Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway… In 150 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has scored six victories, led by Kevin Harvick with four wins (including a sweep of both races in 2006 plus fall races in 2012 and 2013). Ryan Newman was victorious in the 2017 Spring event. Dale Earnhardt won in 1990 to claim his ninth victory of the season en route to his fourth of seven Cup Series championships. The Welcome, N.C.-based race team has 21 top-five finishes and 47 top-10 finishes.
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Phoenix Raceway… Richard Childress Racing has four NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins by four different drivers at Phoenix Raceway: Harvick (2006), Clint Bowyer (2007), Elliott Sadler (2012) and Jesse Love (2025). The win by Harvick was one of nine victories he claimed on the way to his second O’Reilly Auto Parts Series title with RCR. Bowyer led the most laps (120 of 200) on the way to Winner’s Circle, while the victory by Sadler ended a 91-race winless streak. Love’s victory earned him the championship title, giving the storied organization their sixth NOAPS driver championship (2001, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2019, 2025) – surpassing RFK Racing for the most all-time.
Catch Saturday’s Action… The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Phoenix Raceway will be televised live on Saturday, October 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW and stream live on the ESPN App with ESPN Unlimited. The live radio broadcast can be heard on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Saturday afternoon’s practice and qualifying session will be shown for free on The CW App and stream live on the ESPN App with ESPN Unlimited beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
Watch Us on USA Network… The Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway will be televised on Sunday, October 18 at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. The live radio broadcast can be heard on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Saturday afternoon’s practice and qualifying session will be shown live on truTV beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. 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.
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Austin Dillon and No. 3 Dow/ARM & HAMMER™ Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway… Austin Dillon has 25 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway to his credit, earning two top-10 finishes. The North Carolina native has 11 starts at the one-mile oval in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, with a career-best finish of second in November 2016. Dillon has three top-10 finishes and one top-five finish in three starts in the NASCAR Truck Series at Phoenix Raceway.
Dow & ARM & HAMMER™… Dow is a global materials science company with an ambition to lead through innovation, customer focus, inclusion, and sustainability. Helping bring that ambition to life are strong partnerships that combine expertise with a shared goal of pushing the boundaries of innovation. For 180 years, the ARM & HAMMER™ brand has delivered trusted, practical solutions for everyday life. From its iconic Baking Soda, the brand has expanded across laundry care, cat litter, oral care, cleaning solutions and more, while remaining a symbol of quality, value, and performance.
Through partnerships with companies like ARM & HAMMER, Dow provides materials science expertise that helps optimize its collaborators’ products while gaining real-world insights that strengthen its own knowledge base and capabilities. Together, the companies share a focus on continued innovation, performance and developing solutions that meet the evolving needs of consumers.
Dow and ARM & HAMMER are bringing that partnership to the racetrack through a co-branded paint scheme on RCR’s No. 3 Chevrolet. Through its collaboration with RCR, Dow can spotlight partners like ARM & HAMMER and demonstrate what’s possible when trusted brands bring their expertise together.
To learn more about Dow’s Sports partnerships, visit: https://corporate.dow.com/en-us/collaborations/dow-sports.html.
For more information on ARM & HAMMER™, visit: https://www.armandhammer.com/en/about-us.
Meet Dillon… On Sunday, October 18 beginning at 8:25 a.m. Local Time, Dillon is scheduled to stop by the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Fan Zone to sign autographs. Be sure to stop by and stock up on all your race day gear. For fans unable to travel to the race, visit the official RCR Team Store to purchase Austin Dillon merch: https://store.rcrracing.com.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on Phoenix Raceway?
“Phoenix Raceway is a tough place. We’ve worked really hard on getting good finishes at the track, but it’s one of those places where you hit on the setup or you don’t. It’s a very challenging short track, but everyone on the No. 3 Dow Arm & Hammer Chevrolet team loves a good challenge. It’s a fun track for drivers because the track is so unique. You try and turn it into a short track, but the aero platform in the car really matters. One end of the track is flat, one end is banked, and you’re just trying to get the car neutral in both. You have to constantly work on improving there, but we’re always optimistic.”
