Richard Childress Racing at Dover International Speedway … Richard Childress Racing is no stranger to Victory Lane at Dover International Speedway, with four NASCAR Cup Series wins and three NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at the track affectionately known as The Monster Mile. This weekend marks a new chapter for RCR at Dover, with the organization’s first attempt at the track in a virtual race.
The Format … NASCAR, iRacing and FOX Sports are teaming up to deliver the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, a selection of simulation-style esports races that include NASCAR Cup Series drivers Austin Dillon (No. 3 Dow Chevrolet) and Tyler Reddick (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet). The series heads to the virtual Dover International Speedway for a fixed set-up race this Sunday, May 3. Drivers will compete in a qualifying session to set the starting field for the race.
But Wait, There’s More … In addition to Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race, RCR will compete in a special Saturday night race at virtual Dover International Speedway with our roster of NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers, including Anthony Alfredo (No. 33 Tribute to a Hero – Wally Yocum Chevrolet), Myatt Snider (No. 93 TaxSlayer Chevrolet) and Kaz Grala (No. 29 HotScream Chevrolet). The race features NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series drivers competing within the iRacing platform, complete with qualifying times to set heat races and a last chance qualifier race to round out starting lineup. Fans can watch all the action live streamed this Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on NASCAR’s YouTube and eNASCAR.com/live.
The Car Designs … Each RCR driver’s paint scheme was designed in-house by the RCR Graphics Center Powered by Roland, an in-house full-service design and production facility located on the Richard Childress Racing campus in Welcome, North Carolina. Local graphic artist John Dragonetti then rendered these designs for the iRacing platform. Learn more about Dragonetti’s designs at twitter.com/JohnRDragonetti.
COVID-19 Relief … Own a piece of history by participating in a recently launched auction and sale of Richard Childress’ personal collection of memorabilia. All proceeds will assist COVID-19 relief efforts. Thousands of rare, hard-to-find and exclusive items from Richard Childress’ 50+ years in NASCAR are up for bid or sale, including an original No. 3 Chevrolet once raced by Dale Earnhardt, complete with engine. To bid or purchase items from Childress’ personal collection, visit https://www.ebay.com/str/RichardChildresscollection. Bidders interested in the Dale Earnhardt racecar should register here .
Did You Know … Richard Childress contributed three top-10 finishes to RCR’s total of 57 top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover International Speedway when he competed at the track as a driver from 1976-1980.
Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s corporate Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR eSports Twitter page – @RCR_eSports, the RCR NASCAR Cup Series team Twitter page – @RCRCup and the RCR NASCAR Xfinity Series team Twitter page – @RCRNXS. Information about the 16-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and on Instagram at Instagram.com/rcrracing. Visit www.RCRracing.com.
Catch the Action … The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at the virtual Dover International Speedway will be televised live Sunday, May 3, beginning at 1 p.m. ET on the FOX broadcast network (where available), FS1 and the FOX Sports app. Races will be available in Canada through FOX Sports Racing. Catch our Xfinity Series drivers Saturday night by visiting eNASCAR.com.
This Week’s Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Dover International Speedway …
In 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Dover International Speedway, Dillon’s best finish at the track is seventh. This weekend marks the Welcome, North Carolina driver’s first virtual start at Dover International Speedway.
Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team … Austin Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by recreating in the lab one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack. After 7 years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sports and follow us on Twitter @DowSports & @DowNewsroom.
A Commitment to eSports … Dillon is a long-time iRacing team owner. For the past two years, he has fielded two cars in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, which is a $300,000 eSport World Championship series officially sanctioned by NASCAR featuring the world’s most elite oval simracers. Dillon’s two drivers, Blake Reynolds (No. 30) and Michael Guest (No. 33) compete on simulated versions of the actual real-world NASCAR tracks with the Gen6 cars available on iRacing. The rounds run every other Tuesday night and is broadcast live on Twitch, Facebook and YouTube.
The Crew … Dillon will be competing in a rig provided by Sim Seats and will have a talented support system on Sunday, including his eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series driver, Blake Reynolds (@breynolds_66). Reynolds was a Champ 4 contender in 2019.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Does Dover drive like a giant Bristol, or not so much?
