Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Richmond International Raceway … Richard Childress has nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories as a car owner at Richmond International Raceway – five with Dale Earnhardt, three with Kevin Harvick and one with Clint Bowyer. Additionally, in 160 starts at the Richmond, Va.-based track, RCR drivers have claimed 36 top-five and 67 top-10 finishes. Childress, a former driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit, contributed three of those top-10 finishes from 1976-1978.
RCR in the MENCS … In 2,757 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards, 106 wins, 477 top-five finishes and 1,034 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.7 and an average finishing position of 16.1. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR XFINITY Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.
Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s corporate Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team Twitter page – @RCRCup, and driver Twitter pages @austindillon3 and @RyanJNewman. Information about the 15-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com along with official driver pages – http://www.facebook.com/austindillon3, www.facebook.com/PaulMenard27 and www.facebook.com/RyanNewmanNASCAR.
Youth Football Safety Clinic … The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma is sponsoring a Kids & Pros youth football safety clinic in Charlotte, N.C., on April 29 at West Charlotte High School from 1-5 p.m. Youth football players will learn Heads Up safe blocking and tackling techniques, position fundamentals and life skills from former NFL players. Carolinas HealthCare System will provide sports safety information and athletic trainer support. Register now at http://kidsandpros.com/.
Catch the Action … The Richmond 400 will be televised live Sunday, April 30 beginning at 2 p.m. EDT on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This Week’s AAA Chevrolet at Richmond International Raceway … In six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Richmond International Raceway, Dillon’s best finish at the track to-date is 13th in September 2016. He also earned his best starting position of eighth in that edition of the race.
We Know Cars and Drivers … AAA and the RCR No. 3 know how to keep drivers and their cars on track. For over 100 years AAA has been the name that millions of Members trust with the vehicles they rely on. From auto loans and roadside assistance to repair and maintenance, AAA is the ultimate automotive solution at every step of car ownership. The company is proud to continue with Dillon and his No. 3 car in 2017. They’re inviting fans at Richmond to see Austin and the No. 3 AAA car up close at the Track Takeover on Sunday before the race. Learn more about the company’s offerings at AAA.com/Solutions
HBD … Dillon will celebrate his 27th birthday on Thursday, April 27.
Lights, Camera, Action … Dillon will play Wayne Cirito in the procedural drama Rosewood on FOX at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 28 at 8 p.m. ET. The Welcome, N.C. native stayed in California following the conclusion of NASCAR’s west coast swing to film the segment.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Richmond is a unique weekend in that you practice and qualify in the heat of the day yet race at night. Does the track change much?
“Yeah, the track changes a little bit there. Richmond was an Achilles heel of mine but I felt like we’ve had some really good runs the last two races. I’ve learned a lot about saving tires and approach to the track, so now I feel like I have an approach to the race and it’s worked well for us.”
Do you prefer Richmond during the day or at night time?
“It was fun in the daytime. I think it can be a good race during the day or at night as long as the leader doesn’t check out.”
This Week’s Rockstar Energy / Menards Chevrolet SS at Richmond International Raceway … In 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts, Menard’s best qualifying effort of seventh came in September 2010 and best finish of fifth in September 2013 at the 0.75-mile track. He has one top-10 finish and has completed 96.7 percent of laps with four laps led in competition.
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PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
The way that Richmond International Raceway is shaped, can it be compared to any other track on the schedule or is it too unique to be compared to anything else?
“Not really, it’s unique in its size and shape. It’s pretty wide for how small it is and races wide also, similar to an intermediate track. It’s abrasive on tires so the pace falls off quite a bit throughout a run, which changes how the car handles as well. So you’re always fighting some changing balance issues. Because it is wide, and is abrasive, it allows us to move around and find a groove that works for what your balance is doing. Since we race on Sunday afternoon now, you can expect to see the track widen out more. Anytime you race at night, it’s obviously hotter at the start of the race then it cools off throughout the night so you just migrate to that bottom lane. I think under the sunlight, that groove just widens out more. It’s a lot of fun for us to race around on.”
This Week’s No. 31 Okuma Chevrolet SS at Richmond International Raceway … Ryan Newman will make his 556th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start in the ninth event of the 2017 season. In 30 MENCS events at Richmond International Raceway, Newman visited victory lane at the fall event in 2003. The “Rocket Man” also owns one pole award from the fall of 2004. In total, he owns six top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.
Okuma Onboard … Okuma America Corporation has been a valuable partner of Richard Childress Racing for nearly 20 years and will be the primary sponsor on Ryan Newman’s No. 31 Chevrolet at Richmond International Raceway.
