RCR Event Preview – Watkins Glen International

Richard Childress Racing at “The Glen” … In 73 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen International, RCR boasts two wins (Robby Gordon 2003 and Kevin Harvick 2006), eight top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Dale Earnhardt won three poles (1990, ’92, ’96) at the high-speed, seven-turn, upstate New York facility.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,963 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 51 pole awards,108 wins, 489 top-five finishes and 1,073 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 Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International will be televised live Sunday, August 4, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Watkins Glen International … In five previous Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen, Dillon’s best finish is 16th in 2014. He has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts to his credit at the road course, posting a best finish of 12th in 2013. He also finished 12th in a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Division race at Watkins Glen in 2008.

About Bass Pro Shops … Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit www.basspro.com/.

Cheering for Dillon … If you’re at Watkins Glen International, come shop Austin Dillon merchandise available track-side by visiting the RCR merchandise trailer in the fan midway.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
How do you prepare for a racetrack like Watkins Glen International?
“We just try to put in some work beforehand. I’ve had decent runs at Watkins Glen International, but we have never been able to string together a good finish. I’m working hard with my crew chief, Danny Stockman. He really loves road course racing. I’m just trying to get better. It’s one of those tracks that we know going into it that there’s a high likelihood that it won’t be the the best part of our season, but the opportunity is there to stay out of trouble and have a good run. It’s not for lack of effort. We’re working really hard on our road course program.”

Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Watkins Glen International … Hemric will be making his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International during this weekend’s 90-lap event. The driver of the No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 started 25th and raced his way to 15th in his first Cup Series road course start of the season at Sonoma Raceway in June. In seven road course starts over two years in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Hemric recorded three top-five and four top-10 finishes, with 33 laps led.

About Milton Cat … Milton CAT is your complete source for Caterpillar machines, engines, generators, technology, parts and service in the Northeast. You can always count on Milton CAT for the industry knowledge, the products and the support that have made our dealership the choice of leading business owners in this demanding region of our country. Milton CAT has 12 locations strategically placed, from Bangor to Batavia and from Syracuse to Scarborough. At Milton CAT you can also find an outstanding inventory of Metso crushing and screening equipment, Genie aerial lifts and Sullair air compressors, as well as implements, attachments and work tools for all your equipment including shears, hammers, thumbs, forks and landscape rakes and a full range of buckets. To learn more visit www.miltoncat.com.

Meet the Press … The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender will meet with members of the NASCAR media on Saturday, August 3, starting at Noon ET in the Watkins Glen International Media Center.

Review Mirror: Pocono … Hemric and the No. 8 team had a strong weekend at Pocono Raceway, earning their second top-10 finish of the 2019 season. Starting from the 17th position, Hemric ran toward the front of the field all afternoon and was no lower than 21st at any point throughout the race. The seventh-place finish helped extend Hemric’s lead in the 2019 Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.

Meet the Driver … Hemric is scheduled to be at the Richard Childress Racing merchandise hauler to sign autographs on Sunday, August 4, starting at 11 a.m. local time. He will also make an appearance for a Q&A session and tour the Caterpillar “In the Trenches” Mobile Road Show in the Watkins Glen Fan Midway, starting at 11:30 a.m. local time on race day.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
You made your second Cup Series start in 2018 at the Charlotte Roval and have had strong runs on road courses in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Do you enjoy racing on road courses and how have you worked to get better over the years?
“Everybody always says, ‘Man, you’re quite the road course racer.’ I’ve never understood why or where that comes from, but I have had some decent success on the road courses in the Truck and Xfinity Series, and had a solid top-15 day at Sonoma Raceway earlier this year and everyone on the team was pretty pumped about that. Heading to Watkins Glen this weekend, I look forward to just working with my crew chief, Luke Lambert, on our communication and doing the things we did well at our first road course together back in June. Watkins Glen is the most fun style of race that you will ever run. It is a different animal and a very fast track. I believe that some of the things you fight at the mile-and-a-half tracks, you find show up on the road course of Watkins Glen because it is so fast and aero is so important with the speeds we are making and the grip we need to have. Hopefully, we can key on all of the things we need to have a good run there with the No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.”

How do you prepare for the road courses such as Watkins Glen?
“Watkins Glen is a place that over the years – outside of the repave – has been the same. You can really dive into the good notes you took as a driver from previous starts there, to other crew chiefs and other drivers’ notes that they’ve kept to really hone in on those things. Then you jump on the simulator and apply all of those notes and information. GM has an incredible simulator there that we can run a ton of laps on. Honestly, I’m not big on getting in that simulator until the week of a race. I want to be all-in, 100 percent committed and have the freshest mindset going into that racetrack as I can. Starting on Monday, I will be non-stop in the simulator and working on race prep until we get to the racetrack. For the Sonoma race, I spent nearly 24 hours collectively on the simulator making laps. This week’s prep won’t be quite as extensive because I’ve been in a Cup car now road course racing. I had never been to Sonoma, so I spent a lot more time on that track, but knowing what I want to feel at Watkins Glen, it will still be a solid 12 or 14 hours logged driving on the simulator before we get to the track.”

