Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Chicagoland Speedway… Richard Childress Racing has two wins among 58 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Chicagoland Speedway. As a rookie, Kevin Harvick brought the Welcome, North Carolina organization to Victory Lane in the track’s inaugural Cup Series race in 2001, leading a race-high 113 laps en route to victory. The Bakersfield, California native backed up his performance the following year, leading the final 25 laps of the 2002 race to finish ahead of NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon by 0.812 seconds after starting the race 32nd. RCR has earned 10 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes in Cup Series competition at the track and has two pole awards. Austin Dillon won the pole for the Cup Series’ most recent appearance to Chicagoland Speedway in 2019.
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Chicagoland Speedway… Richard Childress Racing has 62 starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Chicagoland Speedway, acquiring four wins. Elliott Sadler brought RCR their most recent victory at the Illinois oval in 2012, leading 35 laps, including the final 32, en route to Victory Lane. Harvick accounted for two of RCR’s wins (2005, 2007), while Johnny Sauter delivered both his first career series win and RCR’s first victory at Chicagoland Speedway in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2002.
Spotlight on Patriotism: Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary in Washington, D.C… Richard Childress and Austin Dillon spoke on a panel moderated by acting United States Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling this week to discuss the unique role motorsports has played in U.S. history. The “Horsepower in America” panel also featured NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell and GM Vice President for Performance and Motorsports Jim Campbell as part of the Great American State Fair. RCR, in particular, has built a lasting legacy through motorsports, with more than 200 victories, 17 championships, and numerous civic and philanthropic contributions to communities across America.
Tickets to the 2026 Carolina Cowboys Home Stand Are Available Now… The Carolina Cowboys, a professional team in the PBR Teams Series owned by Richard Childress and Jeff Broin with Austin Dillon serving as the team’s general manager, are set to defend their PBR Teams Series Championship for the 2026 season beginning next week in Fort Collins, Colorado on July 11-12. The Cowboys host a talented roster with new additions featuring 2018 PBR Rookie of the Year and 2025 Challenger Series Champion Keyshawn Whitehorse, Elizmar Jeremias and Thiago Salgado. Don’t miss the Carolina Cowboys 2026 “Cowboy Days” home stand September 18-20 at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Tickets are on sale at PBR.com and Ticketmaster.com.
Catch Saturday’s Action… The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Chicagoland Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, July 4 at 5:30 p.m. ET on The CW. The live radio broadcast can be heard on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Friday’s practice session at 4:30 p.m. ET, along with Saturday’s qualifying session at 2 p.m. ET, will be shown for free on The CW App.
Watch Us on TNT Sports… The NASCAR Cup Series’ eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, July 5, beginning at 6 p.m. ET on TNT Sports. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Friday’s practice session at 6 p.m. ET, along with Saturday’s qualifying session at 3 p.m. ET, will both be broadcast on truTV and Max. Ride shotgun all season long with live, in-car camera feeds and scanner audio with a paid subscription to Max as part of their NASCAR driver cam experience during the race.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow Salute Veterans Aptiv Chevrolet at Chicagoland Speedway… Although this weekend marks the NASCAR Cup Series’ return to Chicagoland Speedway for the first time since 2019, Austin Dillon has experience at the 1.5-mile track, having made six Cup Series starts there. He earned his best-finish of 10th in the Cup Series’ most recent race at the track in June 2019 after sitting on the pole.
Beyond the Cup Series… Dillon has competed in six NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races at the 1.5-mile track, acquiring an impressive average finish of 4.0 by earning five top-five finishes at the track and never finishing worse than sixth. The 2011 Truck Series champion has four career starts at Chicagoland in the Truck Series with two top-five and four top-10 finishes including a win in 2011.
Winner, Winner… Dillon won a NASCAR Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in September 2011, the fourth of seven career victories in the series. The veteran racer took the lead with 14 laps remaining and won by an impressive 4.950 seconds over Kevin Harvick.
Honoring Veterans… As America celebrates its 250th birthday, Dow, RCR, Aptiv, and Team Rubicon are honoring those who have served our country through a special paint scheme for Dillon’s 2026 No. 3 Dow Salutes Veterans Aptiv Chevrolet. Continuing a 12-year legacy, this year’s design features the names of 1,438 veterans and active-duty service members, up from the 350+ names in 2015 when Dow and RCR began this initiative.
The car will also spotlight Dow’s Veterans Employee Resource Group (VetNet) and Military Degree Equivalency (MDE) program, which provide veterans with support and career opportunities at Dow.But this paint scheme also represents commitments that go deeper than the hood. In addition to using their partnership as a platform to amplify their shared support of veterans and active-duty military members, Dow and RCR collaborate regularly to make the No. 3 car faster, safer and more precise. This year, another mobility partner has joined the fun. Long-standing Dow customer Aptiv is also featured on the hood for its own impactful Military Affinity Network. Dow and Aptiv have collaborated for 45 years on materials innovation to advance software-defined vehicles, autonomous safety systems and electrification. The No. 3 car will also spotlight Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization and Dow’s partner in disaster relief efforts. Ultimately, the 2026 No. 3 Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet demonstrates how strong partnerships can accelerate innovation, strengthen communities and create lasting impact — on and off the race track. 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).
