Richard Childress Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway … In 181 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the concrete Bristol Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has scored nine wins, 35 top-five, and 71 top-10 finishes. 2021 marked the first year that RCR competed on the track’s dirt configuration.
Follow Sunday’s Action in Bristol … The Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, April 17 beginning at 7 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
This Week’s Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Camaro ZL1 at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt … Dillon has one previous NASCAR Cup Series start on the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track configuration, finishing 21st in the inaugural event last season.
Winner, Winner … Dillon has won at Bristol Motor Speedway on both the paved and dirt configurations. In addition to winning a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the track in August 2016 (paved), Dillon was among the first drivers to compete on the track’s dirt surface in 2021. He won two features and a heat race in dominating fashion in a 604 Crate Late Model for Corey Hedgecock Racing.
An Ace on Dirt … Dillon first began racing dirt late models in 2006 as the natural progression in his career after starting out in legend cars and bandoleros. Under the tutelage of Shane and Dale McDowell, notable dirt racing victories include the All-Star Shootout at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 2009 and May 2007).
Tracker Off Road … Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.
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 http://www.basspro.com/.
Double-Duty … In addition to competing in this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Dillon is scheduled to race in the NASCAR Truck Series for Young’s Motorsports on Saturday, which airs live on Saturday, April 16 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. Dillon is the 2011 NASCAR Truck Series Champion and a seven-time winner in the series.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Do you circle the dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway on your calendar as one of the most anticipated races of the season for your team?
“I’m excited to get the new Next Gen Chevy to Bristol Motor Speedway to see how it runs on the dirt, especially with the independent rear suspension. It’ll be fun to have something a little bit different. There was a test last week and it looked pretty fun. I was hoping they would take the windshields out of the cars, but it was a little late in the game to make that decision. Maybe they will be able to do it the next time around, because then we could have a little bit of a happier track. It won’t be so dry.”
What are you doing to prepare for the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race?
“I talked to my good buddy Dale McDowell. He was influential in my dirt racing career growing up and helped teach me how to race on dirt. Dale won a $50,000 to win late model race at Bristol a couple of weeks back, so I’ve been picking his brain on what he thought about the track and what we need to be good. A lot of what Dale has told me aligns with the asphalt track that we run at Bristol. He mentioned that it gets tight off Turn 2 and that it’s a different radius than Turns 3 and 4. When you look at an overview photo of Bristol, it looks the same on each side, but that’s not the case. In Turns 3 and 4 you have a lot more exit room, and it’s always been that way. Turns 1 and 2 are rough and it’s a little bit tighter on exit to Turn 2. You need a car that is able to rotate off of Turn 2. The track characteristics are similar to what you see when you’re running the asphalt track, but it’s going to be a different compound on the track. I love the dirt stuff, so it will be fun. I’m running the NASCAR Truck Series race, too, so it will be good to get a little bit more experience with the track and the transitions it takes. I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.”
Did you learn anything in the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race last year that you can carry over to this year’s race?
“I had a blast doing it last year, even though we really weren’t that good. I probably took too much on myself as a dirt racer trying to crew chief the car. I think this time we’re just going to let the crew chief do his job and crew chief and I’ll stick to driving the car to see how that turns out.”
Is the Bristol dirt race especially fun for the teams ?
“Bristol Dirt is a fun race for the mechanics, crew chiefs and engineers because it’s just a fun way to race to bring everything back to your short track roots and have the chance to work on the cars during the breaks. Everyone is slinging stuff and trying to find some speed and exploring ways to improve the car in ways that you wouldn’t normally get to go about it when you’re at a normal NASCAR race. I’ve always enjoyed this event because it feels more like an exhibition, but we get points and the chance to make the NASCAR Playoffs so we want to run well and try to keep this streak of top-10 finishes going, and maybe even come home with a W.”
Is there anything you do differently to prepare for racing on dirt?
