50 Years in Wine Country … Both Richard Childress Racing and Sonoma Raceway are celebrating their 50th anniversaries in 2019. In 71 starts at the 10-turn stadium course, Richard Childress Racing owns a storied history with two wins (with Dale Earnhardt in 1995 and with Robby Gordon in 2003), one pole award (Earnhardt, 1995), 14 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes. The Welcome, N.C.,-based team has led 140 laps at Sonoma Raceway, completed 7,443 of the 7,490 laps contested (99.4 percent) and has recorded just one DNF since the Cup Series made it’s debut at the track in 1989.
RCR in the MENCS … In 2,951 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 50 pole awards,108 wins, 489 top-five finishes and 1,071 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.7 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 Menards Series 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, @TylerReddick and @DanielHemric. 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/DanielHemric.
Catch the Action … The Sonoma 350 at Sonoma Raceway will be televised live Sunday, June 23 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This Week’s Dow Coatings Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Sonoma Raceway … Austin Dillon has five previous Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway, earning his best finish at the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course (16th) in 2018.
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Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to participate in a Q&A Session in the Breaking Zone, located in the main paddock, behind the grandstand, at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 23 at 8:45 a.m. Local Time
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
A lot of changes this year, one of them happens in Sonoma with the return of the carousel. What are your thoughts on the carousel, and have you watched videos from 20 years ago when the carousel was in play?
“I’m just trying to get into the simulator as much as I can and really get muscle memory into that corner because it definitely looks much different from how it previously looked. The first time I hit it will be the first time we get there, so I’m just trying to learn what I can from the simulator and hopefully it translates over to the track well. The loop that you carry speed through is very difficult because it comes on to a flat surface. Getting your car turned, I think it’ll give us another passing zone which will be nice.”
How do you prepare for Sonoma Raceway?
“A lot of simulator time. Get in the simulator and run a lot of laps. We’ve been finding some time to do that within the busy schedule.”
Do you find yourself doing a little bit more recreation when we are in Sonoma?
“Yeah, more just hanging out with the guys and going out with them when I can.”
Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Poppy Bank Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Sonoma Raceway … Daniel Hemric will be making his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Sonoma Raceway during this weekend’s 90-lap event. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native made one road course start in the Cup Series in 2018, starting 11th and finishing 23rd in the inaugural event at the Charlotte Roval. Hemric made a total of six road course starts during two seasons in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, earning three top-five finishes.
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Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings … Coming off his 12th-place run at Michigan International Speedway, Hemric continues to lead the Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings, enjoying a 21-point lead over Ryan Preece and a 98-point gap over Matt Tifft.
Meet the Driver … Hemric will take part in a fan Q&A session in the Turn 7 RevZone on Sunday, June 23, starting at 8:50 a.m. local time.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
You are going to make your first career start at Sonoma Raceway this weekend in the Poppy Bank Chevrolet. How do you prepare for that style of racing at a track you have never been to before?
“It’s probably a good thing that I have never been to Sonoma Raceway, considering it will be somewhat new for everybody with a change in configuration this year with the Cup Series running the carousel. This may sound crazy, but I remember going to Watkins Glen International for the first time and the only time I had ever seen it was in video games. Because of that experience playing video games, I felt like I knew the racetrack. With all of the technology that RCR and GM have available, I feel like my teammate Austin Dillon and I have the tools we need to go to tracks we’ve never been to before and succeed. I am pumped to get to Sonoma Raceway with the No. 8 Poppy Bank Chevrolet. Everybody tells me Sonoma Raceway is similar to Darlington Raceway from a grip standpoint, which will be a challenge in and of itself. I enjoy road course racing, so I look forward to going out there for the first time.”
