Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Chicagoland Speedway … Richard Childress Racing has two victories at Chicagoland Speedway with Kevin Harvick’s back-to-back wins in 2001 and 2002. In 54 starts at the 1.5-mile suburban Chicago tri-oval, Richard Childress Racing teams have a combined 10 top-five, 19 top-10 finishes and one pole award with Jeff Burton in 2006.
RCR in the MENCS … In 2,878 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 16.2. 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 Chicagoland 400 at Chicagoland Speedway will be televised live Sunday, July 1 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This Week’s Dow Intellifresh Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Chicagoland Speedway… Dillon has four previous Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Chicagoland Speedway, earning his best finish of 14th in 2016 and best starting position of fifth in 2015.
INTELLIFRESH™ Long-lasting built-in odor protection that leads the pack … When the pressure is on, Dillon and his crew depend on their Fruit of the Loom® Dual Defense™underwear and Russell® FreshForce™ performance tees. Only Fruit of the Loom Dual Defense underwear and Russell FreshForce tees are fueled by INTELLIFRESH™ built-in odor protection that stops odors in its tracks. The secret is long-lasting INTELLIFRESH,™ powered by SILVADUR® antimicrobial technology. INTELLIFRESH™ built in odor protection keeps Fruit of the Loom Dual Defense™underwear and Russell FreshForce™ tees Austin and the guys wear stay fresh and clean smelling on the track and off.
Play Ball! … Dillon is scheduled to attend the Chicago Cubs vs. Minnesota Twins MLB game at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Friday, June 29, where he will sing “Take me out to the ball game” during the seventh inning stretch and spend time in the broadcast booth for NBC. The appearance is in conjunction with the summer launch of NBC’s NASCAR coverage, which begins this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. The Cubs game is at 4:05 p.m. Central Time on Friday.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What’s the most important thing to get right in order to be successful at Chicagoland Speedway?
“Chicagoland Speedway is a special track. It’s worn out, and it has gotten rougher over the years. You want a car that rides the bumps really well, and that can flow through the corner. You want good corner flow so that you can run from the bottom to the top and change lanes pretty easily because the track has gotten pretty wide over the past couple of years.”
What is the most difficult thing for you personally at Chicagoland Speedway?
“I think the most difficult thing for me at Chicagoland Speedway is having a good balance from top to bottom and having a car that works as good on the bottom as it does on the top. That’s been the biggest challenge, along with making sure the car stays on a long run because the tires really fall off there.”
How will the heat of summer affect racing at Chicagoland Speedway?
“The track will be slippery, for sure. You’ll be sliding around with a lot of rubber on the track. The heat will definitely be a factor.”
What sets Chicagoland Speedway apart from some of the other tracks that have a very similar size and shape?
“It hass got some character with the bumps. You can really run hard with the way the exit of Turn 2 is andhow the backstretch never kind of quits turning. I really enjoy the angles of the track and how you can arch and find speed all over it.”
This Week’s Okuma Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Chicagoland Speedway … Ryan Newman will make his 601st Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start when the Series competes at Chicagland Speedway. In 16 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series events at Chicagoland Speedway, Newman visited victory lane in 2003. The “Rocket Man” also owns one pole award in 2002. In total, he owns four top-five and nine top-10 finishes. The South Bend, Ind., native has an average start of 10.9 and average finish of 14.7. In the last 10 events at Chicagoland, Newman ranks sixth in most driver points earned.
Okuma Onboard … Okuma America Corporation has been a valuable partner of Richard Childress Racing for almost 20 years and will be the primary sponsor on Ryan Newman’s No. 31 Chevrolet.
Okuma is the U.S.-based sales and service affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a world leader in CNC (computer numeric control) machine tools, founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan. The company is the industry’s only single-source provider, with the CNC machine, drive, motors, encoders, and spindle all manufactured by Okuma. The company also designs their own CNC controls to integrate seamlessly with each machine tool’s functionality. In 2014 Okuma launched the Okuma App Store, the industry’s only centralized online marketplace for machine tool apps and related content. Along with its extensive distribution network (largest in the Americas), and Partners in THINC, Okuma is committed to helping users gain competitive advantage through the open possibilities of machine tools, today and into the future. For more information, visit okuma.com/americas or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @OkumaAmerica.
Featured Okuma Customer … GereMarie Corporation, founded by Jim Schultz, is an integrated design, engineering and manufacturing company specializing in aluminum machining and fabricating. GereMarie began in 1995 with one single CNC machine and one single employee. Today, GereMarie has grown to include over 190 CNC machining tools and a team of over 120 employees. GereMarie is located in Lake Zurich, Illinois, in a state of the art 160,000 square foot facility.
