RCR will field three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams and five NASCAR XFINITY Series entries
WELCOME, N.C. (December 21, 2016) – Richard Childress Racing (RCR) will return with three full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series entries and five full-time NASCAR XFINITY Series teams for the 2017 season. It will be the first time in team history that RCR will field five full-time XFINITY Series entries, and the first time since 2011 the team has fielded eight full-time teams.
Austin Dillon, Paul Menard and Ryan Newman return to carry the banner for the RCR Cup Series program in 2017. Richard “Slugger” Labbe, Matt Borland and Luke Lambert have been assigned crew chief duties, respectively.
With the addition of rookie driver Daniel Hemric, RCR will operate five entries out of its XFINITY Series stable.
The No. 2 and No. 3 Chevrolets in the XFINITY Series will include multiple drivers. Austin Dillon and Paul Menard will be primary drivers for the No. 2 Chevrolet, with second-year crew chief Justin Alexander atop the pit box. Ty Dillon will remain with the No. 3 Chevrolet team and will partner with rookie crew chief Matt Swiderski, who has spent 10 years at RCR in its engineering department. Swiderski made his debut as crew chief last season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he led the No. 3 team to a second-place finish. Additional drivers for RCR’s No. 2 and No. 3 teams will be named at a later date.
Brandon Jones and Brendan Gaughan return with full-time driving duties of the No. 33 and No. 62 Chevrolets, respectively, and will compete for the XFINITY Series driver championship. Jones and veteran crew chief Nick Harrison will be paired together, while Gaughan returns with his long-time crew chief Shane Wilson for their 12th season together.
In 2017, RCR will welcome back the storied No. 21 entry with Daniel Hemric behind the wheel. Hemric and two-time NASCAR championship winning crew chief Danny Stockman will work together as Hemric competes for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors and the XFINITY Series driver championship.
About Richard Childress Racing:
Richard Childress Racing (rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. RCR has earned more than 200 victories and 15 championships, including six in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Its 2017 Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Dow/American Ethanol/Cheerios/AAA Chevrolet), 2011 Brickyard 400 champion Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet) and 2008 Daytona 500 champion and 2013 Brickyard 400 winner Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar/Grainger/WIX Filters Chevrolet). Its XFINITY Series program includes a multi-driver lineup with Austin Dillon and Paul Menard (No. 2 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet), a multi-driver lineup with Ty Dillon and others (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Rheem/Red Kap Chevrolet), Daniel Hemric (No. 21 Chevrolet), Brandon Jones (No. 33 Menards/Nexteer Chevrolet) and Brendan Gaughan (No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino/U.S. Cellular Chevrolet).
