Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Talladega Superspeedway … Richard Childress began his driving career at Talladega Superspeedway in 1969 and leads team owners for the most all-time victories at the storied Alabama-based race track with 12 wins. Dale Earnhardt visited Victory Lane nine times, while Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer swept the 2010 events at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. Bowyer added to the Welcome, N.C.-based organization’s total by claiming RCR’s 100th Sprint Cup Series win when NASCAR’s senior series visited the facility in October 2011. In 163 starts, RCR also has four pole awards, 41 top-five, 66 top-10 finishes and has led 1,836 laps of competition.
RCR in the NSCS … In 2,721 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 46 pole awards,105 wins, 474 top-five finishes and 1,027 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.7 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 the Round of 12 and ranks ninth (tied for eighth) on the Chase Grid heading into the seventh race of the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Newman ranks 18th and Menard ranks 25th in the driver championship point standings.
BBs Ride … In October 2014, Brayden “BB” Butler was an eight-year-old who raced motocross and always wore top-of-the-line safety gear, including his helmet. While practicing for an upcoming race, he crashed and sustained a head injury. He was airlifted to Children’s of Alabama where many pediatric specialists worked to help Brayden recover. Read his inspirational pediatric trauma survivor story to learn more http://bit.ly/BBsRide.
Catch the Action … The Alabama 500 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.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet SS at Talladega SuperSpeedway … In six Sprint Cup Series starts at Talladega, Dillon earned his best finish at the 2.66-mile track in his most recent appearance when he finished third after making 17 pit stops and driving through the field with a battered racecar. His best finish in four NASCAR XFINITY Series Starts is also third. He has two starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, earning a best finish of seventh in October 2011.
Think Pink … During the month of October American Ethanol is partnering with retailers to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research. Ethanol has replaced toxic, carcinogenic chemicals that were previously blended in gasoline, so ethanol has already helped in the fight against cancer in tangible ways. The Pink Out program ensures we continue to support research for a cure on behalf of mothers, daughters and families everywhere. Every gallon of E15 is a better choice for our air, our engines and our wallets.
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 nearly 10 million miles on renewable Sunoco Green E15.
#TheChase … Entering the third and final race of the Round of 12 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Dillon sits on the cutoff line for the Round of 8 in a tie with Joey Logano. He now sets his sights on Talladega Superspeedway, where he finished third in the Spring.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Talladega Superspeedway has always been considered a wild card race but how has it changed now that it has Chase implications for you?
“Talladega Superspeedway is an intense race. We’re battling for points now and I’ve been in the position the last couple of years where I haven’t had to worry about points. It will be interesting. It probably won’t change our strategy. Our average finish at superspeedways have been one of the best, as far as having the best finishing position as a driver, so that’s a good average to have. We have to really look at it when we get there and find out how we want to go about it. Do we want to be aggressive, like we usually are, which works out for us, or do we want to wait and ride and try to make it to the end and try to make it through there? It will be interesting. There will be a lot of strategy talks heading into Talladega Superspeedway.”
Do you consider the risk-reward at Talladega Superspeedway when you are coming to the Checkered Flag on the last lap?
“It just depends on your points positon there. If you’re out of the top-eight points position and you need a win you’re going to go for broke. If you’re sitting comfortably where you need to be and you can guard a top-five finish you just need to take that top-five finish and go on, I think.”
Paul Menard and the No. 27 SYLVANIA / Menards Chevrolet SS at Talladega Superspeedway … With 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts to his credit, Menard has earned three top-five and five top-10 finishes at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. The RCR driver has led 41 laps and completed 88 percent of laps in competition. His best start of second came in May 2014 and finish of second in October 2008.
About SYLVANIA: Innovation at its Brightest … OSRAM SYLVANIA is a leader in lighting solutions and services, specializing in innovative design and energy saving technology. The company sells products for homes, businesses and vehicles primarily under the SYLVANIA brand name, and also under the OSRAM brand. Headquartered in Danvers, Mass., OSRAM SYLVANIA is the North American operation of OSRAM GmbH. For more information, visit sylvania.com.
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PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
Is there anything fun about running three-wide for three hours at Talladega Superspeedway?
“The cool part about racing at Talladega is anything can happen at any time. We always call it the ‘wildcard race’ because you never know what’s going to happen. We haven’t had the best year and haven’t been up there contending for wins every week, but Talladega is a place where I feel like we can go and win. Regardless of how you practice or where you qualify, you can always make something happen during the race. That’s the cool part. The bad part is waiting for and trying to anticipate the ‘big one’.”
From the driver’s seat, what is the biggest difference between racing at Daytona and Talladega?
“At Talladega, you can comfortably run three-wide all around the track. Comfortable is a relative term, but you have more room at Talladega than you do at Daytona when you’re racing three wide. These cars move around a lot when you’re drafting so having that extra room is helpful. When you get to four-wide racing at Talladega, that’s when it starts to feel like three-wide at Daytona. Daytona is also more of a handling kind of track, where Talladega is all about speed.”
Ryan Newman and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS at Talladega Superspeedway … Newman will make his 544th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start when the series embarks on its 32nd event of the season. In total, he owns five top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in 29 starts. The South Bend, Ind., native has an average start of 13.5 and average finish of 20.3. His best start of second came in the fall of 2012, while his best finish of third took place in the spring of 2009. When it comes to championship points in the last five events at Talladega, Newman ranks fourth in most points earned.
Featured Caterpillar Dealer … Thompson Tractor Company is the featured Cat dealer for the Hollywood Casino 400.
Thompson Tractor Company, Inc. is the full-line Caterpillar dealer for Alabama and northwest Florida and the MCFA lift truck dealer for all of Georgia (less nine northwestern counties). The company specializes in the sales and service of Caterpillar products, including earthmoving, construction, forestry and material handling equipment, as well as diesel engines used for electric power generation, on-highway and marine propulsion applications. Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, Thompson Tractor provides a diverse array of solutions to their customers in its service territory through four divisions: Thompson Tractor Company, Thompson Power Systems, Thompson Lift Truck Company, and The Thompson Cat Rental Store. Thompson has 25 locations and the South’s largest fleet of field service vehicles to best serve their customers. For all your equipment and product support needs, please visit www.thompsontractor.com or stop by your nearest Thompson location.
Age of Smart Iron … Caterpillar has spent over 90 years committed to innovation and technology that helps customers succeed. What was important then is even more important now, in an age when advancements come faster and more frequently than ever before. An age where connectivity drives productivity and industry evolves. This is the Age of Smart Iron. Watch this video. For more information about Caterpillar, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.
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:
What are the keys to running well at Talladega Superspeedway?
“I am such a small part of the equation that a major factor in running well is simply staying out of trouble because so much of this race comes down to that. There is a point where you want to stay out front and stay out of the mess but you have to have a car that will give you that. It takes a half of one percent to be that much better than the next guy to be in that group. If not, you just have to stay out of trouble.”
Do you agree Talladega should be a cut-off race?
“I think Talladega brings with it an added notion of unpredictability. Anything or nothing can happen. We could see 188 laps of green-flag racing or a big crash. What we do know is two drivers are safe no matter what happens on Sunday. That’s it. Last year we saw a driver with an 18-point pad heading into Talladega. At most places, you would think he’d be safe and off to the Round of Eight. Instead, he was in the big wreck and his Chase was over. It’s part of the Chase. What all the teams on the outside looking in need to remember is they still have the opportunity.”