How much do you think you’ll be able to take from the Spring Phoenix Raceway race and apply to this weekend?
“I would say some things will probably change, but not a whole lot. We just need to take good notes. Anytime we go to a track, we’re going to be writing notes and talking about ways we can get better and improve. There’s always something you can learn and take to the next event.”
Austin Hill and the No. 33 FICO Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway… On Sunday, Austin Hill will make his second career start at Phoenix Raceway. Hill previously ran at the Arizona racetrack in March where the 32-year-old overcame a flat tire in the final stage to finish in the 21st position. The veteran racer’s best finish in nine starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is fourth place in Spring 2024.
About FICO… FICO powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 200 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, insurance, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 80 countries do everything from protecting 4 billion payment cards from fraud, to improving financial inclusion, to increasing supply chain resiliency. The FICO® Score, used by 90% of top US lenders, is the standard measure of consumer credit risk in the US and has been made available in over 40 other countries, improving risk management, credit access and transparency.
Meet Hill… On Sunday, October 18 at 8:55 a.m. Local Time, Hill is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Fan Zone at Phoenix Raceway. Stop by to meet the racer before the green flag waves in the desert.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
What are your overall thoughts of NASCAR Cup Series racing at Phoenix Raceway?
“My approach will certainly be different from the O’Reilly race on Saturday to the Cup race on Sunday. Practice will be key to stay ahead of the racetrack. The track changes a lot in temperature and the way rubber is laid down, so we need to make sure we are not fighting the track and focusing only on the drivability of our FICO Chevrolet. You have to know where the track is going to go. We raced here in the spring and had ourselves inside the top-20 when we cut a tire down under green. We needed the car to be loose for speed, so we’ll remember that for this weekend.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway… Jesse Love will look for his second career win at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this weekend. Throughout his career at the Arizona oval, the Menlo Park, California native has completed more than 1,300 laps at the one-mile track. Love has made four career O’Reilly Series starts at Phoenix, earning one win (2025-fall) and four top-10 finishes, including a runner-up result in the Spring. Additionally, Love has one NASCAR Truck Series start at Phoenix, posting a fourth-place result (2023) in just his third series event. The 21-year-old has also made seven starts in ARCA Menards Series competition at the facility, posting a best finish of second (2022) and three top-10 results.
Last Time at Phoenix… This Spring, Love started on the front row at Phoenix Raceway and led a race-high 114 laps and won Stage 2. The young gun lost the race lead with 13 laps to go to eventual race winner Justin Allgaier and finished runner-up. Love finished with 55 points, the second highest total amongst all drivers that night. Love continued his streak finishing in the top-10 in each of his five starts at the Avondale oval in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Previous Winner… Last year’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship race saw Love and RCR triumph by taking the checkered flag after leading the race’s final 25 laps enroute to his first Series championship. Love became the fifth driver to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship under the RCR banner, joining Harvick (2001, 2006), Bowyer (2008), Dillon (2013) and Tyler Reddick (2019).
Did You Know… In five starts at Phoenix Raceway, Love has earned three top-five and five top-10 finishes. The 21-year-old has an average finish of 4.0 at Phoenix Raceway, his best average finish at a track in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (minimum of two starts).
Excelling on Pit Road… No one achieves success alone, and that’s certainly true for RCR’s pit department, who demonstrated what happens when preparation, teamwork and execution come together under pressure. This past Sunday evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet pit crew recorded the fastest, four-tire pit stop of the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, recording an 11.81-second stop. The stop was one of many successes for the team who dominated on pit road all night long. While Love entered pit road second following the end of both Stage 1 and Stage 2, his team put out a fast stop and let him leave in first position.
