RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY (0.75-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
EVENT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 9 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 1 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, APRIL 24 (FOX/MRN/SIRIUSXM)
No. 5 Mountain Dew Pitch Black Chevrolet SS / Kasey Kahne
Driver Kasey Kahne Hometown Enumclaw, Washington
Age 36 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2016 Season
15th in standings
8 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
Career
440 starts
17 wins
27 pole positions
86 top-five finishes
158 top-10 finishes
4,607 laps led
Track Career
24 starts
1 win
1 pole position
4 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
281 laps led
RICHMOND PAINT SCHEME: This weekend at Richmond International Raceway, Mtn Dew Pitch Black will adorn Kasey Kahne’s No. 5 Chevrolet SS as part of Mountain Dew’s DEWcision 2016. Driving a black and gray No. 5 Chevy, Kahne will encourage fans to #VotePitchBlack all summer long. See the Hendrick Motorsports section below for more information on the DEWcision campaign.
WINNING AT RICHMOND: Kahne’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup win came in his 47th start in the series, and in only his third start at Richmond. Kahne swept the May 2005 weekend by also earning the pole award. He took the victory after leading a race-high 242 of 400 laps. Kahne is one of four active drivers to start from the pole position and win in the same weekend at the 0.75-mile track – Jimmie Johnson (2007), Kyle Busch (2010) and Brad Keselowski (2014) are the other three.
RICHMOND LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Kahne ranks fourth out of active drivers in green-flag passes with 1,098. In the fastest laps run category, Kahne is fifth with 379 laps. He ranks ninth in quality passes with 496. Quality passes are determined by the number of times a driver passes another car that is running in the top 15 while under green-flag conditions.
GOING HOME: Keith Eads, the tire specialist for the No. 5 team, heads to his home track this weekend. Richmond is the closest the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stops on the circuit to Eads’ hometown of Arlington, Virginia, which is located just under two hours north of Richmond.
THE FIRST PITCH: On May 3, Kahne will head to Wilmington, Delaware, to compete on behalf of Pocono Raceway in its fourth annual softball tournament against Dover International Speedway and fellow NASCAR driver Austin Dillon. The media event and game will take place at Frawley Stadium, home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The event is open to media members for coverage and participation in the game – first pitch is at 4 p.m. ET. Contact Lauren Emling if you are interested in attending.
No. 24 Mountain Dew Baja Blast Chevrolet SS / Chase Elliott
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 20 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2016 Season
12th in standings
8 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
2 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
5 laps led
Career
13 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
2 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
5 laps led
Track Career
1 start
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
DEW ON THE NO. 24 CHEVROLET SS: This weekend at Richmond International Raceway, Mtn Dew Baja Blast will be the primary partner on board Rookie of the Year contenter Chase Elliott’s No. 24 Chevrolet SS as part of Mountain Dew’s DEWcision 2016. Driving a black and blue No. 24 Chevy, Elliott will encourage fans to #VoteBajaBlast all summer long. See the Hendrick Motorsports section below for more information on the DEWcision campaign.
ROOKIE RANKING: Elliott leads the 2016 Rookie of the Year contender standings heading into Richmond by 21 points over second-place Ryan Blaney. Elliott has accumulated a total of 105 rookie points this year through the first eight races. Among active drivers, he is tied with teammate Johnson for the most top-10 finishes (five) through the first eight races of a rookie season.
TOP-FIVE STREAK BEGINS, TOP-10 FINISHES CONTINUE: Elliott, fresh off his first career top-five finish two weeks ago in Texas, upped the ante Sunday at Bristol as he captured a career-best fourth-place finish in the 500-lap race. Including his top-five efforts at Bristol and Texas, Elliott has earned five top-10 finishes in the first eight races of the 2016 season. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native secured his first top-10 finish of 2016 at his home track, Atlanta Motor Speedway.
ELLIOTT AT RICHMOND: Elliott made his Richmond NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at the 0.75-mile track last year, starting 16th and maintaining his starting position to finish 16th. In addition to his Sprint Cup track debut last April, Elliott was also able to capture a win at Richmond in the NASCAR XFINITY Series in September 2015.
GOING HOME: Richmond International Raceway is the home track for Lee Dodson, a mechanic on the No. 24 Mountain Dew Baja Blast Chevrolet SS. Dodson originates from Courtland, Virginia, a city located approximately 72 miles southeast of the raceway.
