Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway… In 186 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 2.0-mile speedway, Richard Childress Racing has recorded three wins with drivers Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990) and Kevin Harvick (2010), plus 25 top-five and 59 top-10 finishes. Earnhardt scored a dominating victory in 1987, leading 152 of 200 laps and earned a thrilling victory in 1990, edging Ernie Irvan by just .22 seconds (about two car lengths). Harvick’s 2010 victory was the driver’s first in the Irish Hills.
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Michigan… Richard Childress Racing has four victories in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Michigan with four different drivers: Kevin Harvick (2003), Paul Menard (2014), Austin Dillon (2018) and Tyler Reddick (2019). The Welcome, N.C., team has claimed 14 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes in 54 starts at Michigan.
Catch Saturday’s Action in the Irish Hills… The Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, August 17 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. The event will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Follow Sunday’s Action in Michigan… The Michigan 400 will be televised live on Sunday, August 18, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow MobilityScienceTM Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway… Austin Dillon has 20 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, posting five top-10 results and a career-best finish of fourth in August 2018. Dillon finished 19th in the 2023 Cup Series race after leading two laps. In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, Dillon has earned two poles (2012, 2013) and one win (2018) at the 2.0-mile speedway.
Richmond Winner… Dillon enters Michigan International Speedway as the most recent winner in the NASCAR Cup Series. Last Sunday’s win at Richmond Raceway was Dillon’s fifth victory in the premier series.
Welcome, Dow MobilityScienceTM… Dow’s MobilityScience™ platform is designed to enhance the customer experience by tailoring technologies, products, and services from across Dow businesses to the transportation industry. The platform is pursuing accelerated growth by addressing Mobility mega-trends – where lighter weight, longer range, greater comfort, enhanced safety, and lower carbon footprint are the ultimate objectives. That is where Dow science, innovation, and people step in – working closely with customers to create the materials that bring the possibilities to life.
Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team… Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by using one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack – as a real-time testbed. After 11 years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer, and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sports, and follow them on X (@DowSports) and LinkedIn (Dow Sports Marketing Solutions).
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Michigan International Speedway is a fast, 2.0-mile track. What is it about the track that you like?
“Michigan International Speedway is a big, fast place. It’s one of the roughest tracks we race on. Michigan is always a place where you’re trying to keep the gas pedal down and do whatever it takes to keep the momentum up. You get some good drafts there and you can make some big moves. You will see three or four wide action into the corner sometimes, and the race has gotten better over the years. ECR’s engine package is very good. You always see ECR engines race very well. We have to perform in Dow’s backyard, and I feel like we have a serious shot at winning.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Michigan International Speedway… Kyle Busch will make his 36th NASCAR Cup Series start at Michigan International Speedway this weekend. The driver of the Lucas Oil Chevrolet won at Michigan in 2011, edging seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in NASCAR Overtime. Busch enters Sunday’s Michigan 400 with nine top-five and 15 top-10 finishes at the 2.0-mile speedway, including nine top-10 finishes in the last 11 Cup Series events. In 11 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, Busch has two wins and 10 top-10 finishes. In addition, Busch earned one victory in 10 NASCAR Truck Series events.
Points Update… Busch currently holds the 18th position in the NASCAR Cup Series driver championship point standings, 119 points below the Playoffs cutline.
Lucas Oil’s Role as a Technical and Development Powerhouse in Motorsports at RCR and ECR… Lucas Oil has contributed first-hand to the many on-track successes of one of NASCAR’s legendary race teams since 2014. Lucas Oil’s resources and expertise, including R&D, technical development and support, have provided a competitive on-track advantage that has equated to RCR’s more than 20 trips to Victory Lane over the past decade. All RCR NASCAR Cup and ECR engines rely on the best performance motor oil in NASCAR: a direct result of joint research and development. The same success that Lucas Oil and RCR/ECR have found at the highest levels of motorsports, has been successfully transferred to grassroots racing efforts throughout the country. And all team operations rely on the full line of Lucas Slick Mist appearance products – from metal polish to speed wax and detailers – to keep all types of vehicles looking their best. To learn more about Lucas Oil, visit lucasoil.com.
KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
How big of a factor is the draft at Michigan International Speedway?
“Over the last couple of years with this new Next Gen car, the draft at Michigan has become less effective in my opinion. These cars don’t quite suck up on the straightaways the way the old cars could.”
Is it refreshing to race at a place like Michigan International Speedway where you can move around the track and find a line that works?
