Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono Raceway… In 177 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has earned two wins, both by Dale Earnhardt. In 1987, Earnhardt rallied from a 16th-place starting position to win, one of 11 victories he would claim during the season. Earnhardt won again in 1993, edging Rusty Wallace for the victory. RCR and Earnhardt won the Cup Series championship in both seasons where the team won at Pocono. Both Tyler Reddick (second) and Austin Dillon (10th) scored top-10 finishes at Pocono in 2022. The Welcome, N.C., based team has 17 top-five and 59 top-ten finishes at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’
A First for RCR at Pocono… In 2023, Austin Hill became the first RCR driver to win a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway. He led the final two laps of the race and won the event when the caution flag waved on the final lap in NASCAR Overtime. Since the NASCAR Xfinity Series began competing at Pocono Raceway in 2016, RCR has made 19 starts at the 2.5-mile track. RCR has had at least one driver claim a top-10 finish in all eight previous races at Pocono. The team has racked up six top-five and 13 top-10 finishes entering Saturday’s race.
Catch the Action… The Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 at Pocono Raceway will be televised live on Saturday, July 13 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on USA. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway will be televised live on Sunday, July 14 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network and the NBC Sports App. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
This Week’s No. 3 Boot Barn Chevrolet at Pocono Raceway… Austin Dillon has 18 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono Raceway and has led 10 laps of competition at the track. Dillon earned his best Pocono finish in the Cup Series in July 2022 when he finished 10th after starting 15th. He has one NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Pocono, a 10th-place effort in 2019. He has made four NASCAR Truck Series starts at the 2.5-mile speedway, scoring a top-10 finish in each race, including a win in 2014.
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Meet Austin Dillon… Dillon is scheduled to participate in a Q&A session alongside teammate Kyle Busch on the Team Chevrolet stage in the Pocono Raceway Fan Midway on Sunday at 11:20 a.m. ET.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on Pocono Raceway?
“Pocono Raceway is a fun, fast track and I feel like we’ve built a good notebook there. I’m excited to get to the Tricky Triangle this weekend in the No. 3 Boot Barn Chevrolet.”
What has been the biggest challenge for you at Pocono Raceway?
“The Tunnel Turn is the biggest challenge at Pocono Raceway. It’s a high-speed turn, and over the years, it’s gotten rough with the track’s tunnel underneath it. The bumps going over the Tunnel Turn are noticeable, and you need your car balanced well through that turn. There are three different corners at Pocono, making it difficult to solve. You know you’ll have to give up some on one end to be better at the other.”
What is the key to a strong race at Pocono Raceway?
“To have a car that handles average in all three turns is key. We’ll have to be aggressive on fuel strategy and have a clean day on pit road to have a shot at a win or a top-five finish.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 zone Chevrolet at Pocono Raceway… Kyle Busch will make his 37th NASCAR Cup Series start at Pocono Raceway this weekend. Busch has four wins at the 2.5-mile Pennsylvania speedway (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021), the second-most among active drivers. The driver of the zone Chevrolet won three times in four races from 2017 through 2019 and led 218 laps (545 miles) in the process. His first win in 2017 came in dominating fashion, where he also won the pole and led the most laps (74 of 160). The Las Vegas, Nev., native enters this weekend with 11 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes in 36 Pocono starts. He has three wins in six NASCAR Truck Series races at Pocono and one victory (2018) in two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the Long Pond, Pa., facility.
Starting Up Front at the Tricky Triangle… Busch leads all active Cup Series drivers will four pole positions at Pocono Raceway (2010, 2015, and both races in 2017).
History Making Victory… Busch’s 2023 NASCAR Truck Series victory at Pocono Raceway was the 100th for Kyle Busch Motorsports, the most by any organization in the series. Busch is the all-time wins leader in Truck Series history with 66 victories.
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KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
Which end of the racetrack in Pocono Raceway is most critical for a good lap?
“Pocono Raceway has three very distinct corners and you need to be fast in each one in order to have a fast race car and to have a good day. I would say the biggest compromise between turns is between Turn 1 and Turn 3.”
Last year at Pocono Raceway, the track had a huge crowd. Do you think that’s because the facility has just one race a year?
“I was pleasantly surprised to see such a good crowd at Pocono Raceway last year. I do believe it has to do with us only going there once a year. When we go to some of these tracks twice a year, fans will decide which one they want to go to, instead of just knowing that they only have one chance to go so they better get their tickets as soon as they can.”
There’s a lot of shifting at Pocono Raceway. Would you be in favor of NASCAR making a rule change to limit that or is that something that you enjoy?
