Richard Childress Racing at Kansas Speedway … In 78 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has one win, visiting victory lane in 2013 with Kevin Harvick, among five top-five and 22 top-10 finishes.
RCR in the MENCS … In 2,909 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 488 top-five finishes and 1,064 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 16.2. 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 and www.facebook.com/RyanNewmanNASCAR.
Catch the Action … The Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway will be televised live Sunday, October 21 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This Week’s Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Kansas Speedway … Dillon has made 10 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, earning his best finish of sixth in May and October 2016.
Dow Delivers Solutions at the Intersection of Sport and Science … Dow is dedicated to delivering innovative and sustainable technologies and solutions that create value and competitive advantage while positively impacting the world we live in. From improving engine performance and luge aerodynamics that help develop faster, more tuned and precise vehicles to energy-efficient insulation in Olympic Games venues, Dow continues to provide high-performance solutions for the science of speed. Learn more about Dow’s unmatched capabilities www.dow.com/sports and follow on Twitter @DowSports & @DowChemical
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Tell us about Kansas Speedway …
“Kansas Speedway is one of those places now where the top groove is almost preferred as you run but if your car can continue to turn on the bottom you’re usually really fast. It’s a fun track because there are three lanes. You can work the middle, the top and the bottom. It’s a fast track. I’ll tell you what – there’s a lot of grip out there. It’s become one of the fun tracks to go to.”
You’ve been pretty good at Kansas Speedway in the past, haven’t you?
“We’ve been decent at Kansas Speedway in the past. We haven’t really gotten the results that we’d like. We’ve had some top-10 runs, but we’d love to go back there and have another top-10 finish.”
This Week’s Caterpillar Camaro ZL1 at Kansas Speedway … Ryan Newman will make his 616th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start when he competes at the second and final Kansas Speedway event of the season. In 25 Cup Series events at Kansas, Newman visited victory lane in the fall of 2003. In total, he owns three top-five and seven top-10 finishes. The South Bend, Ind., native holds an average starting position of 13.7 and average finish of 18.7. He has led 128 laps in competition.
Season 26 in NASCAR and counting … Richard Childress Racing is enjoying its 10th season with Caterpillar on board the No. 31 Camaro ZL1 and Cat Racing’s 26th in NASCAR. If you are in Peoria, Illinois, visit the Caterpillar Visitors Center to see the newest exhibit, SPEED. For tickets and details, visit caterpillar.com/en/company/visitors-center/exhibits/speed.html.
For more than 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets. With 2017 sales and revenues of $45.462 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company principally operates through its three primary segments – Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation – and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.
Featured Caterpillar Dealer …
NMC is the featured Cat dealer for this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway.
As one of the longest operating Caterpillar dealerships, NMC has proudly served customers with equipment and service solutions since 1938. Our team works hard each day to build long-lasting relationships with our customers – and we strive to be the first choice for the equipment and services they need for the many industries we serve, including construction, power generation, material handling, on-highway truck and agriculture. After 80 years since the first NMC location opened for business, there is still a can-do spirit leading the way. There is a continuing focus to help our customers succeed and a determination to create new opportunities for today as well as for the next 80 years.
Rescue Ranch Corn Maze presented by Chevrolet … The nine-acre Chevy corn maze is back! The lighted maze is open Friday and Saturday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. ET. On Sundays, you can make a run in daylight from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $8 for ages 13 on up. It’s $5 for ages 2-12 and free for kids under 2. All proceeds benefits Rescue Ranch. For more details on the Chevy Corn Maze as well as the Fall Fun Days, visit http://www.rescueranch.com/events.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
What is the key to success at Kansas Speedway?
“Kansas is a big circle. It’s super-fast and it has a little bit of a goofy transition into Turn 1. It just seems like it is a combination of downforce and horsepower to go fast. It’s super smooth so it doesn’t really matter so much how your car rides as much as how you have the tires loaded up in each corner and the overall grip you can get out of the car with the downforce.”
What is the trickiest thing you need to deal with?
