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 118 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 MENCS … In 2,792 Monster Energy Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,107 wins, 481 top-five finishes and 1,041 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.7 and an average finishing position of 16.1. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Monster Energy NASCAR 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.
3 on 3 Basketball … Austin and Ty Dillon are hosting the 3rd Annual 3-on-3 Celebrity Basketball Tournament presented by The Dow Chemical Company to benefit the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, on Wednesday, July 26. The 16-team, double-elimination tournament will start at 3 p.m. and the final game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. For more information visit https://saveinjuredkids.org/basketball/.
Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s corporate Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team Twitter page – @RCRCup, and driver Twitter pages @austindillon3 and @RyanJNewman. Information about the 15-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com along with official driver pages – http://www.facebook.com/austindillon3, www.facebook.com/PaulMenard27 and www.facebook.com/RyanNewmanNASCAR.
Catch the Action … The New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is scheduled to be televised live on Sunday, July 16 on NBCSN beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
This Week’s Dow Chevrolet at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Dillon has made six previous Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, earning his best finish of eighth in July 2015.
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TV Tune in Alert … Dillon is scheduled to serve as an analyst on NASCAR RaceHub, the most-watched daily NASCAR news and highlights program, on Wednesday, July 12 alongside Kaitlyn Vincie and Shannon Spake. The show airs on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 6 p.m. EDT.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Talk about New Hampshire Motor Speedway and the challenges there …
“New Hampshire Motor Speedway is one of those places that you’ve really got to work on the car to get it balanced where you can get in the corner and still turn on exit. It’s a big paperclip. It’s a fun track, but if you don’t have a car handling well it can be a really rough day.”
This week’s No. 27 Sylvania / Menards Chevrolet at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Menard has competed in 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway since his first start at the track in 2007. He has completed 5,930 of the 5,972 laps attempted (99.3 percent) at the ‘Magic Mile.’
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PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is flat and challenging. What makes it so tough for drivers?
“New Hampshire is flat in the corners, but you run in the middle of the track. That makes it even tougher to pass. It is one of the hardest tracks to pass at, to finish a pass. There’s really no bottom groove, there’s really no top groove, there’s just the middle groove. That’s about it. The guys that can get good drive off the bottom and still have good braking and make the corner will be able to make passes. Loudon is a hard place on brakes, especially with this aero package. It has always been hard on brakes, but as the aero comes off these cars, the drag gets less, so the cars don’t want to slow down as good. You might see some brake issues and melted beads at some point in the race.”
We’ve seen brake issues before this year, but teams get to pick their brake package. Do you like having the option of picking your own brakes or do you wish they were mandated by NASCAR?
“I like being able to pick whatever you want to do. Race teams are always pushing the envelope and if you get too aggressive on braking or too aggressive on tape or whatever it is and you have issues, I think that’s your own fault. That’s nobody’s fault except your own. Less mandating items is a good thing, in my opinion.”
This Week’s No. 31 Grainger Chevrolet at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Newman will make his 568th Monster Energy NASCAR 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 30 starts at NHMS, he owns seven top-five and 18 top-10 finishes. Also, he has led 722 laps in competition. The South Bend, Indiana native has an average start of 9.6 and average finish of 13.5. Plus, he ranks eighth in most points earned in the last five races at Loudon.
Winner, Winner … Newman punched his ticket to the MENCS playoffs with a victory at Phoenix Raceway on March 19th in the No. 31 Grainger Chevrolet. The win equates to the driver’s 18th-career Cup Series victory and RCR’s 106th.
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Media Availability … Newman will be accessible to the media in attendance at NHMS on Friday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time in the media center.
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.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … In 40 Series starts at the one-mile speedway, RCR has captured one victory with Kevin Harvick in 2007. The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has completed 7,774 of the 8,041 laps (96.7 percent) they have competed in. RCR has accumulated four pole awards, 13 top-five finishes, 22 top-10 finishes, led 851 laps and averages a starting position of 9.7 and finishing position of 11.8 at the ‘Magic Mile.’
