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 126 starts at the 1.058-mile oval, Childress also has two pole awards, 16 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes.
RCR in the MENCS … In 2,959 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 51 pole awards,108 wins, 489 top-five finishes and 1,072 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 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 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, July 21 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This Week’s Behr Ultra Defense Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Dillon has made nine 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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AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts heading into New Hampshire Motor Speedway? I believe they plan to put the PJ1 traction compound down again this year. Do you think that’s a benefit?
“New Hampshire Motor Speedway has always been a really fun track. I love going there. It’s a flat track. Entry is fun there. It’s different. It’s a different type of feel than what we have anywhere. You slide the left rear into the corner and you pick up the right front and the first person to get back to the gas is going to be good. The PJ1 traction compound has definitely helped the racing off the bottom because the middle to upper lane has been dominant over the last couple of years. It’s made that bottom lane more competitive and created more passing so I’m glad that we’ve done that.”
Is it hard to keep up with the track over the course of the three days at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with the traction compound and all of the different rubber from different series being laid down?
“For sure. It’s a constant battle of trying to keep up with the track and get the car better for each end of the track. There are some bumps in Turn 3 that you have to deal with sometimes. It is a constant battle but it’s cool to see all the racing that goes on during the weekend with Modifieds, Xfinity and Cup all racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.”
If you were to win Loudon the Lobster, the monster trophy that’s given out to drivers when they win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, what would you do with it?
“Oh man. I’d probably get a fish tank and keep him in it. I’d give him a good home so that he could live out his days comfortably as a trophy.”
Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Okuma Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Hemric will be making his first NASCAR Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in this weekend’s 301-lap event. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native has made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the ‘Magic Mile,’ earning an average start of 5.5 and an average finish of 11.5, with a total of three laps led.
About Okuma … America Corporation Okuma America Corporation 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 https://www.okuma.com/ or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter
Go Under the Hood … Want to understand how ECR Engines prepares for a race weekend? No. 8 team engine tuner Matthew Lombardi is scheduled to take part in a fan Q&A session in the New Hampshire Motor Speedway fan zone on Saturday, July 20, starting at 9:30 a.m. local time.
Meet the Driver … Hemric is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR merchandise hauler in the New Hampshire Motor Speedway Fan Zone on Sunday, July 21, starting at 11:30 a.m. local time.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTE:
Is it difficult for teams and drivers to get a solid handle on New Hampshire Motor Speedway because the track is so flat compared to other racetracks?
“New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a place that you struggle with the lack of banking, but the braking zones are so rough and that is one aspect of the track that is not talked about enough. It is extremely rough under braking at New Hampshire. To have a car that is really good, you have to be able to get through the entry zone into the corner, carry a ton of speed and then you get to the actual part of the racetrack where you struggle with the lack of banking. You have to lean on your crew chief and team for your race car to be good there. I feel like my crew chief, Luke Lambert, and everyone on this team will be ready for the challenge and we’re hoping to put on a good show with the No. 8 Okuma Chevrolet.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … In 48 Series starts at the one-mile speedway, RCR has captured one victory with Kevin Harvick in 2007. The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has completed 9,326 of the 9,641 laps (96.7 percent) they have competed in. RCR has accumulated four pole awards, 14 top-five finishes, 26 top-10 finishes, led 854 laps and averages a starting position of 10.1 and finishing position of 12.0 at the ‘Magic Mile.’
Welcome Back, Kaz Grala … Kaz Grala will make his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series start for RCR in the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at his home track of New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Kentucky Review … Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 team captured a third-place finish in last week’s Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway.
The Points …Tyler Reddick remains the current Xfinity Series points leader.
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 week’s New Hampshire 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, July 20, beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on NBCSN. It will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 Gimme Radio / Medgadeth Camaro at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Tyler Reddick has one previous NASCAR Xfinity Series start and three NASCAR Truck Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His best finish of fourth came in the 2016 Truck Series race at the one-mile track.
About Gimme Radio … Founded by digital music veterans from Apple Music, Google Play, Beats Music and Rhapsody, Gimme Radio is the ultimate listening experience for the metal music fan. Listeners tune in to Gimme Radio to hear world-class DJs, like Grammy Award-winning artist Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, who are celebrating their 35th anniversary. On Gimme Radio, fans can hear music not played anywhere else…for free. And the best part is that the service allows metal music fans from around the world and the DJs/artists to communicate directly with one another in a live feed, in real-time, as the music is being played. Download the Gimme Radio app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and start listening today!