Okuma is the U.S.-based sales and service affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a world leader in CNC (computer numeric control) machine tools, founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan. The company is the industry’s only single-source provider, with the CNC machine, drive, motors, encoders, and spindle all manufactured by Okuma. The company also designs their own CNC controls to integrate seamlessly with each machine tool’s functionality. In 2014 Okuma launched the Okuma App Store, the industry’s only centralized online marketplace for machine tool apps and related content. Along with its extensive distribution network (largest in the Americas), and Partners in THINC, Okuma is committed to helping users gain competitive advantage through the open possibilities of machine tools, today and into the future. For more information, visit okuma.com/americas or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @OkumaAmerica.
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Rescue Ranch Playground Project … Ryan and Krissie Newman are in the midst of a $400,000 fundraising and build for Rescue Ranch. It is a community wide effort that will benefit countless children annually. The fully-inclusive playground will be 10,000 sq./ft. and encompasses a barrier-free option for children of all abilities to play together. The official ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for June 3. For more information, please watch: https://youtu.be/Iwg63IVTOHs.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
What is the key to being successful at Richmond International Raceway?
“Richmond usually turns into a forward drive racetrack. You have to be able to turn in the center like every other short track but getting the power down coming off the corners is a real premium especially later in a run.”
What is the hardest thing that you have had to learn at Richmond?
“It’s about being able to break up the corners. You have to get the car into the corners far enough making it so it turns into the center without pushing it. Then you have to get it pointing straight so you can power off. If you power off too much while you are turning the wheel, you are going to kill the rear tires no matter how good your car is. It will ruin your day.”
With having a win already this season, do you approach this race any differently because it will be the last track you go to before the playoffs start?
“For us going to Richmond is a confidence builder and carries momentum because Phoenix is a sister track to Richmond. We’ll take a lot of similar ideas from Phoenix to Richmond and hopefully parlay that into a good performance as well.”
What are your thoughts on Richmond’s retaining walls going to be back to its vintage red?
“I’m really a fan of the vintage look. The peppermint walls are cool to me.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Richmond International Raceway … In 82 Series starts at the 0.75-mile raceway, RCR has captured six victories with drivers Kevin Harvick (2003, 2005, 2006 and 2012) and Clint Bowyer (2007). The Welcome, North Carolina organization has accumulated six pole awards, 24 top-five finishes, 46 top-10 finishes, led 1,807 laps and averages a starting position of 11.0 and finishing position of 12.1. RCR has completed 19,494 laps of the 20,122 (96.9 percent) that they have competed.
Bristol Review …Daniel Hemric was the highest RCR finisher in fifth, winning Stage 2 and the Dash 4 Cash in the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300. Hemric also earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award. Ty Dillon finished sixth, Austin Dillon 13th, Brandon Jones 20th and Brendan Gaughan 35th, respectively, at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The Points …All three RCR XFINITY Series full-time drivers remain in the top 15 of the driver point standings as the series heads to Richmond International Raceway for the eighth event of the season. Daniel Hemric is currently fifth, Brandon Jones is 13th and Brendan Gaughan is 15th, respectively. The No. 2 and No. 3 RCR teams are seventh and eighth, respectively, in the owner point standings. Daniel Hemric is currentlysecond in the XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings.
Catch the Action … Coverage of this weekend’s Richmond 250 at Richmond International Raceway will be televised live on Saturday, April 29, beginning at 1 p.m. ET on FS1. It will also be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.
This Week’s Rheem Chevrolet at Richmond International Raceway… Austin Dillon has made nine NASCAR XFINITY Series appearances at Richmond International Raceway, earning six top-10 finishes, one pole award and leading 65 laps.
Going Green with Rheem … Rheem’s line of energy efficient products allows customers to live a greener life by saving up to 30 percent on their energy bills. Rheem recommends using the Vacation Mode setting with the EcoNet system when leaving the house for an extended period of time such as attending your favorite NASCAR race weekend. The Vacation Mode setting can use 25 percent less energy and a NASCAR weekend trip can supercharge you to take on the world. Check out Rheem.com and discover why Rheem is The New Degree of Comfort.
By the Numbers … According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Dillon ranks second in the Closers category in the XFINITY Series at Richmond International Raceway.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Richmond International Raceway is a short track but it seems like it has more of an intermediate-track type of feel. Can you describe the racing there. Does it feel like a short track to you?
“It’s probably one of the biggest short tracks we go to because the restarts are so intense and you can really mess up a guy getting into the corner there if you duck under him and put him into a bad spot. It’s a place where you have to be aggressive and then have a car that holds on late because that guy that you were aggressive to at the beginning, will come back and get you later in the run. A fast car makes everything easier for sure, and if you’ve got that you don’t have to worry much about Richmond. It’s a place that brings the competition really tight together.”