“You know, it will be interesting to see how much it widens out because it is still a fresh repave. Right now, we just don’t know if it has built character or if it’s changed much with the newer style asphalt or it hasn’t changed. We won’t get to know that until we go back.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Kansas Speedway … In 45 series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, RCR has captured one victory with Kevin Harvick in 2006. The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has accumulated two pole awards, 13 top-five finishes, 22 top-10 finishes, led 290 laps and averages a starting position of 10.9 and finishing position of 12.6. RCR has completed 8,668 laps of the 9,046 (95.8 percent) that they have competed.
Dover Review … Daniel Hemric was the highest-finishing RCR driver when he finished seventh at Dover International Speedway two weeks ago. Matt Tifft finished 15th and Shane Lee placed 17th in the Bar Harbor 200.
Round of 8 … Kansas Speedway opens the Round of 8 for the Xfinity Series Playoffs. The round will continue through Texas Motor Speedway and conclude at ISM Raceway. The top four drivers at the end of the round will contend for the Championship at the season finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The Points … Daniel Hemric and Matt Tifft currently sit second and eighth, respectively, in the Xfinity Series driver point standings. The No. 3 RCR team is currently 12th in the series owner point standings.
Social Media … To keep up with the latest updates from RCR’s Xfinity Series teams, follow @RCRracing and @RCRNXS on Twitter. Updates can also be found via RCR’s Facebook Page and Instagram (@RCRracing).
Catch the Action … Coverage of this week’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, October 20, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC. It will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
This Week’s American Ethanol e15 / Sorghum Chevrolet Camaro at Kansas Speedway … Matt Tifft has one NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Kansas Speedway, finishing eighth at the track during last year’s event. Tifft has two previous starts at the 1.5-mile speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, as well as two ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards starts there as well.
e15: Fueling Saturday Drives Everywhere … e15 fuels Saturday drives everywhere. NASCAR has raced over 11 million miles on Sunoco Green E15 made with 15 percent American Ethanol, and consumers have driven more than 5 billion miles on e15. It gives all drivers an engine smart, earth kind fuel option. And, e15 delivers higher octane and burns cleaner, plus it’s the most tested fuel ever. Find out how e15 can fuel your Saturday drives too at GetBiofuel.com and AmericanEthanolRacing.com.
United Sorghum Checkoff Program … In the ethanol industry, the United Sorghum Checkoff Program focuses on developing direct awareness of the benefits of using sorghum as a biofuel feedstock. Sorghum is truly a versatile crop that can be grown as a grain, forage or sweet crop. The United States is the world’s largest producer of grain sorghum, having produced 480 million bushels in 2016. The United Sorghum Checkoff Program is a producer-funded organization dedicated to improving the sorghum industry through research, promotion and education.
Meet Tifft … Fans can meet Tifft as he is scheduled to take part alongside his RCR teammates in the Xfinity Series autograph session on Saturday, October 20, beginning at 9 a.m. local time located at the track’s infield fan zone.
MATT TIFFT QUOTE:
You’ve made it into the Round of Eight for the Playoffs. How do you feel about kicking off the round at Kansas Speedway?
“Last year, I think I was sort of surprised with how well Kansas went for me. This year, the story is a little bit different heading into the race weekend with how many good runs we’ve had at the intermediate tracks. I think for us the biggest thing is with how much you run the high line now at Kansas, this weekend can serve as a bit of a test for how you’ll be at Homestead-Miami Speedway. We’ll be going into this weekend with the mindset of capitalizing on everything that we can and having a really good day to maximize our points. The second round of Playoffs is going to be tough. I feel like we have to be in the top-five for all of these races to at least compete for a spot in the Championship Four. The field is just so tight that we need to have a really solid day at Kansas to set ourselves up in a good spot for the rest of the round. Our mindset is to be fighting for a spot in the Championship Four, and this race is going to be key for that.”
This Week’s Childress Vineyards Chevrolet Camaro at Kansas Speedway … Shane Lee will be making his debut NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Kansas Speedway this weekend. Lee has two ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards starts at the 1.5-mile track, securing finishes of fourth and eighth in the events.