Meet Dillon… On Sunday, July 5 at 1:15 p.m. Local Time, Dillon is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at Chicagoland Speedway. Stop by to meet Dillon and purchase new No. 3 gear.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
What are your thoughts on returning to Chicagoland Speedway now that its back on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule?
“I can’t wait to get to Chicagoland Speedway. It’s been a solid mile-and-a-half track for us. I love the character the place has. It reminds me of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It reminds me of a big fast mile-and-a-half. I’m sure the asphalt is going to be worn a little differently, so looking forward to that practice session on Friday and trying to get through the bump in Turns 3 and 4. Last time, we did sit on the pole in 2019, so I’d love to be able to do that again this year.”
Austin Hill and the No. 33 zone x 7-Eleven Chevrolet at Chicagoland Speedway… Austin Hill will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. In preparation for NASCAR’s return to the Joliet, Illinois facility, Hill has spent extensive time logging laps on the simulator and reviewing race footage. The 32-year-old has competed in three previous races at Chicagoland – two in the NASCAR Truck Series and one in the ARCA Menards Series.
Did You Know? In his three prior starts at Chicagoland Speedway, Hill has never finished outside the top-10.
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Meet Hill… On Sunday, July 5 at 2 p.m. Local Time, Hill is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at Chicagoland Speedway. Stop by to meet Hill prior to the green flag.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
What impact will 50 minutes of practice have?
“50 minutes of practice in both series is going to be huge. We can make changes to the car, more than we traditionally can on standard weekends. It will be nice to go make a run, come in, and if you need to change a rear spring or front-end stuff, you have the option to open up your playbook. I think it will especially help on the Cup side with our zone x 7-Eleven Chevrolet, because we can try things to see if it works for my driving style. Right now, we are in a little box of going to the track each week with what the team already knows. We don’t want to go down a rabbit hole of trying something and then we’re stuck with it all weekend and run 30th.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Chicagoland Speedway… Jesse Love will make his first career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday. The young gun hopes to achieve his first win on a 1.5-mile oval.
Consistency Continues… Love’s average finish of 10.7 is fourth-best among full-time drivers in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Get to the Points… Love remains second in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver championship point standings, 207 points behind leader Justin Allgaier and six points ahead of third-place Corey Day.
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, and we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.
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Nominations are open from May 1 through August 14, 2026. Individuals can nominate a deserving hero by visiting whelen.com/everydaychampion and completing a brief submission form outlining their story. The selected 2026 Everyday Champion will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they will be honored during a special ceremony and inducted into the Whelen Hall of Champions. In addition, a generous donation will be made in their name to the charity of their choice.
Meet Love… On Saturday, July 4 at 2:05 p.m. Local Time, Love is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at Chicagoland Speedway. Stop by to meet Love and purchase new No. 2 gear.
JESSE LOVE QUOTE:
What are your thoughts heading to Chicagoland Speedway for the first time in your career?
“I don’t know much about it as far as real life experiences. I’ve really enjoyed the track on the simulator and watching races there in the past. I’ve enjoyed learning a new track with some good character. To me it seems like your typical mile-and-a-half with all of the good things taken from each mile-and-a-half. It has the seams that affect the car like you would see at Darlington and it has the low grip, sliding around like Kansas and it has the shapes and the bumps kind of like Las Vegas and you can move around. The track’s been able to age which I don’t think has changed a whole lot. I’m looking forward to this weekend, anytime we go to a mile-and-a-half racetrack I’m excited.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet at Chicagoland Speedway… Austin Hill will make his first career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Chicagoland Speedway this Saturday. While NASCAR returns to Chicagoland for the first time since 2019, Hill has prior experience at the Joliet, Illinois-based track. The Winston, Georgia native has competed in two NASCAR Truck Series races, earning a pair of top-10 results (best finish of fifth in 2019) and one pole position (2019). Hill has also participated in one ARCA Menards Series event, posting a 10th-place effort (2018).
Get to the Points… Hill remains fifth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver championship standings. The 16-time Series winner is 247 points behind leader Justin Allgaier and 31 points behind fourth-place runner Sheldon Creed.
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AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
Chicagoland Speedway has been compared to its sister-track, Kansas Speedway. Do you think that’s accurate?
“Yeah, I could see that. Kansas has a little more grip than Homestead-Miami or Darlington would have. The biggest difference at Chicagoland is the backstretch is curved, which is odd. Most tracks, the backstretch is completely straight. With it being curved, the way you enter into Turn 3 seems weird because you are turning right and following the wall. It should be a track that you can run bottom, middle, or top, which will create good racing. From everything that we’ve been told, the track surface itself is really rough. It has gotten rougher since the last time we ran there in 2019. I feel like it’s going to fit my driving style, with it being rough, bumpy, and low grip. Tire falloff is going to be big.”
