Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway… In 147 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Richard Childress Racing-prepared racecars have earned eight wins, all by Dale Earnhardt. The driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet claimed the checkered flag in 1986 (spring), both races in 1987, 1989 (fall), another sweep in 1990 plus spring events in 1993 and 1994. Additionally, the team owns two poles, 27 top-five and 49 top-10 finishes, have completed 91.8% of the laps contested (46,233 of 50,354) and have led 2,618 laps there entering Sunday afternoon’s race. Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed a pair of those top-10s himself between 1977-1978.
In Good Company… RCR is tied for fourth all-time with Holman-Moody and the Wood Brothers for car owner victories at Darlington thanks to Earnhardt’s eight victories there.
A Place of Firsts… On April 15, 1973, NASCAR Hall of Famer Childress scored his first Cup Series top-five finish at Darlington. Driving the No. 96 Chevrolet for Tom Garn, Childress worked his way to the fourth position when the checkered flag waved, earning him a payday of $4,035 – nearly as much money as he had earned through the first four races of the season.
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Darlington… RCR’s best finish at Darlington in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is second, achieved on five separate occasions by four different drivers, and most recently by Austin Hill in 2024 (spring). While the team is still looking to find Victory Lane for the first time, the Welcome, N.C.-based organization has earned 14 top-five finishes and 34 top-10s in their pursuit of the checkered flag.
Win No. 100… With Hill’s win at Martinsville Speedway, RCR claimed their 100th Xfinity Series victory. Kevin Harvick carried the organization to its first Xfinity Series win at World Wide Technology Raceway in July 2000. Over the last 25 years, 20 different drivers have tallied victories to help the organization achieve this milestone feat. RCR’s winningest Xfinity Series driver is Harvick, who earned 35 wins behind the wheel of a Richard Childress entry. Of the 20 drivers who found Victory Lane, Hill is the only other driver with a double-digit win count – posting all 12 of his series victories while piloting the No. 21 Chevrolet.
Follow Saturday’s Action at Darlington… The Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 Xfinity Series race at Darlington will be televised live Saturday, April 5 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on The CW. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Follow Sunday’s Action at Darlington… The Goodyear 400 Cup Series race at Darlington will be televised live on Sunday, April 6 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on FS1. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Practice and qualifying will air Saturday, April 5 on Amazon Prime beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway… Austin Dillon has made 17 career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway, posting a career-best second-place finish in September 2020 when he missed Victory Lane by a narrow margin over Kevin Harvick. Dillon has completed 98 percent of the laps competed in the NASCAR Cup Series at the historic venue. Dillon also had a fourth-place finish in 2017.
More Than Cup Racing… Dillon has made four appearances at The Lady in Black in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, securing his best finish of fifth in 2012. The 2011 NASCAR Truck Series champion has two starts at the track in the Truck Series, earning his best finish of fifth in August 2010.
BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Teams Up with Dillon… Dillon and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team will be supported by BREZTRI AEROSPHERE®, an AstraZeneca product, at Darlington Raceway. This partnership is about more than just racing. You can learn more about Dillon and his family’s personal connection to the brand at Breztri.com. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and Biopharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.
Austin’s Family Connection to COPD… After his Grandpa Stan was diagnosed with COPD, Dillon saw how difficult life can be with the disease. With COPD, it made it hard for Grandpa Stan to travel to Austin’s races. BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) teamed up with Austin and Richard Childress Racing to raise awareness and urge fans affected by COPD to talk to their doctor about BREZTRI.
Darlington Throwback Parade… The Throwback Parade has been a tradition since the Throwback Weekend started in 2015. For many years, dating back to the 1950s, Darlington hosted a town parade in celebration of races being held at Darlington Raceway and bringing in tourists from across the country. It was a way for the locals to celebrate as well as those traveling in. The parade route will officially start at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday on HWY 151 heading towards the track. Dillon and other drivers will be on the parade float.
Did You Know… Dillon recently became the team owner of the South Carolina Outcast Angling Club, a professional fishing team in the Sport Fishing Championship. SFC is a competitive sportfishing league representing regions across North America. Fourteen Angling Clubs will compete in SFC’s first season under a new format, fighting for $2 million in prize money. The 2025 season will kick off in Fort Lauderdale, FL, on April 11.
Meet Dillon… Dillon is scheduled to appear at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Fan Midway at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, April 6, at 11:30 a.m. local time. Stop by to meet the driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet and get new merchandise to wear on race day.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on Darlington Raceway?
“Darlington Raceway is one of my favorite tracks, and I love racing there. It’s a racer’s track, and the history there is so special. It’s one of the hardest races to win. I have finished second there in the past, so we want to improve on that. The track gets slick and wears tires quite a bit. The key to Darlington Raceway is trying to race the track and not the competition. It would be pretty special to take the No. 3 Chevrolet to Victory Lane on Sunday.”