About Childress Vineyards … Childress Vineyards is a premier winery located at the southern gateway of the Yadkin Valley in Lexington, North Carolina. Owned by Richard Childress, NASCAR team owner and Hall of Fame member, Childress Vineyards has been producing award-winning wines with the expertise of Winemaker Mark Frizsolowski. Open daily for tours, tastings, and lunch in the Bistro. Information about Childress Vineyards can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/childresswines/, on Twitter at @ChildressWines and on Instagram at Instagram.com/childresswines.
Meet Lee … Fans can meet Lee on Saturday, October 20, when he participates in the Xfinity Series autograph session beginning at 9 a.m. local time at the track’s infield fan zone.
SHANE LEE QUOTE:
You have some solid results at Kansas Speedway in the ARCA Racing Series. Can you transfer anything you learned from those races to the Xfinity cars?
“Having raced in the ARCA Series at Kansas, it’ll help me out with just the general feel of the track. I’m not going into this weekend not knowing anything about how the track feels, which is nice. The ARCA cars have way more rear downforce, which is the hardest thing to compensate for since the rear end of our Camaros are moving around way more. It’s not like we’re extremely loose, but with the way the air runs over the cars it makes it seem that way. Overall, the intermediate tracks were one of my strengths when I was in the ARCA Series, so I’m hoping that translates over to this weekend. We’ll see how practice goes to figure out what to expect in the race. It’s a whole different ball game with the Xfinity Series, but I feel very confident heading into the weekend.”
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro at Kansas Speedway … Hermic will be making his second NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Kansas Speedway during this weekend’s 300-lap event. In his first start at the 1.5-mile speedway, Hemric started 10th and was inside the top 10 for much of the afternoon. A late-race pit road penalty resulted in an 18th-place finish.
Rearview Mirror: Dover … Hemric earned his fourth career Xfinity Series pole award and third of the 2018 season at Dover International Speedway, and he kept the No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet inside the top five for much of the day. Hemric was second in the opening stage and won Stage 2 but was penalized for speeding on pit road after Stage 2 and forced to start the final stage at the rear of the field. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native fought his way back to the seventh position by the time the checkered flag flew.
This Week at the South Point … Fans visiting the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet have the opportunity to see ‘My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m Home for the Holidays – A Broadway Comedy’ with comedian Steve Solomon at The Showroom on October 19-21st. Tickets and information at southpointcasino.com.
Meet the Driver … Fans have the opportunity to see Hemric at the Xfinity Series autograph session on Saturday, Oct. 20, starting at 9 a.m. local time in the Kansas Speedway infield fan zone. He will also be at the Xfinity Zone in the fan zone outside the track for a Q&A on Saturday, Oct. 20, starting at 10:05 a.m. local time.
Meet the Press … Hemric is scheduled to meet with members of the NASCAR Media as part of a NASCAR Xfinity Series driver panel on Friday, Oct. 19, starting at 12:30 p.m. local time. The media availability session will be streamed live at nascar.com/presspass.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
The series returns to a 1.5-mile track for this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway, so how do you approach the set-up and know the No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet will be fast right off the truck?
“This weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway is probably going to be this No. 21 team’s biggest challenge. We know that and our preparation going into this race has reflected that. We are going to bring our best stuff to kick off the Round of 8, knowing that if we can get through this weekend we can be really confident in the races that follow. We have to have the mindset going into Kansas that we can have enough adjustability built into our race car, because the racetrack changes at a very rapid pace, especially in the Xfinity Series. We find that the groove starts out right at the bottom of the racetrack, but as the race goes on and the track takes rubber, that’s when you find yourself rim-riding along the outside wall. That is where the adjustability in your car comes into play. You have to be able to get up there, get up top and have a lot of on-throttle time. That is how you will be able to make lap time and keep moving forward throughout the race.”
Moving on to the Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 8, who do you believe is going to be the biggest competition?
“It’s kind of been the same group in contention all year. I feel like there were probably about eight or 10 cars before the end of the regular season, now it’s down to about five or six cars that if they legitimately hit on the right adjustment on the first stop they can gain control of a race and contend for the win. It’s going to be the same group that we’ll have to battle each week to get through this round.”