No. 48 Lowe’s ProServices Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 40 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2016 Season
3rd in standings
8 starts
2 wins
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
171 laps led
Career
515 starts
77 wins
34 pole positions
211 top-five finishes
319 top-10 finishes
17,880 laps led
Track Career
28 starts
3 wins
2 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
11 top-10 finishes
417 laps led
LOWE’S PROSERVICES PAINT SCHEME: Johnson will race the No. 48 Lowe’s ProServices Chevrolet SS in this weekend’s race at Richmond. Lowe’s Commercial Services is designed to help customers save time and money and make their businesses run more smoothly. Stores across the country have a dedicated ProServices team ready to help by offering 5 percent off everyday purchases with a Lowe’s Business Credit Account, quick-turn, customizable quotes on volume purchases, providing an order-ahead option and pulling materials for pickup, giving reduced delivery rates and offering bulk discounts on supplies used the most.
JOHNSON AT RICHMOND: Johnson swept the 2007 season at Richmond, winning one of those races from the pole position on Sept. 8, 2007. Johnson’s last win at the 0.75-mile track was on Sept. 7, 2008. The No. 48 team has scored three straight top-10 finishes at Richmond in the last three outings and had a third-place result last year in the spring event.
SHORT-TRACK WINS: Johnson leads active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 12 short-track wins. He has 86 starts on short tracks and has 34 top-five and 50 top-10 finishes. Johnson has led 3,997 laps on short tracks in his racing career.
DOVER TICKET PACKAGE: Tickets are on sale now for the May 15 Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway and fans can purchase a ticket for a Jimmie Johnson Fan Q&A. The package is $60 and includes one adult ticket, one junior ticket (ages 14 and younger) in the lower section of the turns and access to an exclusive question-and-answer session with the six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and 10-time Dover winner. For more information, click here.
JIMMIE JOHNSON WELLNESS CHALLENGE: Registration is open for the 2016 Jimmie Johnson Foundation Wellness Challenge. Register now for early-bird pricing and register for all three events to receive a reduced rate. The first event is May 22, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 5K in Huntersville, North Carolina. Log on to www.jjfwellnesschallenge.org for more details.
No. 88 Mountain Dew DEWcision Chevrolet SS / Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hometown Kannapolis, North Carolina
Age 41 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2016 Season
6th in standings
8 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
49 laps led
Career
585 starts
26 wins
13 pole positions
147 top-five finishes
251 top-10 finishes
8,183 laps led
Track Career
33 starts
3 wins
1 pole position
10 top-five finishes
14 top-10 finishes
501 laps led
RICHMOND PAINT SCHEME: Earnhardt has again teamed with longtime partner Mountain Dew to support its summer DEWcision campaign in a black and green No. 88 Mountain Dew DEWcision Chevrolet SS. At Richmond, Earnhardt will be a neutral party as teammates Kahne and Elliott campaign for #VotePitchBlack and #VoteBajaBlast. See the Hendrick Motorsports section below for more information on the DEWcision campaign.
RICHMOND STATS: Among active drivers, Earnhardt is one of three competitors tied for second with three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories at Richmond International Raceway. Earnhardt most recently went to Victory Lane at Richmond on May 6, 2006, after leading 47 laps. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native has one pole at the 0.75-mile, D-shaped oval, which he earned in September 2012. Richmond is another track where the driver of the No. 88 Mountain Dew DEWcision Chevrolet SS has shown his ability to pass, as he ranks second among active drivers in green-flag passes with 1,136 in the last 10 years.
DOUBLE UP: Earnhardt will be making his second and final NASCAR XFINITY Series start of the season, driving the No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet for his JR Motorsports team. Stemming from a Hellmann’s photo shoot, Earnhardt’s attention-grabbing banana and mayo sandwich has helped raise over $48,000 so far for Blessings in a Backpack, a national non-profit organization that packs food for school children who are at risk of going hungry on the weekends. The $48,000 is purely from donations in addition to the $50,000 that he and Hellmann’s have each pledged, ensuring that Blessings in a Backpack will receive at least $148,000. To donate, visit DaleJrSandwich.com through April 23. This weekend, Richmond International Raceway will be selling the “Dale Jr. Sandwich” for $2 with $1 from each sandwich sold going to The Dale Jr. Foundation for Blessings in a Backpack. Click here for more information about RIR’s support of the program.
BODY SHOP TO DAYTONA 500: Adam Jordan, interior mechanic for the No. 88 team, grew up in Timberville, Virginia, less than three hours northwest of the track. Working as a painter at a body shop right out of high school, he had a chance meeting with someone affiliated with a traveling short-track team. With no previous racing experience, Jordan began helping the team on weekends. When the crew chief moved to North Carolina to work for a Sprint Cup organization, he called Jordan to interview as a painter. He got the job and later transitioned to Hendrick Motorsports, where in 2014 he and the No. 88 team won the Daytona 500.