“Not so much. There’s a lot of aero stuff that comes into play at Dover because you’re going so fast. You see different lines come into play as the rubber builds up. It’s always fun on a long run when you can run way up by the fence and find speed. Of course, there’s a bit of an unknown heading into a virtual race. I’m looking forward to it.”
This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Dover International Speedway … Tyler Reddick is a former race winner in the NASCAR Truck Series at Dover International Speedway. The two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion also has five starts in the series at the “Monster Mile,” with his best finish of third coming during the May 2019 race. This weekend marks Reddick’s first virtual start at Dover International Speedway in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series on Sunday.
Caterpillar says “Thank You” … What does it mean when someone says “thank you?” The global health crisis truly illustrates how critical many jobs are and how many of us took them for granted. While some of us are forced to isolate from home, other bravely continue to do the work, risking their health and safety to keep their communities moving forward. Medical professionals putting the rest of us ahead of their own loved ones. Folks who are part of supply chains are doing more than just stocking shelves, they’re delivering inspiration. We’re all feeling the uncertainty, but we’re also feeling a profound sense of gratitude.
At Caterpillar, we want to say “thank you.” Not just to our customers who continue to build towards a better tomorrow. But to people everywhere who are digging in, working hard and giving us hope as we struggle through. In the coming weeks, our gratitude will take many forms including … a special “thank you” design on the Cat Racing car for the next virtual race and its eventual return to the track.
We’re in a fight for the future. We’re in it together. And to those of you on the front lines… “thank you.” Learn more by visiting Cat.com/thanks.
The Crew … From his home in North Carolina, Reddick will be competing in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro invitational Series race in a rig provided by Sim Seats. Joey Stone, who competes under the RCR eSports banner in the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, will also be spotting for Reddick during the race.
TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:
Dover International Speedway is a tough track to race at in person, so how do you think it will race virtually?
“I’ve had some good runs at Dover International Speedway in the past, including a win in the NASCAR Truck Series, but I’m curious to see how virtual Dover plays out over iRacing. So much of being successful at Dover focuses on getting a good balance in your race car in order to handle the loads it takes in the corners there. I’m not sure how much of that will translate virtually, but I’m up for the challenge in the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet. I’m excited to be helping them kick off their ‘Thank You Truckers’ campaign this weekend to help bring attention to those who are still helping our world continue moving forward, and hope to celebrate some of our truck drivers in NASCAR throughout the month of May.”
This Week’s Tribute to a Hero – Wally Yocum Chevrolet Camaro at the virtual Dover International Speedway … Anthony Alfredo has one real-world start at Dover International Speedway in the NASCAR ARCA East Series. Despite his limited experience at the Monster Mile, Alfredo is an experienced competitor on iRacing and hopes that will help put him in contention for the race win in this weekend’s Saturday Night Thunder race.
Welcome, Tribute to a Hero – Wally Yocum … This week the No. 33 team is honoring the late Air Force crew chief Wally Yocum. We thank Wally for his sacrifices, service to his country, and his many innovations to the aircraft engine development and maintenance programs for the US Air Force.
Yocum’s Story … Yocum’s Korean experiences found him near the famous 38th parallel in war-torn Korea, stationed at Kimpo AFB near Seoul, known as K-14. He was part of the 4th Fighter Wing. Many individuals put their lives on the line every day in a foreign country for our freedom, and Yocum was one of them. He was a crew chief for the world famous 336th Rocketeers. Yocum had to maintain and continuously monitor an F86-F fighter-interceptor sabre jet, while giving his pilot the most thrust and fuel economy to safely engage an enemy for any conflict that may arise. When he wasn’t checking tolerances on the fighter jet, Yocum had to perform guard duty at Kimpo AFB. He always cited the sergeant, “You better get your bayonet on, you only have 90 rounds.” Yocum’s pilot was Lieutenant Ken Ewing of FU-539 F86-F sabre. The nose art on the side of the plane displayed “Sweet Rose”, the name of the woman he was dating before being deployed. After returning to the United States, he married Rose and continued his lifelong passion for family and aircraft. Yocum started a family, and was everything a great father, husband and role model could ever be. Yocum went on to receive four service medals during the Korean War and two posthumously. The Planes of Fame museum in Chino, CA, will be opening a new Korean War memorial this year and Yocum’s F-86 sabre will be featured at the entrance to the memorial park. Find more information about him at yocumusa.com/sweetrose.
