Richard Childress Racing at Dover International Speedway … RCR has earned four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins at Dover International Speedway, most recently in September 2006 when Jeff Burton drove the No. 31 Chevrolet to Victory Lane. Three additional victories came with Dale Earnhardt behind the wheel, including both events at the Monster Mile in 1989 as well as the spring race in 1993. RCR has also earned one pole award, 24 top-five and 56 top-10 finishes in 167 combined starts at the high-banked, one-mile oval. Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed three of those top 10s from 1976-1980.
RCR in the MENCS … In 2,866 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 487 top-five finishes and 1,055 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 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.
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 and www.facebook.com/RyanNewmanNASCAR.
Catch the Action … The AAA Drive for Autism Dover 400 will be televised live Sunday, May 6 beginning at 2 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and
This Week’s AAA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Dover International Speedway … Dillon has nine previous Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts to his credit at Dover International Speedway, earning his best finish of eighth in October 2016 and best start of ninth in June 2017. In eight previous NASCAR Xfinity Series appearances at the track, Dillon’s best finish is fourth in May 2015, and he is the June 2013 Xfinity Series pole sitter at the Monster Mile. The 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion has two starts at the track in the Truck Series, earning his best finish of fourth in the May 2011 event. He also finished ninth at the track in a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race.
The AAA 400 Drive for Autism … AAA has worked in NASCAR for years, and is proud to again sponsor the AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway while continuing its partnership with Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon and the No. 3 AAA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The race provides great support for autism awareness through a partnership with Autism Delaware which will be represented on Dillon’s car. Also, the World Champion Philadelphia Eagles, and their Eagles Autism Challenge, will be joining the weekend festivities and support of autism causes. As part of a morning full of entertainment, AAA is inviting fans at Dover to see Austin and No. 3 team members, as well as an Eagles celebration, up close at the AAA Stage at Victory Plaza Sunday morning before the race. Learn more about the company at AAA.com/AllRoadsLeadToAAA
Questions, Please … Dillon is scheduled to address the media in the Infield Media Center at Dover International Speedway on Friday at 9:15 a.m. for a special car unveil with his partner, AAA.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Can you improve on your past results at Dover International Speedway?
“I do think we can improve on our past results at Dover. The stability of our cars this year on entry should help us out at Dover. Dover has been a track I love to go to. We were consistent there last year, but we need to figure out the speed. We will just keep working toward having farther up finishes. We want to be in the top 10 when we get to Dover. It’s another place that we come back and visit later in the year so if we can have a solid run that will help us going into the Playoffs.”
Dover International Speedway is a one-mile race track. Everyone calls Phoenix Raceway a one-mile short track. Where does Dover fall?
“Dover falls right in the middle of a 1.5-mile track and a short track because you’ve got that speed sensation at Dover that you often get at all these 1.5-miles and it’s a big mile track or whatever you want to call it. It’s a big track to me.”
This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Dover International Speedway … Ryan Newman will make his 595th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start when he competes on the concrete high-banks at the Monster Mile. In 32 Cup Series events, Newman has three victories to his credit including a Dover sweep in 2003 and a win in the fall of 2004. The “Rocket Man” also owns three pole awards. In total, he owns seven top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. Also, he has led 849 laps in competition. The South Bend, Indiana native has an average start of 10.1 and average finish of 13.6.
Season 26 in NASCAR … Richard Childress Racing is amid its 10th season with Caterpillar on board the No. 31 Camaro ZL1 and Cat Racing’s 26th in NASCAR. For more than 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets. With 2017 sales and revenues of $45.462 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company principally operates through its three primary segments – Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation – and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.
Featured Caterpillar Dealer … Foley Inc., is the featured Cat dealer for this weekend’s race at Dover International Speedway.
Foley Inc. is the Caterpillar Dealer serving Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Northern Delaware, Staten Island and Bermuda. Since 1957, Foley offers solutions for Power Generation, On-Highway applications, Construction Equipment and other job site Rental needs. Foley continually strives to offer you the best products and services available in the marketplace in order to create customer experiences that create customers for life.
