Richard Childress Racing at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course… With the inaugural event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course taking place last August, Richard Childress Racing has four NASCAR Cup Series and one NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 14-turn, 3.61-mile circuit. Kaz Grala, who substituted for Austin Dillon after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in 2020, earned a top-10 finish in the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. Dillon and Tyler Reddick both competed on the road course last week during the Busch Clash, where the No. 8 team posted a fourth-place result.
Richard Childress at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course… Richard Childress competed at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course as a driver in 1969 when he drove his 1968 Camaro to a 13th-place finish in the Citrus 250. Childress went on to compete on the Florida road course a total of five times, racing in the NASCAR Grand Touring Division and NASCAR Grand American Series. He finished in the top-10 in three out of the five races, with a best result of eighth in 1970.
Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Super Start Batteries 188 at Daytona Presented by O’Reilly will be televised live Saturday, February 20, beginning at 5 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
The NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona will be televised live Sunday, February 21, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow MobilityScience™ Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course… Dillon missed the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course last year due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, but has already been in two races on the course in 2021. In the Busch Clash, Dillon started 11th and battled in the top-five before being punted and shuffled to the back of the field on a late-race restart, ultimately finishing 19th. He also competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona in January, finishing 10th overall and fourth in the LMP2 class.
Points Leader… Dillon enters this weekend’s race the Daytona International Speedway Road Course race as the NASCAR Cup Series points leader. Last week at Daytona, Dillon earned 10 points by winning his Duel, followed by 14 Stage Points and 34 points for finishing third in the DAYTONA 500.
Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team… 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 eight 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.
Welcome, Dow MobilityScience™… Dow’s MobilityScience™ platform is designed to enhance the customer experience by tailoring technologies, products, and services from across Dow businesses to the transportation industry. The platform is pursuing accelerated growth by addressing Mobility mega-trends – where lighter weight, longer range, greater comfort, enhanced safety, and lower carbon footprint are the ultimate objectives. That is where Dow science, innovation, and people step in – working closely with customers to create the materials that bring the possibilities to life.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts heading into the Daytona International Speedway Road Course race this weekend?
“I can’t wait to get back down to Daytona Beach to compete at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course this weekend. We had a fun night in the Busch Clash last week. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out where we wanted to. We got thrown through the grass, so I’m going to try to keep all four tires on the track this coming weekend. The goal is to try and gain on our points. We’ve done a good job through the DAYTONA 500. Let’s keep that streak going.”
You were able to get some experience on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course by competing in the Rolex 24 this year. Did anything jump out at you about the track?
“It’s not so much of a technical track like some of the tracks that we go to that are road courses. It’s pretty self-explanatory. I like the fact that the tires seem to wear quite a bit at the track. I enjoyed it and I think the experience I got in the 24 was great. We’ll see how it all plays out in the end.”
Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Cat Rental Store Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course… Reddick has two NASCAR Cup Series starts on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, with his best finish of fourth coming during last week’s Clash event.
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TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:
Your team had speed in the Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course during Speedweek. How does that help you prepare for your return to the road course this weekend?
“We put in a lot of work over the off-season at RCR to get better at road courses, so to have a solid run during the Clash does make us feel more confident about this weekend. I truly feel based on our Clash performance that we have a shot at winning this weekend. I made a couple mistakes in the Clash that I was able to learn from, but my team was also able to do a couple things with strategy while staying out on old tires and still make it to where I could drive away from guys on new tires. We had a good car at the Clash, but what is more exciting is the fact that we didn’t even take our best road course car down there. We have another car at the shop that we like even more than our Clash car. When you already have a really fast car at a track but know the No. 8 Cat Rental Store Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE we’re going to bring back is even better, that is a great feeling to go into the weekend with.”
Myatt Snider and the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course… Snider has one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. In his first start at the Florida road course last season, Snider gained 17 positions to post a top-10 finish.
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MYATT SNIDER QUOTES:
What is your expectation for the first road course race of 2021?
“I think our TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro is going to be really fast this weekend on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Andy Street (crew chief) and our No. 2 team have been working really hard over the offseason to improve our road course cars and I’ve been working really hard to improve my driving abilities on a road course. I feel like I did well overall on all of the road course events last season, especially the Daytona Road Course, so we should do really well this Saturday. Also, starting up towards the front after our solid start to the season last week, will definitely help our chances at a good showing.”
What have you done to prepare for this Saturday’s race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course?
“Earlier this week, Andy and I sat down to watch some film from the last Daytona race. Being able to watch the race again is a good way to prepare, so you can see what worked last season and what didn’t. Since we didn’t work together during this race last year, I was able to tell him some things from my perspective, he was able to tell me his perspective, and then we were able to compare and brainstorm some ideas together. I also have spent some time on the simulator to prepare and make sure we are running our best.”
What do you like and dislike about the Daytona International Speedway Road Course?
“I like the fact that it’s a really high wear race track on the inside. I don’t think the infield has been repaved since the 70s, so to me that is really cool. It makes tire wear a huge factor, so you have to be mindful about where you are pushing, where you are not pushing as a driver, and how you will make sure your car is there for the end of the race. To me, it’s one of the most fun, technical road courses that we go to.”
