Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway… In 104 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has one win (Kevin Harvick, 2013) along with five top-five and 29 top-10 finishes. The victory was Harvick’s first at the Midwest intermediate track and came in dominating fashion after winning the pole and leading the most laps in the race. RCR owns three pole positions at Kansas: Harvick (2013), Daniel Hemric (2019) and Tyler Reddick (2022).
RCR in the Xfinity Series at Kansas… RCR has one NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Kansas: Kevin Harvick in 2006. Harvick, who led twice for 18 laps, would go on to win the 2006 series title with RCR, the second of his career. The Welcome, N.C., based organization has three poles at Kansas by three different drivers: Austin Dillon (2013), Ty Dillon (2014) and Daniel Hemric (2018). In 2023, both RCR drivers scored top-five finishes at Kansas: Sheldon Creed (third) and Austin Hill (fifth).
Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway will be televised live Saturday, September 28, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on The CW. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
The Kansas 400 at Kansas Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, September 29 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. The race will be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off-Road Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway… Dillon has made a total of 22 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, earning his best finish of sixth twice in May and October of 2016. The North Carolina native 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 posted one pole award (2011) and a best finish of fourth (2014).
Remember When… In 2011, Dillon made his career-first start in the NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway, driving the No. 98 Chevrolet to a 26th-place finish for Curb/Agajanian Racing.
About 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 united with 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/.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
How is Kansas Speedway unique compared to some of the other 1.5-mile tracks and how will you attack the track this weekend?
“Kansas Speedway is a fun track to race at. Running the top line is challenging and restarts are always exciting and crucial to picking up positions early. There’s an angle up there that I don’t think many tracks have figured out yet, but Kansas got it right. We’ve run well there in the past. I’m looking forward to driving the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet this weekend.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 BetMGM Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway… Kyle Busch will make his 34th NASCAR Cup Series start at Kansas Speedway this weekend. Busch enters with two wins at Midwest oval, both coming in spring races. The Las Vegas native scored his first victory at Kansas Speedway in 2016, leading 69 laps in his 17th start at the 1.5-mile circuit. Win number two for Busch came in 2021, where the veteran driver claimed his first victory of the season on his birthday (May 2). With that special milestone, Busch joined NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough as the only two drivers to win multiple Cup Series races on their birthdays. Busch has also racked up 10 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes, including an eighth-place finish earlier this season. In addition, Busch has four NASCAR Xfinity Series victories (2007, 2014, 2015, 2016) and three NASCAR Truck Series wins (2014, 2017, 2021) at Kansas Speedway.
Did You Know? Busch has more Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway (33) than any other active driver. His first start at the Kansas facility came on October 10, 2004, and marked his fourth career race in NASCAR’s premier series.
About BetMGM… BetMGM is a market-leading sports betting and gaming entertainment company, pioneering the online gaming industry. Born out of a partnership between MGM Resorts International and Entain Group, BetMGM has exclusive access to all of MGM’s U.S. land-based and online sports betting, major tournament poker, and online gaming businesses. Utilizing Entain’s U.S.-licensed, state-of-the-art technology, BetMGM offers sports betting and online gaming via market-leading brands, including BetMGM, Borgata Casino, Party Casino, and Party Poker. Founded in 2018, BetMGM is headquartered in New Jersey. Always Bet Responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
You have top-10 finishes in your two most recent starts at Kansas Speedway, which must give you confidence entering this race.
“For years, Kansas Speedway was a very tough place for me to get a hold of and figure out. But as of late, since about 2014, things have really clicked and I’ve had several good finishes there. Kansas is a track that I actually look forward to now. Hopefully, we can continue to build on those good finishes and search for another win this weekend.”
One year ago, you overcame a poor pit stall to finish seventh in the fall race at Kansas Speedway. How big of a disadvantage was that?
“I would say that there are a lot of challenges in our sport and that’s certainly true during a race. Whether it’s a slow pitstop, a bad restart, or just getting caught up in someone else’s crash, there’s always things that can happen. You just have to be ready and do your best to overcome any challenge that comes at you.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway… Jesse Love has made three career starts at Kansas Speedway, all coming last season in 2023. During the Menlo Park, California native’s lone NASCAR Truck Series event at the 1.5-mile facility, Love earned a 13th-place result. In addition, the young gun has posted two pole positions and one victory (spring) in two ARCA Menards Series starts.