“I think at Pocono Raceway, since the track is so big and with the three corners being as different as they are, it needs shifting. I think shifting at Pocono is an okay thing. What I don’t agree with is when we have to shift when we go to a short track.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro SS at Pocono Raceway… Jesse Love will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Pocono Raceway on Saturday. The 19-year-old has completed two ARCA Menards Series races at the “Tricky Triangle”, crossing the finish line first one season ago. In 2023, Love started from the second position, led 40 of 60 laps, and captured the victory.
Impressive Rookie Campaign… Through 18 races of his rookie campaign, Love has posted one win (Talladega Superspeedway), three poles, five top-five and nine top-10 finishes. The Menlo Park, California native is the current Sunoco Rookie of the Year points leader and sits fifth in the Xfinity Series driver championship point standings.
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JESSE LOVE QUOTE:
With winning the ARCA Menards Series race at Pocono Raceway last season, what is the outlook heading to the track for the first time in the Xfinity Series car?
“I look forward to getting back to Pocono Raceway. I had a strong race there last season in the ARCA car, leading the majority of laps and running up front the entire time. It’s such a fast racetrack and a unique configuration with each turn being different. With the speed that we continue to bring each week in our Whelen Chevrolets, I have no doubt that our No. 2 car will be fast from the moment we hit the track for practice. We should be in contention for the win and if we put ourselves in position, I feel confident that we can get back to Victory Lane. As I said last week after the Chicago Street Race, everything that we are working on now is to set us up for the Playoffs. Our Richard Childress Racing team is grinding to be better each week and make sure we are ready for the final push.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet Camaro SS at Pocono Raceway… Austin Hill has made three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Pocono Raceway, claiming his first victory at the 2.5-mile speedway last season in dramatic fashion while piloting the No. 21 Global Industrial Camaro. The Winston, Georgia native also has eight NASCAR Truck Series races on his resume at the Long Pond, Pennsylvania track, earning one pole, two top-five, and three top-10 finishes.
100 Starts… Saturday’s race at Pocono Raceway will mark Hill’s 100th career Xfinity Series start. Through his first 99 events, the 30-year-old has posted eight wins, five poles, 36 top-five, and 60 top-10 finishes. Hill was also the 2023 Regular Season Champion.
Global Industrial Home Race… Located 2.5 hours from Pocono Raceway, Global Industrial’s headquarters are based in Port Washington, New York. During Saturday’s race, Global Industrial will have more than 300 associates and guests at the track cheering on Hill and the Richard Childress Racing team. Prior to arriving in Pennsylvania, Hill made a visit at the Global Industrial Distribution Center in Robbinsville, New Jersey to meet and sign autographs for associates.
Military Charities on Board… Global Industrial, RCR, Bennett Transportation & Logistics, and United Rentals have teamed together to support and raise awareness for four special military-focused charities at Pocono Raceway. The decklid of Hill’s Global Industrial Camaro will feature the logos of K9s for Warriors (Global Industrial), Wreaths Across America (Bennett), Turns for Troops (United Rentals), and Toys For Tots (RCR).
K9s for Warriors… Through its corporate social responsibility program, Partnerships With Purpose, Global Industrial has expanded its service initiative to raise awareness for veterans through its support for K9s for Warriors – a non-profit organization that provides highly-trained service dogs to U.S. military veterans suffering from post-traumatic brain injury and/or other forms of trauma related to military service. On Saturday, leadership, veteran, and canine members of the K9s For Warriors team will join Hill and the Global Industrial associates at Pocono Raceway.
About Global Industrial Company… Global Industrial Company (NYSE:GIC), is a value-added distributor. For 75 years, Global Industrial has gone the extra mile for its customers, currently offering hundreds of thousands of industrial and MRO products needed to run businesses and facilities. Global Industrial is committed to its customer-centric strategy, and utilizes a team of subject matter experts, Global Industrial Exclusive Brands™ products and national vendor relationships to help customers succeed. Global Industrial. “We Can Supply That®”.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
As defending race winner, explain returning to Pocono Raceway and how last season’s race unfolded.
“It’s always nice to go back to a track that you won at the last time you were there. Last year, we didn’t have the best car, but we did make our Global Industrial Chevrolet better throughout the race. I thought we were a top-five or top-seven car. On the last restart late in the race, Josh (Berry) drove into Turn 1 and got really loose on entry. We drag raced down the backstretch and once I cleared him, I knew I just had to hit my marks. We were really saving fuel on that last run and didn’t know if we were going to make it. It was definitely on my mind going into the Tunnel Turn that I had to get back to the start-finish line. Thankfully, it all worked out and I even had enough fuel to do a burnout. It was a special win, especially for Global Industrial, so hopefully we will be in position to repeat this weekend.”