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES: In case you missed it, three of Earnhardt’s rides for 2016 have been unveiled in the last week: his No. 88 Nationwide Insurance Gray Ghost Chevrolet SS for Darlington (here), his No. 88 Axalta/CARSTAR Chevrolet SS for Kansas (here), and his No. 88 Mountain Dew DEWcision Chevrolet SS for this weekend’s race at Richmond (here).
GLOVES: This past Sunday, the 41-year-old driver wore his blue gloves for the final time this month, while featuring Patient Champion Aiden VanWagner’s name above the passenger door of his No. 88 Nationwide Chevy. He will auction them off through The Dale Jr. Foundation’s Driven to Give Gloves program to raise money for Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s autism research. For more, visit TDJF’s website.
Hendrick Motorsports
DEWCISION 2016: At Richmond, three Hendrick Motorsports drivers will support Mountain Dew’s DEWcision 2016 campaign. Mountain Dew is allowing fans to vote on which of its flavors, Baja Blast or Pitch Black, will have a permanent spot in the retail lineup. All summer long, fans will be able to vote for their favorite flavor on DEWcision.com or Twitter by tweeting the hashtags #VoteBajaBlast or #VotePitchBlack. Every hashtag will count as one vote, and fans can complete in additional challenges, released every third week on Mountain Dew’s social channels, to rally for their favorite flavor. The campaign kicks off this weekend with Kahne, Elliott and Earnhardt’s paint schemes. Kahne will represent team Pitch Black and Elliott will lead team Baja Blast while Earnhardt, the neutral party, will be showcasing both DEWcision flavors. A commercial spot featuring all three drivers will air nationally on FOX during Sunday’s race. Hendrick Motorsports is in its 16th season of partnership with PepsiCo, and 2016 marks the first time the DEW brand will field a three-driver lineup.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT RICHMOND: At Richmond International Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports has 10 wins, 17 pole positions, 55 top-five finishes and 100 top-10s. Johnson earned the three most recent wins for the organization at the track — a sweep in 2007 and another trip to Victory Lane in 2008.
FIVE MAKE 10: Hendrick Motorsports’ 10 wins at Richmond have come thanks to five different drivers. Tim Richmond earned the organization’s first win at the track in 1986, and his was followed by three wins by Terry Labonte, three by Johnson, two by Jeff Gordon and one by Joe Nemechek.
TRIPLE DIGITS: The organization has accumulated 100 top-10 finishes at Richmond International Raceway — one of only three tracks where Hendrick Motorsports has accomplished that feat. The organization’s 119 top-10 finishes at Martinsville Speedway lead the way, followed by 113 top-10s at Pocono Raceway.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 242 victories, 207 pole positions, 990 top-five finishes and 1,654 top-10 finishes in Sprint Cup competition. Its teams have led 65,242 laps since 1984.
QUOTABLE /
“I remember I had a great car that day. The previous year was my rookie season and Richmond was probably my worst track, but in 2005 it was probably my best track. I had to beat Tony Stewart — we ran side-by-side for a bit and I was able to pull away.”
Kasey Kahne on his first win at RIchmond
“I think moving the race to a Sunday, mid-day race is definitely the right direction for Richmond. I liked it a lot better last year when we ran it during the day than at night. During the night race we really hugged the white line. When we ran during the day last year we were able to move around a lot more — different grooves opened up.”
Kahne on racing at Richmond
“Richmond has been a special place for me. We had a good year last year there on the XFINITY side – we were able to win the fall race and we ran the Cup race there in the spring and that was one of my first couple Cup starts. So that was neat to get there and run at that track in a Cup car. I’m excited to get back. We had a strong run on the XFINITY side and I think we definitely had a lot of work to do on the Cup side from the spring race, but we made a lot of gains. I learned a lot and I can’t wait to get back there. It’s a neat place and with it being a day race this year I think it will be exciting to watch. Tire wear will be a big factor and that will just make the race even better.”
Chase Elliott on racing at Richmond
“We had a tough race last weekend at Bristol – we had a way better Lowe’s Chevrolet than the results showed. I love short-track racing and my team has been bringing me great cars that are fast out of the gate, so I am having a blast this year.”
Jimmie Johnson on racing at short tracks
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Richmond. The surface is worn out and slick, so that makes it fun to drive. It’s a wide track and I think with the new tire we’ll be able to pass and that’s always good for the racing. I really enjoy short-track racing in general and I think we’re going to have a good race. Then in the XFINITY race, I’ll get to participate in the heat races, which will be pretty cool. It should be a good weekend and I think the fans will enjoy it.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on racing at Richmond