This Week’s Red Kap / Prudential Overall Supply Chevrolet at Richmond International Raceway …This weekend, Ty Dillon will make his ninth NASCAR XFINITY Series start at Richmond International Raceway. He has logged six top-10 finishes in his previous eight starts. His best finish of second place came in 2016. On Sunday, Dillon will make his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at the three-quarter-mile track.
Dressed for the Job … Red Kap knows all about “done right.” Red Kap has been creating comfortable, durable workwear since starting out as a family business back in 1923. Today, the brand outfits 16 million Americans who apply their hands and hearts to all kinds of jobs.
Meet Dillon … Fans will have two opportunities to meet Dillon on Sunday morning in Richmond. Dillon will appear at the GEICO display in the fan midway to sign autographs and take pictures with fans at 10 a.m. ET. Dillon will also appear at the track’s Military Hospitality at 10:30 a.m. ET. He’ll be on hand to greet former and current military members and their families. For more information on the hospitality program and how you can participate, please visit .
TY DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts as you head to Richmond?
“Richmond is a fun race track. It’s one of those places where your car has to be just right. And, as a driver, you have to be on it the entire time. I’ve gotten better and better every year that I’ve gone there, so I’m hoping to see even more improvement when we go back there this weekend. Our team has been getting stronger each week this season, and hopefully we’ll keep building on that in Richmond.”
You’ve been racing in the XFINITY Series at Richmond since 2012. Does having so much experience at the track help you prepare?
Having experience at any track is always helpful, especially when it’s good experience. You always feel more confident going into a race weekend when you’ve had good finishes there. I’m looking forward to getting on track and seeing what the No. 3 Red Kap / Prudential Overall Supply Chevrolet can do.”
This Week’s Blue Gate Bank Chevrolet Camaro at Richmond International Raceway … Hemric will be making his first career NASCAR start at the 0.75-mile Richmond International Raceway during this weekend’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race.
Meet the Driver … Fans will have the opportunity to meet the XFINITY Series Rookie of the Year contender at the Team Chevy display on Friday, April 28, starting at 10:30 a.m. local time.
Meet the Press … Hemric will be in the Richmond International Raceway media center on Friday, April 28, starting at 11 a.m. local time, for a media availability session to discuss his Dash 4 Cash win at Bristol Motor Speedway. The media availability session will be streamed on NASCAR.com/PressPass.
Rearview Mirror: Bristol Motor Speedway … Hemric had the strongest outing of his young XFINITY Series career last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, scoring a win in Stage 2 of the race, finishing fifth and earning the $100,000 XFINITY Racing Dash 4 Cash prize. The victory in Stage 2 also provided Hemric with a playoff point, his first of the year.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
How do you prepare for a race weekend at Richmond International Raceway not having any previous starts under your belt at that track?
“The amount of teammates I have to lean on at Richard Childress Racing is going to be a big advantage for me heading into Richmond. A lot of the guys we have inside our shop have run there a lot of times, they have experience in the day races and the night races, and have been a part of that scenario. Looking at the short track race package, we could take what we learned at Phoenix and Bristol and apply it to Richmond. On the backside of that, my wife, Kenzie, ran pretty well at Richmond in the NASCAR K&N Series. I’m going to lean on her for a bit of advice as well and make the most of the weekend.”
This Week’s Hope For The Warriors Chevrolet Camaro at Richmond International Raceway… Brandon Jones has two previous NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Richmond International Raceway, resulting in one top-15 finish. Jones also has three NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts at the 0.75-mile track, where he secured two top-10 starting spots and one top-10 finish.
Honoring Military Children’s Month… Two of Jones’ biggest passions are supporting the military and helping children, so the No. 33 team has come together with the national nonprofit organization Hope For The Warriors to honor Military Children’s Month, which occurs during the month of April, with a special paint scheme at Richmond International Raceway. Military children of Hope for the Warriors’ service members were asked to design a paint scheme for Jones’ No. 33 Chevrolet using the colors of red, white and blue. The winning design that will be seen on track this weekend was created by Liam Harshman, who grew up aboard Camp Lejeune in North Carolina where his father was stationed.
Meet Brandon Jones… Fans have the opportunity to meet Jones and grab his autograph when he participates in a Q&A session at the Team Chevy display in Richmond’s Fan Midway from noon to 12:15 p.m. ET. on Friday, April 28.