What is your earliest memory of making laps around Darlington Raceway?
“My first time going to Darlington Raceway was with Buddy Baker during a test. Buddy took me around and showed me the line. We drove the track forward, and drove the track backward. We just looked at everything. I had to correct him a couple of times, on which end Turns 1 and 2 were verses 3 and 4. Buddy taught me more what not to do than what to do.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway… Sunday’s Goodyear 400 will mark Kyle Busch’s 27th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Darlington Raceway. Busch has one win (2008), seven top-five finishes and 15 top-10s at the 1.366 mile oval. Additionally, the 39-year-old driver has led 899 laps, has an average starting position of 13th, an average finish of 13.4, and has completed 94.6 percent (8,544 of 9,029) of the laps he’s contested there.
Busch has career totals of 63 wins, 34 poles, 252 top-five finishes, 385 top-10s and 19,437 laps led in 721 career Cup Series starts.
A Dominating Darlington Victory in a Dominant 2008 Season… Busch earned his lone Cup Series victory at Darlington in May 2008. He overcame numerous issues thrown his way to lead a race-high 169 of the 367 laps en-route to becoming the youngest winner on NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway. He led early, but a penalty following a pit stop dropped him to 29th. He bounced hard off the wall an estimated “five or six times” as he worked his way back to the front in what would become an eventful fight to the finish. The win was his third of eight that season.
Last Time Around at Darlington… Busch saw a significant streak come to an end in the regular-season finale at Darlington, an 11-year run of Cup Series Playoffs appearances. Busch did not go down without a fight, however, as he finished second by just .361 seconds to race winner Chase Briscoe.
Success Not Limited to the Cup Series… In addition to his Cup Series success at Darlington, the veteran racer also has two NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at the egg-shaped oval.
Get to the Points… After his 17th-place finish Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, Busch gained one position in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings. He enters Darlington 16th.
232 and Counting… Busch enters Sunday’s race at Darlington with 232 career wins among NASCAR’s top three divisions – Cup (63), Xfinity (102) and Truck (67) – following his Truck Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 22.
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KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
What do you remember about your first race at Darlington Raceway and how long did it take before you got your first stripe?
“I’m trying to remember if I hit the wall in my first race there. I remember that it was in the No. 87 Chevrolet. I finished second. I don’t know if I ever hit the wall, because I ran the bottom of three and four the whole time. That was my money maker. My next race there, though, I was in the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports and I knocked it down. We were getting really loose on the long runs, and I was kind of backing it into the corner like a dirt car, putting the right rear tail light up against the fence and the right rear tail light grabbed and slapped the front over. It’s not a cushion, and this isn’t dirt car.”
Is there a particular race at Darlington Raceway that stands out to you as more difficult than another?
“Not really. I would say they’re all pretty tough, you know, but I think the long ones, the 500-mile races. But no, I can’t think of one that comes to mind.”
Austin Hill and the No. 33 United Rentals Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway… Austin Hill will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Darlington Raceway on Sunday. The Winston, Georgia native has competed in seven NASCAR Xfinity Series races at the South Carolina facility, earning a pair of second-place finishes and a top-10 result in each event. Hill has also made three NASCAR Truck Series starts at Darlington, posting a best finish of third in 2020.
First Cup Series Start of 2025… This weekend will mark Hill’s first of five starts aboard the No. 33 United Rentals Chevrolet during the 2025 Cup Series season. The full race lineup includes Chicago Street Course on July 6, Daytona International Speedway on August 23, Bristol Motor Speedway on September 13, and Talladega Superspeedway on October 19.
Career Cup Series Stats… Hill has taken part in a total of 10 Cup Series races, making at least one start in each of the last three seasons. The Xfinity Series championship contender posted a career-best finish of 14th at Daytona International Speedway in the 2023 premier series event.
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Meet Hill… On Sunday, April 6 at 12:00 p.m. local time, Hill is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Fan Midway at Darlington Raceway. Stop by to meet the 30-year-old and purchase new United Rentals gear.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
How are you preparing for double duty at Darlington Raceway? Describe a good day for the No. 33 team.
“Darlington has been good to me on both the Truck and Xfinity sides. I feel good about going there and feel like we have a good shot at the win on Saturday. Then we will go have some fun on Sunday. We want to compete and try to run up front to see what we can do. The biggest thing for us is setting ourselves up for the end of the race. Stage points don’t matter for our United Rentals team. Overall, I’m just extremely excited to get this opportunity to run five Cup races for RCR this season. I’m going to soak up the starts, but when I get out on the racetrack, I’ll do everything I can to run inside the top-15, top-20, and complete all the laps.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway… Jesse Love has made two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Darlington Raceway, both coming behind the wheel of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet in 2024. The Menlo Park, California native secured a pair of top-10 finishes – an eighth-place effort in the spring event and a sixth-place result in the fall race.