Get to the Points… With just four races remaining in the 2026 Chase, Love is currently second in the standings, a mere 2 points behind leader Sheldon Creed. Last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Love started from the third position after both practice and qualifying were rained out. Love led a race-high 80 laps, finishing second in both stages, en route to earning his second runner-up finish of the year at the North Carolina track. The gains on-track allowed Love to rise to No. 2 in the standings entering the final weeks of the season.
About Whelen Engineering… Since 1952, Whelen Engineering has been a proud ally and supporter of our nation’s first responders. Driven by a mission to protect those who protect others, Whelen provides the high-quality, reliable products and technology needed to aid them in their critical missions. From warning lights to white illumination, sirens, controllers, and software, every product that bears the Whelen name has been thoughtfully designed, manufactured, and tested right here in America to perform at the highest level in any condition. Whelen is honored to have earned the trust of first responders around the world as leaders of the emergency warning industry and carries that responsibility earnestly, always striving to ensure that the everyday heroes serving under the illumination and protection of Whelen products are equipped to do their jobs with enhanced efficiency, reliability, and safety. To learn more about Whelen Engineering, visit www.whelen.com.
Meet Love… This weekend at Phoenix Raceway, on Saturday, October 17, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Local Time, Love will participate in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series autograph signing in Victory Lane. Fans are encouraged to stop by, meet Love, along with numerous other drivers in the series, and get his autograph before the green flag waves.
JESSE LOVE QUOTE:
You’re travelling to Phoenix only two points behind Chase leader Sheldon Creed. How do you feel ahead of this weekend?
“Obviously I am really confident going to Phoenix Raceway because it is one of our best, and our cars have had alot of speed there. But at the same time we have to go there and execute a good weekend, and its hard to race anybody but yourselves at Phoenix. You can’t really manufacture a good result there – you kind of have to have it, or you don’t. So we’ll go to Phoenix and hopefully pick off a win there, and then go to the next couple of races and try to win the war.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Titan Cattle Company Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway… Austin Hill will look to reach Victory Lane for the first time in his career at Phoenix Raceway this weekend. Hill has made nine career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts with six top-10 results and a best finish of fourth in Spring 2024. The veteran racer has five NASCAR Truck Series starts at the Arizona speedway, notching one pole (2019) and one top-10 result (2021).
Get to the Points… Hill currently holds the eighth position in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase standings. The Winston, Georgia native is only seven points behind seventh-place Taylor Gray and 94 points behind leader Sheldon Creed.
About Titan Community Outreach… Titan Community Outreach was founded through the deep relationships and opportunities that have been cultivated within Titan Risk Solutions. With the ultimate goal of helping those who are in need, Titan has evolved into a dynamic group of community ambassadors across the country. Titan Community Outreach has a goal to support the communities, families, and individuals who keep our industry and neighborhoods moving. Built on principles of integrity, responsibility, and people-first leadership, Titan Community Outreach strives to be on the forefront of providing opportunities for all people regardless of their current situation. Titan Community Outreach exists to give back in meaningful, hands-on ways. By Partnering with groups such as Pitstops For Hope, Harvesters, Big Brothers / Big Sisters of America, Team Dillon Management, and Richard Childress Racing, Titan has been able to provide resources to schools, families, and children across the country. Through charitable programs, community partnerships, and volunteer engagement, Titan Community Outreach focuses on creating real impact where it matters most. From supporting families in need to investing in youth and community programs, our mission is rooted in service, collaboration, and long-term positive change. For more information, or to support our mission of helping others visit www.titanoutreach.org.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
What are your thoughts on Phoenix Raceway?
“Phoenix is a cool track, it’s very unique with how the frontstretch is. You know on restarts we fan out five or six wide getting into Turn 1, so the frontstretch is unique in that aspect. It’s so much different compared to any other track we go to. Turn 1 and 2 are very flat and long corners, then you have Turns 3 and 4 are very tight and banked. As a driver, you have to have totally different techniques when you go to Turns 1 and 2 versus Turns 3 and 4 on how you attack the corner, your braking, your turn-in, all those things. And then you have your crew chief trying to figure out how to be good in both ends so it’s a challenge.”