Ready. Set. Go … Spay Neuter Charlotte, Rescue Ranch, and Piedmont Animal Rescue are partnering to support Animals in the Piedmont of NC. This program promotes a three-race 5K series with proceeds being split among all three non-profit animal welfare organizations. The races are being held in Statesville, Mooresville, and Mecklenburg County. Sign up to run with your pet at the next event on May 19. To Register: .
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
What’s been the quickest thing you’ve picked up at Dover International Speedway?
“Dover is just a lot of fun. The way the transition is of getting down into the corners and then climbing the hill up the straightaway makes it a lot of fun to drive. The concrete doesn’t typically change a whole lot. Typically, when you get your car right there, it stays that way.”
What is the hardest thing to learn at Dover International Speedway?
“More recently, it’s harder to pass now than it’s ever been at Dover.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Dover International Speedway … In 87 Series starts at the one-mile concrete oval, RCR has captured three victories with drivers Jeff Burton (2006) and Clint Bowyer (2006 and 2009). The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has accumulated five pole awards, 20 top-five finishes, 46 top-10 finishes, led 731 laps and averages a starting position of 11.1 and finishing position of 13.6 RCR has completed 16,096 laps of the 17,103 (94.1 percent) that they have competed.
Talladega Review … Shane Lee was the highest RCR finisher in 15th in the Alabama 300 last Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway. Daniel Hemric finished 23rd and Matt Tifft placed 25th in the event.
The Points … Daniel Hemric and Matt Tifft currently sit sixth and 10th, respectively, in the Xfinity Series driver point standings. The No. 3 RCR team is currently 13th in the series owner point standings.
Social Media … To keep up with the latest updates from RCR’s Xfinity Series teams, follow @RCRracing and @RCRNXSon Twitter. Updates can also be found via RCR’s Facebook Page and Instagram (@RCRracing).
Catch the Action … Coverage of this week’s Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, May 5, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time on FOX Sports 1. It will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
This Week’s Nexteer Automotive Chevrolet Camaro at Dover International Speedway …
This weekend Matt Tifft pilots the No. 2 Nexteer Automotive Chevrolet Camaro at one of his favorite race tracks, Dover International Speedway. Tifft has never finished outside of the top 10 in his three NASCAR Xfinity Series races at the ‘Monster Mile’ and has a highest finish of sixth. The Hinckley, Ohio native also has one NASCAR Camping World Truck start, in which he finished 12th, and two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts at the speedway. Tifft has completed 99.3 percent of all laps he has attempted at Dover.
About Nexteer Automotive … Nexteer Automotive joins RCR in 2018 for their third season of partnership together. Nexteer Automotive – A Leader in Intuitive Motion Control – is a multi-billion-dollar global steering and driveline business delivering electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steering columns, driveline systems as well as advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) and autonomous technologies for original equipment manufacturers. The company’s global workforce of over 13,000 serves more than 50 customers in every major region of the world. The company has 25 manufacturing plants, three regional engineering centers and 13 customer service centers strategically located in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Nexteer Automotive’s customers include BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, PSA Groupe, Toyota, VW, as well as automakers in India and China. Visit Nexteer.com to learn more.
Meet Tifft … Fans have the opportunity to meet Tifft when he takes part in a Q&A at the AAA Stage on Saturday, which is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. local time in the track’s FanZone.
MATT TIFFT QUOTE:
From the air, Dover International Speedway can look like a giant Bristol Motor Speedway. Do the two tracks drive similarly?
“Dover International Speedway is one of my favorite tracks. It is kind of like a large Bristol in that the fact that both have steep banking and a concrete surface, but that’s really it for similarities. Dover is just so unique compared to anywhere else. We go into Turn 1 and drop off almost 20 feet going into the middle of the turn there. The loads you feel at that place and how it rubbers up during a run is so different. It’s like you send out an eraser during the cautions and everything gets picked back up again. There’s not many places that have those challenges. Getting your car good for the beginning of the run is going to be very different from where it needs to be at the end of a run. As a driver, it’s tough to give feedback to the team because of that. You have to know where you want to be at the end and how to help get it there. I’m definitely aware of things I need to adjust on as a driver during restarts because I know the track will almost be like a green track then. The car is normally going to be looser then, but as a driver, I need to attack and get as many spots as I can at the start of a run since it’s much more difficult to do so later on. You just can’t start off too comfortable at Dover, and that’s a challenge I really enjoy.”
