Richard Childress Racing at Kansas Speedway … In 85 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has one win with Kevin Harvick in 2013. The Welcome, N.C. organization also picked up an Xfinity Series win in 2006 with Kevin Harvick.
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Momentum at RCR … Coming off a historic 1-2 finish last week at Texas Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing will look to carry that momentum into Kansas Speedway. Teams will have a quick turn around with racing on Thursday night this week.
Catch the Action … The NASCAR Cup Series Super Start Batteries 400 Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts at Kansas Speedway will be televised live Thursday, July 23, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 250 at Kansas Speedway will be televised live Saturday, July 25, beginning at 5 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
This Week’s American Ethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Kansas Speedway … Dillon has made 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, earning his best finish of sixth in May and October 2016. He has also made five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track, earning one pole award (2013) and a best finish of second (2012). In three NASCAR Truck Series races, Dillon has earned one pole award (2011) and a best finish of fourth (2014).
Delivering Performance On and Off the Racetrack … Austin Dillon races on Sunoco Green E15 fuel made with 15 percent American Ethanol. Ethanol is the most effective and least expensive source of octane available and it also burns cleaner and cooler than gasoline. All those factors mean that ethanol helps drive peak engine performance whether you’re in a racecar or on your way to the grocery store. And, ethanol helps keep our air cleaner and our environment healthier by reducing toxic and greenhouse gas emissions. Learn more about why ethanol is the smart choice for your engine, your wallet and our environment at americanethanolracing.com.
Playoffs Bound … On Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, Dillon survived three late-race restarts to earn the win in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/E-Z-GO/Tracker Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, securing a spot in the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs. His teammate, Tyler Reddick, finished a strong second to create a 1-2 finish for Richard Childress Racing.
1.5-Mile Prowess … Dillon holds the third-best average finish among all drivers on 1.5-mile tracks and has not finished outside of the top-15 on a 1.5-mile track this season.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Talk about the momentum you have heading into Kansas Speedway following a big win at Texas Motor Speedway?
“Kansas Speedway is another mile-and-a-half. Our cars have competed well on mile-and-a-half’s. My teammate, Tyler Reddick, had a pretty good run at Kansas Speedway last year when he made his first NASCAR Cup Series start at the track. My current crew chief, Justin Alexander, was Tyler’s crew chief for that race so we have some good data from that run that we can utilize on Thursday night. I definitely feel like we have momentum, and we can take some chances and try some things now that maybe we wouldn’t have tried if we weren’t locked into the Playoffs.”
What does it take to win in the NASCAR Cup Series?
“You have to execute. We’re doing that much better this year than last year. I’ve studied other drivers, such as Brad Keselowski, who don’t always have the best car but make it happen when it counts. They are constantly battling for track position even if they don’t have the best car. We’re trying to do more of that and put ourselves in more situations to run up front so that we’re comfortable running up there and can make our own race at the end. You have to be aggressive in this sport to win races. I’ve noticed that a lot of the great guys are doing it. We were aggressive with our call at Texas Motor Speedway, maintained our position and won the race.”
Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Kansas Speedway …Tyler Reddick has one NASCAR Cup Series start at Kansas Speedway, finishing ninth in the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 last year for RCR. The finish was Reddick’s first Cup Series top-10 finish in just two series starts. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender also has three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway and has not started or finished outside the top-10 in the series. Reddick picked up the pole award in the Xfinity Series in 2017 and has a best finish of second (October 2017 and October 2019). Reddick also has two NASCAR Truck Series starts at Kansas Speedway.
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TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
Heading into Kansas Speedway this week, another 1.5-mile speedway, is there anything you can take from the strong run you had at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend?
“I think you can take a little bit from Texas Motor Speedway to Kansas this weekend. Honestly, I haven’t thought much about Kansas Speedway yet, but I’m really excited for the race. We have a lot to be excited about at RCR heading into this weekend following that 1-2 finish. All the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LEs are running really well this year, and we have a lot more speed on the intermediate tracks, so I have a lot of hope heading into this race. Kansas Speedway is a place that has been good for both myself and my crew chief, Randall Burnett. I got my first NASCAR Cup Series top-10 finish there last year during my second Cup Series start, and then we finished second in the Xfinity race there later that year. I’m really looking forward to how the race shakes out and how much the lanes will move around. I think a lot of drivers will try to figure out how to run up high on Thursday night, but I’ll be curious how that affects the tire fall-off and maintaining your speed during a run.”
This Week’s No. 21 Ruedebusch Development & Construction Chevrolet Camaro at Kansas Speedway … Kaz Grala will make his 2020 season debut in the No. 21 Ruedebusch Development & Construction Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing. This weekend will mark the 21-year-old’s first career Kansas Speedway start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Grala has one career NASCAR Truck Series start at the 1.5-mile speedway, earning an eighth-place finish in 2017.
Welcome Back Kaz … Grala will step back into the seat of the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing for the first time in 2020. In 2019, Grala made five career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for RCR. He recorded his best finish of fifth at Road America in August last year.
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KAZ GRALA QUOTES:
It’s been almost a whole year since you’ve been behind the wheel of a racecar. How good does it feel to finally be back this weekend, especially with a team like Richard Childress Racing?
“It does feel like forever since I’ve raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Luckily, I’ve been able to stay warm by coaching in super late models and doing some iRacing. It has been a lot of fun watching the No. 21 crew this year contend up front with some impressive speed. I couldn’t be more excited to finally get my first shot behind the wheel of the No. 21 Rudebusch Development & Construction Chevrolet in Kansas this weekend.”
What kind of unique challenges does a place like Kansas Speedway present to you and your team this weekend?
“Kansas is a fun track with a lot of different grooves you can use depending on how your car is handling. For me personally, the challenge I’ll be tackling is the fact that I’ve only raced on one 1.5-mile track in the past two years. On top of that, I’ve only ever raced at Kansas once, and that was in a Truck over three years ago. I’ll certainly be using the first half of the race to get acclimated and comfortable out there, but I’m confident that my Richard Childress Racing team and I will be ready to attack and claim a great finish when it comes time.”