Did You Know… In both of his rookie year starts at the track “Too Tough to Tame,” Love completed 100% of laps competed.
Points Check… Through seven races, Love currently holds the fifth position in the Xfinity Series driver championship point standings – only three points behind fourth-place Sheldon Creed.
Live from the Driver’s Seat… The No. 2 Chevrolet will carry a Whelen in-car camera for Saturday’s 147-lap event. Live in-car coverage of Love racing at the historic South Carolina track can be seen for free on The CW app.
Cup Series Debut Upcoming… Last week, RCR announced that Love will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 13. Love will pilot the No. 33 C4 Ultimate Energy Chevrolet on the high banks of the Last Great Colosseum.
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JESSE LOVE QUOTES:
What is the current focus for the No. 2 team?
“Our No. 2 team is consistently getting better, and we’ve already seen improvements year over year. This season, our bad days are a sixth-place finish, whereas last year, our bad day was a 16th-place result. That is a testament to the work in the off-season, overall speed of our cars, and the prep that me and Danny (Stockman) did to get to this point. We are still looking for a little bit, but we aren’t looking for a lot. We are upfront every week and running inside the top-five consistently. The speed is there. The goal over the next few weeks is to build up some points and start chipping away at the regular season championship. If we are able to win that, it would set us up nicely for the Playoffs.”
What has Danny Stockman (crew chief) meant for your development?
“He’s been great. We are friends before crew chief and driver. I care about him more as a person than I do as my crew chief. But on the plus side, he’s a really great crew chief and does a great job for me. It’s not a secret that he is really good with young guys and young talent to help us get to a point to hopefully race on Sundays. That is his main goal. He has my back, and he knows that I have his back every week. That’s how our whole team operates. There are still things that will happen this season that he will need to give me advice on. He’s one of the people that I trust fully.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway… Austin Hill has made seven career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Darlington Raceway, earning a top-10 result in each event. In the spring 2024 event at the historic South Carolina track, Hill drove the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet to a second-place finish. Hill has also competed in three NASCAR Truck Series races at Darlington, posting a best finish of third in 2020.
Solid Batting Average… In his seven Xfinity Series races at the “Lady in Black,” Hill has completed 100% of the laps competed (1033 of 1033) and posted a top-five finish in 42.9% of the starts. The Winston, Georgia native owns a pair of second-place results and has never finished worse than 10th. Hill has an average starting position of 10.3 and an average finishing position of 6.4.
100th Race Winner… As Hill crossed the finish line at Martinsville Speedway to claim his first grandfather clock, Richard Childress Racing earned their 100th win in Xfinity Series competition. Hill has 12 of the 100 wins to his name and will now have his No. 21 Chevrolet in the RCR Museum in Welcome, N.C.
$100K In Hand… With Hill’s milestone win last week at Martinsville Speedway, the 30-year-old also claimed the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus for the first time in his career. This marked the ninth time that a Richard Childress Racing driver has earned the cash prize since the program started in 2009.
Double Duty… This weekend at Darlington Raceway, Hill will climb aboard the No. 33 United Rentals Chevrolet to make the first of five NASCAR Cup Series starts in the 2025 season.
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AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:
What does it mean to you personally to win RCR’s 100th Xfinity Series victory?
“After our Atlanta win earlier this year, one of the first things that was said in the shop on Monday was ‘Alright, that’s win number 99. The next one is going to be 100 and it will be a big deal.’ Between the No. 2 and No. 21 teams, we had a nice little battle going on with who was going to get the 100th win. No matter which one of us got it, we were going to be happy for our entire organization to bring Richard and everyone at RCR, ECR, and CT Springs the win. It’s a huge milestone that I don’t take lightly. It’s something that I get to cherish for the rest of my career.”
What is the outlook for Darlington Raceway?
“Darlington is a place where you have to stay up front all day. If you lose track position, your day becomes much harder in an already short race. If your car is really good, you can drive back to the front. But in the process, you will hurt your tires and can’t save your right front and right rear. The first step for our No. 21 team is to have a good qualifying effort, ideally somewhere inside the top-10, and then be inside the top-five at the start of the third stage. If we can leave a set of tires for the end, it could help too because that track surface is rough. Chad (Haney, crew chief) is going to manage all that from the top of the box, and I’ll do my deal inside the car. If we bring a solid top-five Bennett Chevrolet, we will have a shot at the win.”