Kentucky Review … Ty Dillon was the highest RCR finisher in fifth, with Daniel Hemric close behind in ninth. Paul Menard, Brendan Gaughan and Brandon Jones, finished 34th, 39th and 40th, respectively, at Kentucky Speedway.
The Points … All three RCR XFINITY Series full-time drivers remain in the top 20 of the driver point standings as the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the 17th event of the season. Daniel Hemric is currently fourth, Brendan Gaughan is 13th and Brandon Jones is 18th. The No. 2 RCR team is eighth in the owner point standings, with the No. 3 team right behind them in ninth. Daniel Hemric is currently second in the XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings.
Catch the Action … Coverage of this week’s New Hampshire 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, July 15, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN. It will also be broadcast live on Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio Channel 90.
This Week’s Richmond/Menards Chevrolet at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … This weekend, Ben Kennedy will make his first start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Kennedy is no stranger to the one-mile track though, as he has three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, with his best finish of 11th coming in 2016. He also has four starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
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Meet Kennedy … Fans have the opportunity to meet Kennedy, along with teammates Brandon Jones, Daniel Hemric and Brendan Gaughan, in the XFINITY Zone for a Q&A session on Saturday, July 15, starting at 9:45 a.m. local time.
BEN KENNEDY QUOTES:
What are your thoughts as you head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the first time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series?
“I’m looking forward to going up north for the race this weekend. I’ve never raced at New Hampshire in the XFINITY Series before, but I have seat time there in both a truck and the K&N Series. It’s definitely a tricky track to wrap your head around. The track is so flat, but it has a lot of speed. You have to be aggressive to pass cars because there is really only one groove. I’m confident that we’ll have a great weekend in New Hampshire, even with it being my first NXS race there. RCR has had solid runs there in the past, and my crew chief Randall Burnett has a lot of experience there as well.”
This Week’s Rheem/WATTS Chevrolet at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Ty Dillon returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend to pilot the No. 3 Rheem/WATTS Chevrolet in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. This will be his fourth series start at the one-mile track. He earned his best finish of sixth in 2015, the same year of his best starting position of seventh. He also has three starts at the track in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Dillon will make his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at New Hampshire this weekend.
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TY DILLON QUOTE:
Why is New Hampshire Motor Speedway such a challenging track?
“We go to other racetracks that are flat like New Hampshire, but they are not nearly as fast. It feels like you’re in the corners for such a long time because of the lack of banking. It’s a unique challenge, almost like Martinsville Speedway on steroids. It’s really fun, but a tough, tough place to pass. History shows that there’s been a lot of late-race restarts that call for aggressive moves and action to get yourself in a good position.”
Daniel Hemric and the No. 21 Blue Gate Bank Chevrolet Camaro at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Hemric will be making his first NASCAR XFINITY Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Saturday’s 200-lap event. Hemric has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the ‘Magic Mile,’ with an average starting position of 12.0 and an average finish of 17.0. His best NCWTS finish of sixth came in 2015.
Meet the Press … Hemric will be part of the XFINITY Series driver panel that will meet with the NASCAR media on Friday, July 14, starting at 11:15 a.m. local time. The media availability session will be streamed on NASCAR.com/PressPass.
Meet the Drivers … Fans have the opportunity to meet Hemric, along with teammates Brandon Jones, Ben Kennedy, and Brendan Gaughan, in the XFINITY Zone for a Q&A session on Saturday, July 15, starting at 9:45 a.m. local time.
Rearview Mirror: Kentucky … Hemric started from the 10th position and battled a loose-handling No. 21 Alsco Chevrolet during the opening stages of the rain-delayed event. With the race scheduled for Friday night, the Danny Stockman-led team had to adjust throughout the event to racing in the heat of the day on Saturday. Continually working on the car, Hemric was able to gain ground over the closing laps to earn his sixth top-10 finish of his rookie campaign.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
What can you take from your two NCWTS starts at NHMS and apply to your first NXS start there?