Champions Breakfast … Fans have an exclusive opportunity to join a special Q&A with 2018 NASCAR champions Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Justin Bonsignore during the NHMS Champions Breakfast benefiting Speedway Children’s Charities. The breakfast kicks off at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, July 19, and tickets can be purchased at speedwaycharities.org.
Meet Reddick … Kids visiting New Hampshire Motor Speedway can meet Reddick when he takes part in a Youth Autograph session alongside teammate Kaz Grala beginning at 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, July 20 at the NHMS Display. Also on Friday, Reddick will take part in a Q&A at the Xfinity Zone starting at 2:25 p.m. local time.
TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
A lot of drivers say New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a tough track to get a handle on. Do you agree?
“Absolutely. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is one of the most challenging tracks for me and a place I’ve fought with since I started going there in the Truck Series. I actually have only been to Loudon once in a Xfinity car, and my Chevrolet Camaro last year wasn’t terrible. I unfortunately just cut a tire down early in the race and had a long, long day after that. I’ve got a lot of faith though in RCR and my No. 2 team. We’ve had a great program this year and ran well almost everywhere we’ve gone. We’ve worked well as a team to get through some of the tracks I have to still learn a lot at, so I’m hoping to lean on them this weekend and get through it with the best position we can.”
What is it that actually makes New Hampshire Motor Speedway so challenging?
“I think it’s partially because of how flat it is, but also how it is also a bit of a hairpin place. Braking and how you release the brake petal has a lot to do with how well you run due to how much it affects your entry. That’s an area I’m still working on and want to get better at. It’s similar to the road courses and how disciplined you need to be with your braking there. It’s something I’m still looking to improve at.”
How exciting is it to have an iconic band like Megadeth on your No. 2 Camaro this weekend?
“We’ve had some really unique opportunities to showcase some legendary musicians on the No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro this season. First, it was Dolly Parton back at Bristol Motor Speedway, and now we have Megadeth on the car for New Hampshire Motor Speedway thanks to Gimme Radio. I’m excited to showcase Gimme Radio’s metal station after having Gimme Country on the Camaro at Daytona International Speedway earlier this month. I actually listened to a lot of metal bands growing up and racing dirt late models, so to see one of the icons of that music genre on my Camaro for a race is awesome. It’s cool that in their 35th anniversary Megadeth is partnering with RCR during their 50th, so I hope I can make both organizations proud this weekend.”
Kaz Grala and the No. 21 HotScream Chevrolet Camaro at New Hampshire Motor Speedway …
Kaz Grala has one previous NASCAR Xfinity Series start and two NASCAR Truck Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which is Grala’s home track. The Boston, Massachusetts native has two top-10 finishes in the Truck Series at his home track, with his best finish of seventh coming in 2016.
About HotScream … HotScream takes two concepts, dessert and spicy food, and combines them to form a product that can only be described as ‘HotScream The Spicy Ice Cream’. By taking ice cream with its cool creaminess and incorporating a spicy swirl, HotScream has created a new taste sensation, one that almost defies one’s own senses. At first, you taste the pureness of the vanilla, followed quickly by the sweetness of one of seven flavor swirls. As you continue to enjoy HotScream, things change: You feel a warming sensation that starts in the back of your mouth, creating a rush that only can come from spicy foods. The warming continues to linger but doesn’t engulf your mouth with fire. Taking another bite, you again taste the cool, creamy vanilla and the respective flavor profile while the heat dissipates, only to come back time and time again. HotScream is currently available at ACME Markets, Big Y, select ShopRites, Stop & Shop and 400 Walmart locations from Maine to Texas. For more information, visit HotScream.com.
Meet Grala … Fans at New Hampshire Motor Speedway can meet Grala when he takes part in a Youth Autograph Session with his RCR teammate, Tyler Reddick, beginning at 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, July 20 in the track’s Fan Zone.
KAZ GRALA QUOTE:
How does it feel to be back at your home track in the No. 21 HotScream Chevrolet Camaro?
“It has been a long wait, but New Hampshire is finally here! I’m beyond excited to get back behind the wheel of the No. 21 HotScream Chevrolet Camaro this weekend for my home race. I grew up just over an hour away from New Hampshire Motor Speedway, so it’s always extra special to get to race in front of my family, friends and hometown crowd. This weekend is also a home race for my sponsor, HotScream. I’m looking forward to introducing New England race fans to the spicy ice cream, which is available in hundreds of stores across the northeast.”