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen International … In 40 Series starts at the 2.45-mile road course, RCR has captured one victory with Kevin Harvick in 2007. The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has completed 3,221 laps of the 3,285 (98.1 percent) that they have competed. RCR has accumulated eight top-five finishes, 21 top-10 finishes, led 155 laps and averages a starting position of 12.2 and finishing position of 11.6.

Iowa Review … Tyler Reddick picked up his 14th top-five finish of the year when he placed fifth in Saturday’s race at Iowa 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 Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International will be televised live on Saturday, August 3, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC. It will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 Anderson’s Maple Syrup Camaro at Watkins Glen International … Tyler Reddick has one previous NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Watkins Glen International, finishing 11th at the road course last year.

About Anderson’s Maple Syrup … In 1928, Paul Anderson first shared the distinct taste of Wisconsin’s Northwoods by producing sweet pure maple syrup and starting a 90-year pure maple syrup tradition. Three generations later his grandson, Steve Anderson, still carries on this syrup making heritage by bottling pure maple syrup from the same sugar bush his grandfather tapped for so many years. Anderson’s Maple Syrup is pure, all natural and a healthy alternative for families. From its humble roots in Cumberland, Wisconsin; Anderson’s Maple Syrup is still made with the love your family would expect. Try Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup in coffee or tea as a sweetener, and on ice cream as a topping. Today, some of the top barbecue grillers and chefs in the country eye Anderson’s as one of the best ingredients and glazes for most meats, fruits & veggies for summertime use and ham glazes for the special occasions. From our farm to your kitchen Anderson’s can be found in grocery & specialty stores around the country. “Everything tastes better with Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup”. For more information on Anderson’s Maple Syrup, visit andersonsmaplesyrup.com, and follow Anderson’s Maple Syrup Racing on Twitter via @AndersonsMaple and on Facebook via AndersonsMapleSyrup.

Powered by Pure Fuel … The Anderson family eats, breathes, and sleeps Pure Maple Syrup. They have for over 90 years! When Steve Anderson’s sister started talking about the energy gels that she and her friends use during marathon training, he was listening. They’ve heard one common complaint – these gels are thick and even with plenty of water can be difficult to swallow and digest. It got him thinking. What is it that your body needs to keep you fueled when working out? A little research quickly revealed that the family’s passion is good for something other than breakfast. It turns out, Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup has the same nutrients that endurance athletes and mid-endurance athletes need but is easier to swallow and digest when working out. So, they put Anderson’s Organic Pure Maple Syrup in a gel packet and called it Pure Fuel. Pure because it is an All Natural, Organic Pure Maple Syrup with nothing added. It is straight from the tree to you. Fuel because it supports your performance with natural nutrients that your body needs like manganese, zinc and potassium, along with over 60 antioxidants. The most obvious source of Fuel for athletes is carbohydrate intake. Research shows that the most efficient way to replenish carbs while working out is with a combination of fructose and glucose, and guess what? Pure Maple Syrup and Pure Fuel are natural sources for these energy boosters! With Pure Fuel there is no need for chemical manipulation or additives. So, give Pure Fuel a try. The Anderson family think you’ll find that, just like Steve Anderson’s sister and her friends, this stuff works! Visit OrganicPureFuel.com to learn more.

Meet Reddick … Fans can meet Reddick when he visits the RCR merchandise hauler on Saturday, August 3, beginning at 10:30 a.m. local time.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
We kick off the first of three road courses in August at Watkins Glen International this weekend. What makes Watkins Glen different from the other road courses? Does it have to do with the speed we see there?
“The racing at Watkins Glen has been really good since they repaved it a couple years ago. Last year was different since we had a little bit of rain during the race but also a lot of sunshine. It’s so hard to see when it rains cause we’re going so fast, so that it was like an added challenge last year. It’s a fun course to be on, especially with the challenge of Turn 1 and how we as drivers have to manage our braking and wheel hop. We have to manage getting through that corner cleanly but also carry enough momentum to get through the rest of the course quickly as well.”

Drivers seem to have one of two mindsets at road courses, either they are just trying to get through them, or they see them as opportunities to win. Which are you?
“Well, if you asked me at the start of the year, I would have said I normally just try to get through this part of the season as best as I can. If you ask my crew chief Randall Burnett, he’ll say we’re going to go in there and try to win those races. RCR has a lot of faith in their Xfinity road course program and have won a lot of those races in the past couple of seasons. If I can do what I need to do and keep our No. 2 Anderson’s Maple Syrup Chevrolet on the race track and in the top five all day, I know Randall and my team will figure out the strategy to get us into the lead.”

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

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