The Crew … From his home in North Carolina, Alfredo will be competing in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Saturday Night Thunder race in a rig provided by Sim Seats. Alfredo has a talented support system on Saturday, including Zack Novak and his teammate Jimmy Mullis, who will serve as crew chief and spotter, respectively. The duo race for Richmond Raceway eSports in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series and won the championship last year.
ANTHONY ALFREDO QUOTE:
You have been very strong, running up front every week in these virtual races and nearly claimed your first win last week at Talladega. How high is your confidence level coming into virtual Dover this weekend?
“I am very proud of the time and effort I have put into these iRacing events, and it’s definitely showing. I am a huge advocate for iRacing so I have been really enjoying these events. Coca-Cola iRacing Series drivers, Jimmy Mullis and Zack Novak, have helped me a lot each race. Dover is actually one track that is completely new to me on the simulator so you can expect me to prepare for this one by spending a lot of time practicing and running some official online races leading up to the big show. We have a lot of momentum we can carry into this weekend after coming so close to winning last weekend. I’m also very proud to honor Wally Yocum as we pay tribute to a hero this weekend. It’s only a matter of time before we park our No. 33 Tribute to a Hero – Wally Yocum Chevrolet in Victory Lane!”
This Week’s TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro at the virtual Dover International Speedway … Snider has one career start at the Dover International Speedway in the NASCAR Truck Series from 2018. This weekend marks his first attempt at the virtual version of the Monster Mile.
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MYATT SNIDER QUOTE:
Dover is a very fast and challenging racetrack. What exactly makes it so tough to get around and how are you feeling about your chances at the virtual Monster Mile this weekend?
“Dover hasn’t just earned the nickname “Monster Mile” for being fast. It’s a really tough place to get around. You have to really hustle the car, but you walk a fine line between over driving and under driving. Despite being so challenging, Dover is a fantastic racetrack, and I can’t wait to Slay It on track this weekend in my TaxSlayer Camaro.”
This Week’s HotScream Chevrolet Camaro at the virtual Dover International Speedway… Grala has four combined starts at the ‘Monster Mile’ across the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series with a best finish of second from 2017. Grala will add the virtual version of the track to his resume this Saturday.
HotScream … HotScream takes two concepts, dessert and spicy food, and combines them to form a product that can only be described as ‘HotScream The Spicy Ice Cream’. By taking ice cream with its cool creaminess and incorporating a spicy swirl, HotScream has created a new taste sensation, one that almost defies one’s own senses. At first, you taste the pureness of the vanilla, followed quickly by the sweetness of one of seven flavor swirls. As you continue to enjoy HotScream, things change: You feel a warming sensation that starts in the back of your mouth, creating a rush that only can come from spicy foods. The warming continues to linger but doesn’t engulf your mouth with fire. Taking another bite, you again taste the cool, creamy vanilla and the respective flavor profile while the heat dissipates, only to come back time and time again. HotScream is currently available at ACME Markets, Big Y, select ShopRites, Stop & Shop and 400 Walmart locations from Maine to Texas. For more information, visit HotScream.com.
KAZ GRALA QUOTE:
You have recently dived into iRacing and achieved an A class license in just a few weeks. Are you starting to get more comfortable iRacing and what are your expectations for virtual Dover this weekend?
“I’m definitely starting to catch on more and more on iRacing. I am seeing positive results in my official races during the week, which has directly translated to the Saturday Night Thunder races. Dover has always been one of my best tracks in the real world, so I am hoping that will carry over to the virtual track. I feel really confident about our chances this Saturday, and hopefully I’ll be able to wheel our No. 29 HotScream up front and put on a show Saturday!”