OPEN HOUSE … The Caterpillar Visitors Center will welcome the No. 31 Caterpillar Camaro ZL1 driver Ryan Newman and team owner Richard Childress on Monday, July 2, 2018, from 10 a.m. CST until 12 p.m. CST. Tickets are needed for admission to the Newman and Childress autograph session and includes the launch of the newest exhibit, SPEED. Tickets are limited to the first 150 people and are $7 per person. Discounts do not apply to this event. For tickets and details, visit caterpillar.com/en/company/visitors-center/exhibits/speed.html.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE:
What are the challenges that Chicagoland Speedway presents to you?
“Chicago is just a big circle. It’s important to keep the Caterpillar Chevrolet turning and on the gas. Those two things are super important more so than other tracks we compete. Also, the track has some character bumps so any kind of breaking of momentum at a track with its configuration is important so having a car that can ride over those bumps well is so important.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Chicagoland Speedway ... In 58 Series starts at the 1.5-mile raceway, RCR has captured four victories with drivers Johnny Sauter (2002), Kevin Harvick (2005 and 2007) and Elliott Sadler (2012). The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has accumulated three pole awards, 20 top-five finishes, 40 top-10 finishes, led 409 laps and averages a starting position of 10.4 and finishing position of 9.0. RCR has completed 11,368 laps of the 11,603 (98.0 percent) that they have competed.
Iowa Review … Daniel Hemric was the highest-finishing RCR driver when he placed third in the Iowa 250 at Iowa Speedway. Matt Tifft finished ninth and Shane Lee rounded out the trio in 16th.
The Points … Daniel Hemric and Matt Tifft currently sit third and ninth, 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 @RCRNXS on Twitter. Updates can also be found via RCR’s Facebook Page and Instagram (@RCRracing).
Catch the Action … Coverage of this weekend’s Chicagoland 300 at Chicagoland Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, June 30, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. It will also be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio channel 90.
This Week’s Surface Sunscreen Chevrolet Camaro at Chicagoland Speedway … Matt Tifft has one previous NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Chicagoland Speedway, in which he started seventh and finished sixth during the 2017 race. The 21-year-old driver also has two NASCAR Camping World Truck series starts at the 1.5-mile track, collecting one top-10 finish, and two ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards starts where he secured two top-five finishes.
About Surface Sunscreen … Inspired by Motocross, Offroad and BMX, with roots deep in surfing, Surface Sun Systems was created with one mission, to provide high quality sun-care products to the athletes and fans of action sports. Located in the heart of Southern California, Surface wanted products that were designed for what they were are all about, living all day outside in the dirt, sand and water. The passion Surface has for action sports is hard to duplicate, and they put that passion to work with their rider developed and tested line of sun-care products, which allow all of us to enjoy our lifestyle without worrying about the damaging effects of the sun. Learn more via surfacecorp.com.
Surface Sunscreen Available at Fanatics … Tifft uses Surface Sunscreen to protect himself throughout the race weekend from harmful sun rays. Fans can do the same by picking up their own bottle of Surface Sunscreen, which is available at any Fanatics location at all tracks that NASCAR visits during the 2018 season.
Meet Tifft … Fans can meet Matt Tifft alongside his NXS competitors at the Chicagoland Speedway autograph session on Saturday, June 30. The session starts at 10 a.m. local time and will be held at the track’s Infield Fan Zone.
MATT TIFFT QUOTES:
Chicagoland is a big, sweeping track where it seems like drivers can go and search around for different lines. Is that an accurate statement?
“Yeah it is. With some of these midwestern tracks, I’m not quite sure what it is, but they are all getting a lot of bumps when they get more worn out and slippery. Chicago and Kansas seem to be getting that way where we can run from the bottom to the top. We’re coming up on a stretch of races where, like in Chicago, there are a lot of options on where to run and that makes it a lot of fun for us as drivers.”
Why do drivers smile when they say a track is worn out and bumpy? It seems like most people would think you wouldn’t want that as a track surface.
“I think it’s because lately when you have a newer track surface or a recently repaved one, there seems to be only one groove you can race in. For a quality of a race, I think it’s better off when we can have those slide jobs or big runs fans see. As a driver, you can dictate what the car does a little more when you have those worn out track surfaces. The outcome is more in our hands, and it’s fun for us to manipulate the car. At the same time, tires wear out quicker on those surfaces, so we have to manage our equipment and balance that with how hard we are pushing the car at the beginning of the run versus the end of the run.”