“Michigan over the years has been pretty lane dominant, but with the addition of the traction compound through the corners, it has led itself to widening out and allowing you to try different grooves. It still isn’t as wide as it once was back in 2013 when you could race along the wall, but it’s getting better and going in that direction.”
Is there any track on the schedule that you can compare to Michigan International Speedway? Auto Club Speedway was similar.
“Fontana was the closest just because it was a two-mile racetrack. It was special to win the last Cup race there in our Lucas Oil Camaro, but the asphalt, grip level, and banking level is entirely different between Michigan and Fontana. Kansas has really aged well and has progressive banking from the bottom to the top so you can run all over the racetrack. You can run to the top, right up against the wall for the majority of the day at Kansas. Michigan is not quite there yet. I’m not really sure anywhere compares entirely to Michigan.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro SS at Michigan International Speedway… Jesse Love has made one career start at Michigan International Speedway, driving in the ARCA Menards Series event in August 2023. During that race, the Menlo Park, California native qualified in the fifth position, led 35 laps and claimed the checkered flag.
Off Weekend Winner… During the three-week Xfinity Series break, Love visited Montana’s Mission Valley Super Oval to compete in a Montana Big 5 Series super late model race. The 19-year-old driver picked up the victory in the Wild Fire 125 on August 3.
Did You Know? When compared to fulltime Xfinity Series competitors, Love currently holds the sixth-best average running position (12.2). Also, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points leader has completed 73.3% (2,227) of the laps inside the top 15 and has lead a total of 279 laps.
About Whelen Engineering… Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.
JESSE LOVE QUOTE:
What is the outlook coming out of the Olympic break and returning to Michigan International Speedway?
“I look forward to going back to Michigan International Speedway again this season. It’s always nice to go back to a track for a second time in the Xfinity Series or even back to a track that I’ve raced at in the ARCA Menards Series. My ARCA car last season was not the fastest car there, but we were able to get the job done to secure the victory. Danny Stockman and all of the guys on the No. 2 crew have been putting in the work over these last few off weeks to prepare our team for the final push to the Playoffs. Everything that we are doing in these final six races of the regular season are to prepare us for a race to the championship. Our team is hungry and hopefully we can take Whelen back to Victory Lane soon.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 United Rentals Chevrolet Camaro SS at Michigan International Speedway… Austin Hill has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, earning a best finish of fifth place in 2022. The Winston, Ga. native made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Irish Hills facility in 2022, driving the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to a respectable 18th-place finish. In addition, Hill has three NASCAR Truck Series starts at the 2-mile speedway, capturing one victory in 2019.
Did You Know? When compared to fulltime Xfinity Series competitors, Hill currently holds the second-best average running position (8.988). Also, the 30-year-old driver has completed 84.1% (2,544) of the laps inside the top 15.
About United Rentals… United Rentals, Inc. is the largest equipment rental company in the world. The company has an integrated network of 1,504 rental locations in North America, 38 in Europe, 23 in Australia and 19 in New Zealand. In North America, the company operates in 49 states and every Canadian province. The company’s approximately 26,300 employees serve construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners, and others. The company offers approximately 4,800 classes of equipment for rent with a total original cost of $20.66 billion. United Rentals is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, the Barron’s 400 Index and the Russell 3000 Index® and is headquartered in Stamford, Conn. Additional information about United Rentals is available at unitedrentals.com.
Meet Hill… On Saturday, August 17 at 1:00 p.m. local time, Hill is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Trailer located in the Midway at Michigan International Speedway. Stop by to meet the United Rentals driver and purchase new gear.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:
What are your thoughts about racing at Michigan International Speedway?
“I’ve won at Michigan in the Truck Series, so that gives me a little extra confidence each time we go back. Probably should have a won a second race there in the Truck Series but got wrecked while running second in a green-white-checkered finish. I’ve always seemed to run well there though. My rookie season in the Xfinity Series car, we ran decent. The biggest thing about racing at Michigan is keeping your momentum up. It’s not a superspeedway by any means, but the draft does come into effect on restarts. Having the right lane choices, knowing when to run the bottom or run the top, knowing when to make passes and or push your lane are all keys as a driver to having a good finish. A lot of the superspeedway type feel comes into play until the field gets strung out. Once you get strung out, it’s a normal mile-and-a half style of race.”
What are the keys to having a successful race in the Irish Hills?
“It’s all about momentum and reminds me of when I would race in the Truck Series. If you drive in too deep, you have to lift too much and then you get on throttle too late, which slows lap time down. You are better off to roll out early and get back wide open sooner, to carry the momentum down the long straightaways. We need to have a car that is very versatile, that can go in and out of the juice that gets laid down.”