Partnering with Hope for the Warriors… Founded in 2006, Hope For The Warriors is a national nonprofit dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family and hope for post 9/11 veterans, service members and military families. Since its inception, Hope For The Warriors has served approximately 10,000 through a variety of support programs focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement and connections to community resources. The nonprofit’s first program, A Warrior’s Wish, has granted 151 wishes to fulfill a desire for a better quality of life or support a quest for gratifying endeavors. In addition, Run For The Warriors has captured the hearts of more than 22,000 since 2010. For more information, visit HopeForTheWarriors.org, Facebook or Twitter.
BRANDON JONES QUOTES:
Richmond is a tough track to master. How are you preparing for the weekend to ensure the best finish you can get for the No. 33 team?
“I enjoy Richmond. We’ve run K&N races there in the past but never a truck race, which would have been cool to do. It’s a tough track, one of the most difficult short tracks I think we go to on the circuit. It’s very technical. We’ll see how we stack up. I think our chassis needed some work last time we were there, but I feel like we’ve made some good improvements and will be solid this time around. I enjoy racing there, I just haven’t gotten the finish I want yet. It’s a nice challenge.”
Richmond is one of those tracks where weather conditions can greatly impact how your car runs. Is it tough to keep up with what you have going into the race, based on all the changing weather conditions?
“It can be tough. You’ve got to get your car ready for qualifying, but then you also have to make sure your car is prepped for the race too. Sometimes the times are so different between practice sessions, qualifying and the race that the grip your car has will be entirely different from what you experienced earlier. It’s hard to adjust for that, so I do enjoy the two-day shows like the one we have this weekend. It makes it a little bit easier on myself and my team to prepare and focus on our race.”
This weekend you’ll be running a special paint scheme celebrating Military Children’s Month. What does it mean to you to be honoring the military in this way?
“I’m really looking forward to running the red, white and blue No. 33 Hope for the Warriors paint scheme designed by Liam Harshman at Richmond. I’ve always been passionate about the military and even considered a career in it before deciding to pursue racing. Hope For The Warriors is a great organization I’ve partnered with a lot throughout racing by meeting with service members across the country at the track, so to work with them on having a service member’s child design a paint scheme for me to compete in is really cool. I’m excited to bring some attention to an area of the military that people may not always be thinking about.”
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Richmond International Raceway … In 10 NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Richmond International Raceway, Gaughan has completed 2,388 laps of the 2,401 (99.5 percent) of the laps that he has competed. The Las Vegas native has earned two top-10 finishes and averages a starting position of 15.1 and finishing position of 16.23. Last spring, Gaughan started 15th and finished seventh at RIR.
At The South Point Hotel & Casino … The South Point Hotel and Casino will host the 2017 US Open Wrestling Championship April 26 – 29 in the South Point Arena and Equestrian Center. The Open Wrestling Championship features competitors from across the country, competing in Freestyle, Greco-Roman, Masters, UWW Juniors, Grappling, Women’s Freestyle and Women’s junior regionals. For more information, visit southpointcasino.com.
Rearview Mirror: Bristol … Using strategy during Stage 2, Gaughan was able to drive his No. 62 South Point Chevrolet to the front, in which qualified him to compete for the Dash 4 Cash. However, a mid-race incident ended his pursuit of the $100,000 bonus and sent the car behind the wall. This weekend, drivers will again have the opportunity to compete for the bonus prize.
Meet Gaughan … The No. 62 driver is scheduled to participate in a Q&A session Saturday, April 29, at the Team Chevy Stage Display in the Fan Midway beginning at 9:15 a.m. ET.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
Why do you think you struggle at Richmond International Raceway?
“Richmond is definitely my Achilles’ heel, since the beginning of my career. If I knew why, I would put a guard on it to keep it from happening. I don’t know why. I always joke, the four good runs I have had there, bad things happen in each one of those races even. Bad things just happen to me at Richmond International Raceway. I have found every way to screw up qualifying, I will underdrive, overdrive, in drive and out drive. I have never upside down drove, so that’s a bonus. Just give me a chance I’m sure I could get it. For some reason, Richmond and I are just not sympatico.”
This weekend you have another chance at the Dash 4 Cash. Do you enjoy racing for $100,000?
“You want to make sure you are in a position to run for the money. I like the way XFINITY incorporated the Dash 4 Cash into the stage racing. The stage racing strategy has made a huge difference this year. If you haven’t qualified during Stage 1, you must do something strategy-wise. If there is a caution, the call must be made to put yourself in a position to run for the money. It worked out for us in Bristol, Shane (Wilson, crew chief) made a call, we took a gamble and qualified for the dash, and who doesn’t want to do that.”