This Week’s Estes Express Lines Chevrolet Camaro at Chicagoland Speedway … Jeb Burton will be making his debut start at Chicagoland Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend. The 25-year-old driver has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, earning one pole award, two top-five starting spots and two top-10 finishes. His best finish of fifth came in 2014. Burton also has one Monster Energy NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Chicagoland.
About Estes Express Lines … Headquartered in Virginia, Estes is a leading, full-service freight transportation provider offering a complete range of shipping solutions including LTL, time critical, volume & truckload, global and custom solutions. Founded in 1931 by W.W. Estes and still family-owned, Estes is the largest privately held carrier in the nation. The company is now one of the most respected total-solutions providers in the industry with direct service throughout all of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico through more than 235 terminals, as well as door-to-door service to and from Mexico and a global freight-forwarding service footprint.
Work For Estes … Estes Express Lines is ready to help kick careers into high gear with a hiring event at their brand new Joliet, Illinois-based terminal on Thursday, June 28. RCR’s Jeb Burton will be there from 6 – 8 p.m. local time to talk racing and how Estes has helped him on his career path. Come out to the event, tour the terminal and meet Jeb all while entering for some awesome giveaways. Visit work4estes.com to learn about the positions available.
Meet Jeb Burton … Fans can meet Burton at the Chicagoland Speedway autograph session taking place on Saturday, June 30, at 10 a.m. local time. Burton will be alongside his RCR teammates Daniel Hermic and Matt Tifft, plus other NXS competitors at the Infield Fan Zone for this signing.
JEB BURTON QUOTE:
You’ve found some success at Chicagoland Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. How will that experience help you when you make your first start at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend?
“Chicagoland is a fun track that we visit on the circuit. It’s worn out and has a lot of bumps, which seems to fit my driving style, and I feel like that shows with my Truck Series results. I’m looking forward to getting back on track with RCR there and hope that I can get a great finish out of the weekend. Estes will have a bunch of employees attending the race since they have a brand-new terminal right outside the track that is opening up. It’d be great to have a solid run for all of them. Estes and State Water Heaters have been so instrumental in my career right from the start, so I’d love to have a shot at the win for them this weekend. I’ve finished 12th in both my starts with RCR this year, so hopefully we can improve on that. We’ve had the speed both times, just not the finishes to show it.”
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro at Chicagoland Speedway … Hemric will be making his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Chicagoland Speedway during this weekend’s 200-lap race. The driver of the No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet started ninth and finished fourth at the 1.5-mile track in September 2017.
Rearview Mirror: Iowa … Hemric recorded his sixth top-three finish of the 2018 Xfinity Series season at Iowa Speedway after qualifying the No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet in the second position. Throughout the day, Hemric had an average running position of 3.5, led a total of two laps and earned points in both Stage 1 and Stage 2.
This Week at the South Point Hotel & Casino … Fans visiting the South Point Hotel & Casino this weekend have the chance to see comedian Norm McDonald at The Showroom on June 29 – July 1. Tickets are available at southpointcasino.com.
Meet the Driver … Hemric is scheduled to take part in the Chicagoland Speedway Xfinity Series autograph session located in the infield Fan Zone on Saturday, June 30, starting at 10 a.m. local time.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
You finished fourth in your first Xfinity Series start at Chicagoland Speedway last year, what are your thoughts on going back there this year with the strong start to the season this group has had?
“I’m pumped to go to Chicagoland Speedway. It’s a track that has a lot of character. I felt like I struggled there in the Truck Series and somehow always had a decent finish, and I feel like that translated a little bit to the Xfinity Series car last year. How you race the racetrack and make mechanical grip, aero is big – like it is everywhere – but you can work on getting your car through the bumps and doing all of the things to make your car versatile and able to move around. Those are the things drivers love to do. To go to Chicagoland and do it at the time of year we’re doing it – it’s going to be hot and slick. A lot of guys are worried about how hot it is going to be, but my mindset is the hotter the better. I’m looking forward to going there with this South Point Hotel & Casino team and seeing how our mile-and-a-half program has progressed. Our mile-and-a-half program was really strong at the start of the year, and I feel like we’ve transitioned a bit away from that with some of the rules NASCAR has put into place and stuff a lot of teams are fighting, but we’ve been working hard to get back on top and where we need to be. I’m proud of all of the guys on this No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet team and I’m looking forward to seeing what we have at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend.”
The back straightaway is not straight at Chicagoland Speedway. Is that noticeable as a driver?
“It is easy to forget the back straightaway at Chicagoland isn’t straight when you’re in traffic and tucked up trying to push and draft. Then guy in front of you starts pulling away and you don’t realize as you get closer and closer you start hearing the exhaust. So, there are hints of it being curved here and there, but it all becomes relative once you’re in the pack and racing hard for position.”
