 8.8 and average finish of 17.7. When calculating points earned in the last five events at Charlotte, Newman ranks sixth in most points accumulated.
Featured Caterpillar Dealer … Carolina CAT Power Systems is the featured Cat dealer for the Bank of America 500.
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Meet Ryan … Newman is scheduled to sign autographs on Friday at the Wal-Mart located at 5825 Thunder Rd. NW in Concord, North Carolina at 1 p.m. ET. Please arrive in time to receive a wristband to guarantee an autograph.
Rescue Ranch Fall Fun Days presented by WIX Filters … Every Saturday in October, Rescue Ranch will be hosting the Fall Fun Days presented by WIX Filters. It’s the perfect way to spend the afternoon with family by navigating through the corn maze, ride the hay rides through hay art and play games. For details visit: rescueranch.com.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
How special is it to be racing at home?
“It is a great track, first of all, but it is at home so that’s what makes it special. It’s nice to have all of your friends, family and team at the track watching. We travel a lot so to come back here and race is a nice change especially when it falls towards the end of our season. I also think it is such a special place with everyone in racing because of the history of our sport. If you look at this area and what the track in my eyes has really done for the city of Charlotte, and all the surrounding areas, it is a different kind of special.”
Why is the track unique?
“The Charlotte track is unique because it has a lot of banking and carries a lot of speed through Turns 1 and 2. You kind of have to check up in Turns 3 and 4. If the weather conditions allow you to, it can be really fast in Turns 3 and 4. It also gets slick when it catches the afternoon sun way more than Turns 1 and 2. It makes it a unique track depending on the weather conditions.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway … In 78 Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, RCR has captured four victories with drivers Jeff Green (2002), Jeff Burton (2007) and Austin Dillon (2015 sweep). The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has accumulated eight pole awards, 22 top-five finishes, 46 top-10 finishes, led 721 laps and averages a starting position of 10.7 and finishing position of 12.6. RCR has completed 14,739 laps of the 15,607 (94.4 percent) that they have competed.
Dover Review … Ty Dillon was the highest RCR finisher in second, Brendan Gaughan ninth, Regan Smith 13th and Brandon Jones 17th, respectively, at Dover International Speedway.
#OneGoal … With the regular season of competition complete, the inaugural XFINITY Series Chase continues this weekend with the Round of 12 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. All three of RCR’s full-time drivers are competing to advance through each round and contend for the season-end championship. Brendan Gaughan is currently seededfourth on the Chase grid, Ty Dillon ninth and Brandon Jones 12th. The first round of eliminations will take place following Friday night’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Points … The No. 2 RCR team is fifth in the owner point standings. Brandon Jones is currently third in the XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings.
In Memory of Johnny Siler … This weekend, all RCR entries in the XFINITY Series race will carry a special decal in honor of Johnny Siler. Siler recently passed away after battling cancer and was a beloved member of the RCR family. He worked at the company for the last 22 years as a fabricator, where his career was more than a job, it was his hobby and his passion that he truly loved. We’ll miss you, Johnny.
Catch the Action … Coverage of this weekend’s Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live on Friday, Oct. 7, beginning at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. It will also be broadcast live on Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.
Austin Dillon and the No. 2 Rheem Chevrolet Camaro at Charlotte Motor Speedway … In seven previous NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dillon has recorded two victories, sweeping both races in 2015. The Welcome, North Carolina native has three pole awards, four top-five and five top-10 finishes to his credit. He holds an average starting position of 2.1, coupled with an average finishing position of 5.3.
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No. 2 Team by the Numbers … With 28 XFINITY Series events complete in 2016, the No. 2 team has three victories, three pole awards, 16 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes, with 115 laps led to their credit. Austin Dillon is scheduled to pilot the No. 2 Chevrolet for the remaining races in 2016.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
You’ve had success at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the XFINITY Series. What about this track fits your driving style?
“I really enjoy racing at Charlotte. It’s fun to have all your friends and family there cheering you on. This Rheem team has brought fast cars here every race. We finished second in the spring but won both races the year before. I’m confident we’ll be able to contend for the win again this weekend. Charlotte can be a tricky track to figure out, but having run so many laps there in the XFINITY Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has definitely helped. We’re hungry for another win and there’s no place better than at home.”
Ty Dillon and the No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet Camaro at Charlotte Motor Speedway … In five NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, Dillon has four top-10 finishes. Dillon drove the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet Camaro to an eighth-place finish earlier this season at CMS, one of Dillon’s 15 top-10 finishes in 2016. Dillon also has two starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at CMS, including one pole award, one top five and two top-10 finishes.
Chase Update … Last weekend at Dover International Speedway, Dillon showed consistent speed in his runner-up finish at the Monster Mile. Needing a solid finish in race No. 2 of the first round of the Chase, Dillon is now only three points behind eighth place to transfer to the second Round of 8, beginning next weekend at Kansas Speedway. Dillon’s second-place finish was the team’s fourth runner-up finish this season.
TY DILLON QUOTE:
You need three points to transfer to the second round of the Chase. Is the pressure on?
“There’s always pressure in races like these because you have to be almost perfect and avoid any mistakes. The good news is our 1.5-mile program has been solid so far this season, so I’m confident that the team will bring a strong Chevy Camaro to Charlotte this weekend and we’ll compete for a win. We made up 12 points this past weekend in Dover, so it’s absolutely possible we make up ground this weekend. It starts Thursday in practice and we’ll keep it up going into Friday with qualifying and Friday night in the race. I’m looking forward to the challenge at our home track, in front of the home crowd.”