“I’ve run at Loudon twice in the Truck Series and I had an OK run there the first year. I cut a tire last year in the playoffs and it actually took us out of championship contention. The speed last year was pretty good. The racetrack has a lot of character with the bumps. It’s a balance of how much brake pressure you need to slow down and turn the corner, but also how much motor you need to get down the straightaways. It’s just another short-track type of track I’m looking forward to going to in the Blue Gate Bank Chevrolet. I feel like as a company, this is the type of track that has been our strong suit all year – flatter, tight, short tracks. I look forward to going to New Hampshire this weekend.”
Does the racing surface throw you a curveball throughout the weekend with all of the different types of cars competing there and laying down different rubber?
“All of the different series and their different tire compounds really do change the racing surface throughout the weekend at New Hampshire. I have always found that if the balance of your car is good, it is an equal loss or gain of grip – one direction or another. If your balance isn’t there, that different rubber tends to magnify your issue. When you go to tracks where different tire compounds are being laid down you’re constantly rolling through it, picking it up, going through the sequence of laying your own rubber down, the balance of your race car is going to be key. That’s what Danny Stockman and the entire Blue Gate Bank team will focus on when we get to New Hampshire.”
Brandon Jones and the No. 33 Sparco Chevrolet Camaro at New Hampshire Motor Speedway… Brandon Jones has one previous NASCAR XFINITY Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which resulted in an 11th-place finish. The 20-year-old driver also has two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts at the ‘Magic Mile,’ with a highest finish of 12th.
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Meet Brandon Jones … Fans can meet Jones, along with his RCR teammates Brendan Gaughan, Daniel Hemric and Ben Kennedy, beginning at 9:45 a.m. local time on Saturday, July 15 at the XFINITY Zone stage in the NHMS Fan Zone.
BRANDON JONES QUOTE:
How does New Hampshire Motor Speedway compare to other short tracks the NASCAR XFINITY Series competes at?
“New Hampshire is probably the hardest short track we visit in the series. It’s an extremely flat, big mile long track. It’s a very technical track too. It took me a couple visits up there to figure out where I need to be on the track to run well and pass cars. Having two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts at the track helped me figure out a lot before moving up to the XFINITY Series. Last year, I also studied past races and worked different set-ups on the simulator before making my first laps in the XFNITY car. New Hampshire ended up being a decent race for us, so we have good notes to look back on this weekend as we prepare for Saturday’s event.”
This Week’s No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … In five NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at the mile-long speedway, Gaughan has earned two top-10 finishes and averages a starting position of 18.4 and finishing position of 13.4. The Las Vegas native also has seven NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, accumulating two top-five and three top-10 finishes.
Home Track for Shane Wilson … Crew chief Shane Wilson, a native of South Royalton, Vermont, looks forward to seeing friends and family at his home track in Loudon, New Hampshire this weekend.
2017 in Review … After 16 XFINITY Series events this season, Gaughan is 13th in the driver point standings, and has accumulated one top-five and four top-10 finishes. Gaughan has led 25 laps this season and ranks sixth in quality passes with 589 passes according to NASCAR loop data statistics. The 42-year-old driver has an average starting position of 15.1 and finishing position of 22.2 as the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Meet Gaughan at the “Magic Mile” … Gaughan is scheduled to visit the XFINITY Zone located in the Fan Midway on Saturday morning at 9:45 a.m. to participate in a question-and-answer session with teammates, Ben Kennedy, Brandon Jones and Daniel Hemric.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTES:
We visit New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend, a flat short track. What are your thoughts on racing there?
“First of all, New Hampshire is my crew chief Shane Wilson’s home track so we always try and run well there. We’ve always had a deal where he’ll work hard for me at Las Vegas and I’ll work hard for him in New Hampshire. I’ve had some good opportunities at New Hampshire, but it’s just a track that can be so tough. It’s super flat, but I love it because it’s a driver’s style track where the driver can make a difference if they have a good racecar.”
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be running this weekend and they use a different tire than the NASCAR XFINITY Series. How do you keep up with the changing grip conditions?
“You’ll always see that not a lot of cars want to go out right after the modifieds have been out on the track because of the different tire compounds, but I don’t think there is a single driver you won’t see standing on top of their hauler or motorhome watching the modified race. To me that’s one of the marquee races that we are able to watch. The modified race at New Hampshire is a bucket list item for me. I wish I had the time to go try to run it.”