This Week’s State Water Heaters Chevrolet Camaro at Dover International Speedway …
Jeb Burton returns to Richard Childress Racing’s Xfinity Series program this weekend as the series heads to Dover International Speedway, after finishing 12th for the organization at Richmond Raceway two weeks ago. Burton has two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts, one Xfinity series start, and three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the ‘Monster Mile.’ His highest finish across all series came in 2013 in the Camping World Truck Series when he placed ninth.
About State Water Heaters … State Water Heaters manufacturers hundreds water heating products to ensure that our residential and commercial customers get the ideal solution to meet their needs. Headquartered in Ashland City, TN and installed by professionals across the United States, State has a long-storied history leading the water heating industry for more than 70 years. State has also been involved in the sport of NASCAR and with the Burton family for more than a decade. In fact, we were proudly Ward’s primary sponsor in his final year in the sport. Visit www.statewaterheaters.com to learn more about our products or www.statewaterheaters.com/racing/about-state-racing/ to learn more about our storied history in the sport.
JEB BURTON QUOTE:
Coming off a solid debut with RCR at Richmond, how does it feel to get back in the car at Dover International Speedway this weekend?
“I’m very excited to get back to Dover this weekend. I’ve always had a lot of speed at Dover and raced in everything it seems like there. Trucks, Xfinity, Cup – I’ve got a lot of experience there. I’m also really excited to have State Water Heaters on my car this weekend. They have done so much for my career, so I hope I can do a good job for them this weekend. Estes will also be on the car, so I’m always glad to have them on board as well. I think Richmond a couple of weeks ago went pretty well. We had a lot of speed in the car on the long run, finishing fourth in the the first stage. We had some bad luck after that and had to battle back from the back to the end. We have a top-five car, we just didn’t get to finish we deserved. Hopefully, we can have a good weekend at Dover and contend for the win to make up for that.”
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro at Dover International Speedway … Hemric has two previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the Monster Mile, earning a top-five finish in September 2017. He has two top-10 qualifying efforts, an average finish of 8.5 and has completed 99.8 percent of the laps attempted.
Rearview Mirror: Talladega … Hemric earned his second pole award of the season and led the field to the green flag at Talladega Superspeedway. The No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet was out front for a total of 39 laps and won Stage 1 of Saturday’s race, his second stage win of the season. In the final stage of the race, Hemric was waiting for green flag pit stops to cycle through when the right front tire blew out while running through the tri-oval. The blown tire damaged the fender and splitter of the car and resulted in a 23rd-place finish.
This Week at the South Point Hotel & Casino … Fans visiting the South Point Hotel & Casino this week have the opportunity to see stand-up comedian Pablo Francisco at the Showroom May 4 – 6. Tickets are available on southpointcasino.com.
Meet the Driver … Fans have the opportunity to meet Hemric at the Xfinity Zone on Friday, May 4, starting at 4 p.m. local time. Hemric will take part in a Q&A session and sign autographs for those in attendance.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
You finished 13th and fourth at Dover last year and there were some big improvements made between the two races. Were you happy with where you and the team ended up at Dover last fall?
“I am happy with how we improved between the two Dover races last year. We got through Bristol and Richmond in the spring last year and we had momentum on our sides and we made big strides as a company in terms of performance. That 13th-place finish last June did not show that we had a mechanical issue halfway through the race and we drove inside the top five. That’s exciting as a driver. My crew chief, Danny Stockman, and all these guys on the South Point Hotel & Casino team have a really good feel of what I want at Dover, so I’m just eager to get there and see how we’ve improved upon our last results there. That fourth-place finish was with the composite bodies, so we have a lot of good notes and information we can go off for this week’s race.”