Regular Season Rewind… Thus far in his Sunoco Rookie of the Year campaign, Love has posted impressive stats. Through 26 events of the Xfinity Series regular season, Love earned his first career series victory, six top-five and 13 top-five finishes, along with four pole positions. The 19-year-old currently holds the sixth position in the driver championship point standings, 21 points behind leader Justin Allgaier.
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 QUOTES:
What will it take to advance through each Playoff round? How would you assess the current state of the No. 2 team?
“I think I have a good understanding of how the Playoffs work now. I still want to lean on more people at RCR, especially Kyle Busch. I want to talk with Kyle before this weekend, just to see what nuggets of advice he has that may help me through the round. Overall, I feel like the speed we’ve shown the last few weeks is what our team is capable of. We had a two month stretch where we couldn’t put together good finishes. We still had moments where we were good and had a chance to win, but the consistency wasn’t there. In the last month, we’ve started to put the Lego pieces back together. That has helped my mindset of going to the track without having to overdo anything.”
What is your outlook for the Round of 12?
“In the first round, my thought process is to not wreck, keep the fenders on it, finish all of the laps, and take what our car will give. For the most part, the first round should be smooth sailing. The Charlotte ROVAL is one that I can take advantage of. Our No. 2 team has been good on the road courses this year, with the exception of Portland. If we don’t have a bad day in the first three races, we should make it through to the Round of 8 easily. Ideally, I would like to win a race in the first round, so it puts more points on the board for the second round which is going to be harder.”
Does anything change now that the Playoffs are starting?
“We got here by doing one thing, so I’m not sure why we would want to change it up now. Do you take it round by round and focus on the task on hand? Yes, probably. We have a lot of confidence on our side, and I feel like I don’t have to think about it too much personally. We have really fast Chevrolets and everyone at RCR and ECR has done a great job. Fast cars make my job easier.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway… Austin Hill has made three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Kansas Speedway, earning a pair of fifth place finishes in 2020 and 2023. The 30-year-old driver has also competed in six NASCAR Truck Series races at the 1.5-mile speedway, claiming one win (2020), four top-five and five top-10 results.
Let the Playoffs Begin… With the regular season complete, Hill and his fellow Xfinity Series competitors will kick off the race to the championship. Through 26 races, the Winston, Georgia native captured three wins, nine top-five and 15 top-10 finishes, along with one pole. Hill is currently third in the driver championship point standings, nine points behind leader Justin Allgaier.
About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 14 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Bennett has 4,625 drivers/owner-operators, over 1,000 employees and 600 agents located across the United States. For more information, visit www.bennettig.com.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:
What is the biggest thing separating you from a Championship 4 appearance?
“The short answer is not winning a race in the Round of 8 to advance, but that’s not an easy thing to do. There have been plenty of ways that I’ve missed out on making the Championship 4 throughout my career. Some of it has been my doing and some of it has been out of my control. One of the biggest areas that our No. 21 team can improve on this year specifically is maximizing stage points – whether that is a rough restart by me behind the wheel, whether that is the car not handling like I need it, or whether that is not being in a top five position to capitalize. When you start the Playoffs, every point matters. We need to run inside the top five each and every week to not have to dig ourselves out of a hole.”
Outside of being the dominant team on superspeedways, what makes the No. 21 team a threat for the championship?
“We are good at mile-and-a-half tracks, not just superspeedways. Our intermediate program is one of the areas that people may overlook too much. If you were to take superspeedway races out of the equation, the mile-and-a-half races are our next strong suit. We have some good intermediate tracks that we will go to in the Playoffs. Even our road course program is solid as well. I’m not considered a road course guy by any means, but we always seem to find our way into the top five when it matters the most and be in a position to capitalize at the end. Our No. 21 team can win a race in each round of the Playoffs just as good as anyone else can. Another area that we shine really bright in is our pit crew. Our pit crew is extremely good and have been ranked number one throughout the season. They pick up positions every race no matter where we are running and to make it deep into the Playoffs, we need our pit crew to keep it on point like they have been all year long.”
What did you learn from last year’s Playoffs that you would do differently this season to make it the Championship 4?
“I don’t know if there is anything that I would necessarily do differently, but when you get to Martinsville (final race before the championship) and you’re tight on points, it makes your day a lot harder. My mindset was the same last year, but it just didn’t work out. We have to get as many stage points as possible in every race of every round and try to stay inside the top five or at least ahead of our competitors each weekend. If we build up points, minimize mistakes all day, don’t shoot ourselves in the foot, and be there when it matters most at the end, we have just as good of a shot as anyone to win the championship.”
