Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway… In 139 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has scored six victories, led by Kevin Harvick with four wins (a sweep of both races in 2006 plus the fall races in 2012 and 2013). Ryan Newman was victorious in the 2017 Spring event. Dale Earnhardt won in 1990 to claim his ninth victory of the season enroute to his fourth of seven Cup Series championships.
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Phoenix Raceway… RCR has three NASCAR Xfinity Series wins by three different drivers at Phoenix Raceway: Elliott Sadler (2012), Clint Bowyer (2007) and Kevin Harvick (2006). The victory by Sadler ended a 91-race winless streak, while Bowyer led the most laps (120 of 200) on the way to the Winner’s Circle. The win by Harvick was one of nine victories he claimed on the way to his second Xfinity Series title with RCR.
Catch the Action on Saturday… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200 at Phoenix Raceway will be televised live on Saturday, March 9, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Follow Sunday’s Action at Phoenix Raceway… The NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway will be televised live on Sunday, March 10, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Phoenix Raceway… Austin Dillon has 20 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway to his credit, earning two top-10 finishes. He earned his best finish of eighth in November 2018. In his most recent appearances at the track, Dillon finished 16th (Spring) and 12th (Fall). He has 11 starts at the 1.0-mile oval in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with a career-best finish of second in November 2016. Dillon has three top-10 finishes and one top-five finish in three starts in the NASCAR Truck Series at Phoenix Raceway.
By The Numbers… According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Dillon ranks fifth among all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Average Speed Late In A Run at Phoenix Raceway. He ranks ninth in Green-Flag Passes.
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AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on Phoenix Raceway?
“Phoenix Raceway is a tough short track and one of those places where you hit it or don’t. In the last few years, Phoenix has seen changes and I think it’s made the track more challenging and that makes it fun for drivers. It could be a good place for the No. 3 Morgan & Morgan team.”
Where do you see yourself now in the sport, and where do you see yourself in five years?
“I feel like I’m at a place where I need to step up and take that next step, to try and get to a multi-win season and go further than I’ve ever gone in the NASCAR Playoffs. My ultimate goal since I’ve got to the Cup level is to be the first guy to win a championship at all three levels. That is still where my head is at. I’ve been able to see a lot of changes throughout my career, starting when Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Dale Jr. were in the NASCAR Cup Series and I got to race against those guys. Now, we’re experiencing a whole new car, a new racecar, new style of racing, so I’m going to try and do my best to put myself and my name back in that top tier of guys. Last year was one of those years where you just got kicked and kicked, and I was wondering when it was going to end. This year is a fresh start. Everybody is excited to go, my family, everybody being at the track to support us, so it’s going to be a good year. I just want to put myself where I feel I can be, and that’s in that top tier. I’ve been there before, and I want to be a multi-win guy at the Cup level.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 zone Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Phoenix Raceway… Kyle Busch will be making his 38th career Phoenix Raceway start in the NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend. Busch has three wins (2005, 2018, and 2019) along with 12 top-five finishes. The Las Vegas, Nev., native is the youngest winner in track history (20 years, 6 months, and 11 days). He is tied with Ryan Newman for most pole positions all-time at Phoenix (4). Busch has 26 top-10 finishes, the most among active Cup drivers at the 1.0-mile desert oval. His average finish of 10.946 is best among active drivers and he has logged a top-10 in 70.27 percent of his starts. The driver of the zone Chevrolet is also the all-time lap leader at Phoenix (1,190).
Points Update…Busch is sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 23 points behind the leader.
Did You Know?… Busch has led at least one lap in all three Cup Series races this season (58 total laps) and is one of just seven drivers to complete all 727 laps.
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KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
Is there a fine line at Phoenix between hitting the setup and running well versus being really off the mark?
“Phoenix has always been a tricky track to hit the proper setup and making sure that you are fast. Kevin Harvick has had a really good time of being able to hit that ever since the repave at this track where I feel as though I might have been better at the old surface but have still seen success in Trucks, Xfinity and Cup winning races.”
How does having the practice session on Friday change your strategy for the weekend?
“Anytime you’re able to get a little bit more practice should allow you time to dissect the car and make the necessary changes that you think you need as a driver to be able to have a good race car. I felt like we had a pretty decent race car there last fall when we had the added practice and if it weren’t for getting set behind on pit road, we would have had a pretty good race.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro SS at Phoenix Raceway… Jesse Love will make his inaugural Xfinity Series start at Phoenix Raceway this Saturday. Despite making his maiden voyage at the Arizona speedway behind of the wheel of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet, the 19-year-old has completed over 1,000 laps at the one-mile track. Love has one NASCAR Truck Series start at Phoenix Raceway, earning a fourth-place result (2023) in just his third series event. In addition, Love has seven starts in ARCA Menards Series competition at the facility, posting a best finish of second (2022) and three top-10 results.
ROTY Leader… Through three races, Love continues to lead the Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings. After a competitive outing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Menlo Park, California native extended his lead to 36 points over second-place Shane van Gisbergen.
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Meet Love… On Friday, March 8 at 4 p.m. local time, Hill and his RCR teammate, Austin Hill, are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Trailer located in the Midway at Phoenix Raceway. Stop by to meet the RCR Xfinity Series driver lineup and purchase new gear.
JESSE LOVE QUOTE:
Talk about your relationship with new crew chief, Danny Stockman.
“I could talk about Danny Stockman for a long time. Anyone who knows him, knows how good he is. Anyone who knows him, knows how high strung he can be, because he’s so intense. I think his intensity has woken up part of the shop, and he focused on building a really great team around us on the No. 2 team. To start the season with the speed that our Whelen Chevrolets have had, it speaks to how good our cars are and how good Danny is at building fast race cars. There are small things that crew chiefs can do right now to make speed, and I still feel like it’s being conservative to a point. Danny has been awesome to work with so far, but so have all of the guys on this team. Everyone is working so hard. I’m looking forward to having a bad night one race to see how Danny and we as a team react to that, since we are pretty much the same.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Phoenix Raceway… Austin Hill has four career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix Raceway, earning a best finish of seventh twice (both 2023 races) while piloting the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. In addition, Hill has five NASCAR Truck Series starts at the Arizona speedway, notching one pole (2019) and one top-10 result (2021).
Top of the Standings… Through three races, Hill remains the Xfinity Series driver championship points leader. The 29-year-old holds a 22-point lead over second-place Chandler Smith.
Did You Know? Hill is one of four drivers who currently hold the longest active streak (three races) for top-10 finishes at Phoenix Raceway.
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Meet Hill… On Friday, March 8 at 4 p.m. local time, Hill and his RCR teammate, Jesse Love, are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Trailer located in the Midway at Phoenix Raceway. Stop by to meet the RCR Xfinity Series driver lineup and purchase new gear.
Following the autograph signing, on Friday, March 8 at 5 p.m. local time, the Winston, Georgia native is scheduled to participate in a question-and-answer session at the Fanshield Infield Stage located behind Victory Lane at Phoenix Raceway.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
You are returning to Phoenix Raceway, after what was one of your best runs at the track since joining RCR. What is the outlook heading into the race this weekend?
“I thought we had improved on our package last fall when we went back to Phoenix Raceway for the season finale. That should allow us to have a solid starting point when we hit the track for practice on Saturday morning, and we can fine tune it from there. There isn’t a lot that we can take from these first three races and apply to Phoenix, but I do think there is some knowledge with the new slits in the rear glass that can be applied. Our Bennett Transportation & Logistics team has good momentum as a team with three straight top-five finishes, so hopefully, we can keep that rolling.”