Brandon Jones and the No. 33 Nexteer Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Brandon Jones has just one NASCAR XFINITY Series start at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway, but earned a seventh-place finish there earlier this year. He also has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at CMS, with an average finish of 12.0.
One Goal, One Race … Jones’ hopes at advancing into the next round of the inaugural XFINITY Series Chase come down to Friday night’s Drive For The Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After finishing 26th at Kentucky Speedway and 17th at Dover International Speedway, the XFINITY Series Rookie of the Year contender is 12th on the Chase grid, 18 points behind the eighth-place Chase cutoff.
Nexteer Automotive … Jones counts on Nexteer Automotive’s steering technology to deliver precise, high-performance under intense conditions. Mere seconds can mean the difference between winning and losing, so Richard Childress Racing chooses Nexteer – renowned for exceptional handling, performance and safety. Nexteer provides electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steering columns, driveline systems, advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) and autonomous technologies to global manufactures. Nexteer Automotive, a Leader in Intuitive Motion Control. Visit Nexteer.com for more information.
Welcome Mike Richardson … New Nexteer Automotive president, chief operating officer and executive board director Mike Richardson will be in attendance this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and will be introduced during the XFINITY Series driver/crew chief meeting. Richardson is a 42-year veteran of Nexteer Automotive, and was named as the company’s President and COO in September.
Meet the Driver … The XFINITY Series rookie is scheduled to appear at the Chevrolet Stage on Friday, Oct. 7, starting at 2:45 p.m. ET for a fan question-and-answer session.
BRANDON JONES QUOTES:
When the top seed going into the Chase heads to Charlotte on the outside looking in, that means you have a chance to climb back into contention to advance to the next round. How do you like your chances of advancing at Charlotte?
“Charlotte Motor Speedway has always been a pretty good track for me. It is a place where you will typically get long green flag runs. If we can get the Nexteer Automotive Chevrolet handling well and turning the corner the way we need it to, we’ll be just fine out there. I feel like Charlotte is one of the strongest mile-and-a-half tracks we go to.”
How different is Charlotte Motor Speedway from the May race to the October race?
“Weather-wise, it has still been pretty hot lately in the Charlotte area, so it will be pretty similar to how we raced here in May. Racing under the lights it will be a lot cooler, which means there might be more grip to start the race. The biggest thing is that you will see more sparks flying and everything just amplifies under the lights. I enjoy racing under the lights. It cools you off a little bit better in the car better than it does racing in the daytime. I think it’s probably more enjoyable for the fans to watch as well.”
Charlotte Motor Speedway is the Chase Cutoff … Coming off a solid start in the XFINITY Series Chase Gaughan is ranked fourth in the standings. Charlotte Motor Speedway, the cutoff for the Round of 12 is statistically ranked third-best amongst the playoff tracks for the driver of the No. 62 American Ethanol / Sheetz Chevrolet. Last fall, the Las Vegas native started and finished in 15th position.Statistically Consistent … Gaughan set a new career high with his 15th top-10 finish this past weekend at the Monster Mile. The sixth-place finish in the second race of the XFINITY Series Chase marks his third consecutive top-10 finish and seventh out of the last nine races. On the season, his average starting position is 12.9, coupled with an average finishing position of 10.7.
American Ethanol On Board … American Ethanol, a renewable source of cleaner burning energy from the bounty of America’s farmers, helps create new green jobs and a renewed sense of pride for the American worker, while helping to achieve greater energy security for our country. Launched by Growth Energy and the National Corn Growers Association, along with the support of other partners, American Ethanol is a breakthrough brand that seeks to expand consumer awareness of the benefits of ethanol and E15, and takes the NASCAR Green initiative to the next level. NASCAR drivers have run more than 9 million miles on renewable Sunoco Green E15.
Welcome Sheetz … Sheetz is a family owned convenience store chain based in Altoona, Pennsylvania. For more than 60 years, their mission has been to meet the needs of customers on the go. Sheetz operates more than 500 high-energy stores throughout six states: Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina. Sheetz offers customers friendly service and made to order food at all locations. They proudly provide E10, E15 as well as E85 fuel blends where available. Sheetz offers E15 at 60 convenient locations in North Carolina and is committed to their customers, employees and the communities in which they operate.
Meet Brendan Gaughan … Fans of Gaughan will have the opportunity to meet the driver of the No. 62 Chevrolet on Friday, Oct. 7, beginning at 12 p.m. Local Time at Sheetz located at 1520 Jake Alexander Boulevard in Salisbury, North Carolina. The autograph session will feature a unique American Ethanol / Sheetz hero card.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTES:
Charlotte is the Round of 12 Chase cutoff, what are your thoughts on the playoff format?
“I was in the first year of a Chase in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, I think this format is very cool. If it boils down to one spot to make the next round or not, you will see a lot of interesting moves. It is more important than a Dash4Cash race or even winning a race. You have to get to the next round. Fans will see a lot of cool things happen with this playoff format Charlotte could be a very, very cool race to watch.”
Do you think it is fun that the elimination race is happening at Charlotte in NASCAR’s backyard?
“North Carolina is the central hub of NASCAR. It’s great that the end of the first round comes in Charlotte. It could be bad, the guys could get tangled up and go to each others houses to continue the fight, or possibly go out for dinner at Dressler’s afterward and hug it out. I’m glad the schedule fell this way, it will be a great show for the fans. Charlotte Motor Speedway has hosted big competitive moments for Chase drivers in the past and this year will be just as exciting.”