“You start sealing up your helmet a little bit more than you would any other weekend because it’s pretty dusty with it staying as dry as it does on the dirt. Anything you can do to clean the windshield off. Some people change their steering wheel. Mine is going to stay the same. I started off the race last year with a smaller steering wheel in practice but ended up going back to my regular wheel that I use every weekend. The rack should help the steering. With this car being as quick with the steering, It should help. I’ve always thought having quick steering on dirt is a good thing so that you can catch it and drive it a little bit differently.”
This Week’s 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt … The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt this weekend for the second time in history. The inaugural dirt race at the Bristol, Tennessee 0.533-mile dirt track had 10 cautions for 39 laps and a five lead changes. Reddick finished seventh in the race after starting 27th. Reddick grew up dirt racing and has an extensive background on dirt. He’s raced mini sprints, midgets, dirt late models and sprint cars. He became the youngest person to qualify on the pole for the World 100 at Eldora Speedway and became the youngest winner at the East Bay Winter Nationals and in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Although it’s a completely different race on dirt, Reddick has three Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has a best finish of fourth from 2020.
Visit the 3CHI Display at Bristol Motor Speedway … 3CHI invites everyone to come visit their display this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway for samples, swag and the opportunity to win prizes. Tyler Reddick is also scheduled to visit the 3CHI display on Sunday at 2:50 p.m. ET. Come join the fun and get an autograph from the driver of the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet!
3CHI Blazes the Trail for Another Industry First … 3CHI and Richard Childress Racing created another first with their partnership for the 2022 NASCAR season. 3CHI began with roots as a CBD producer and quickly became a pioneer in science-based hemp and cannabis innovation. The company was the first to commercially develop and market Delta 8 THC, and today, 3CHI is an industry leader with unsurpassed product quality and purity as verified by top independent labs and benchmark organizations. 3CHI products are sold in a majority of the United States, and the company produces and markets a variety of gummies, tinctures, lotions, edibles and vape products. All 3CHI products meet federal requirements for full legal compliance, with a commitment to promoting responsible adult use. See 3CHI.com for more information.
TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
How does a driver prepare for a Cup Series race on dirt?
“I come from a dirt background, so this race really brings me back to my roots. It’s a cool race because the teams get the chance to work on the cars during the breaks. You’ve got teams trying all kinds of things to improve the car in ways that we don’t get to on a typical race weekend. It’s going to be really dusty so we will be focused on visibility and the steering. We’ve been brainstorming what setup will be the best for us. Some guys change their steering wheel and some don’t. This race feels so different than our usual race weekends, but points matter and your finish matters so I’m excited to get out there and get us points and a W on dirt.
As a driver, what are your thoughts heading back to the Bristol Dirt event for the second year?
“We want an entertaining race. We want to make dirt racing look good. We don’t want to make dirt racing look bad; we don’t want to make ourselves in the sport look bad either. Eldora was able to put on some really great races. As a dirt racer myself growing up, just the thought of having dirt back at Bristol and having other dirt cars out there in itself is really a huge deal for me. That’s something I never thought I’d see in my lifetime, just only able to hear stories about it from the drivers that got to do it. So being a part of it is really cool. It is really, really important for it to be a good race from my perspective being more of the dirt background. We don’t want to make dirt racing look bad. It’s always been really good.”
What does having a good race at Bristol Dirt mean to you?
“Well, it could mean a number of things but certainly you’ve seen with asphalt races and dirt races, I’ve seen a lot of good dirt races where the leader has been checked out by half a lap and he’s just running his tail off, bouncing off the fence, doing absurd things in the race car that should not be possible. And when you see guys being able to do stuff like that on dirt or on asphalt, in my opinion, watching somebody be able to physically see them driving their tail off, I think that’s what makes a good race or having a good battle for the lead. Having the cars being hard to drive on dirt, which I’m sure they will be, or getting into each other and having accidents and all that sort of stuff, I think it is important because the cars are going to be hard to drive. I hope they will be. It’s important to see us in the car driving our tails off, wheeling the steering wheel and really having to work for it lap after lap.”
