Richard Childress Racing at Darlington Raceway… In 131 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has found success at the ‘Lady In Black’ with eights victories, 24 top-five, and 43 top-10 finishes. The Welcome N.C. organization has yet to find victory lane in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the historic South Carolina speedway, but has accumulated 10 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes.
Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway… Richard Childress Racing has fully embraced a popular tradition known as ‘throwback weekend’ at Darlington Raceway. Teams and partners use this as an opportunity to honor NASCAR greats from the past and present. This weekend Austin Dillon will pay tribute to Fireball Roberts with a special gold and black No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet scheme. Tyler Reddick will honor Marty Robbins with a colorful Quartz Hill Records Chevrolet paint scheme that showcases the deep roots between NASCAR and country music. Myatt Snider and TaxSlayer will pay homage to Snider’s grandfather who owned Jimmie Lewallen’s No. 2 Grand National Series car.
Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Steakhouse Elite 200 at Darlington Raceway will be televised live Saturday, May 8, beginning at 1 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’ Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway will be televised live Sunday, May 9, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
This Week’s Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Darlington Raceway … Austin Dillon has made nine career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway, posting a career-best second-place finish in his most recent appearance at the track, missing Victory Lane by a narrow margin over Kevin Harvick. Dillon also has a fourth-place finish in 2017. He has made three appearances at “The Lady in Black” in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, securing his best finish of fifth in 2012. The 2011 NASCAR Truck Series champion has two starts at the track in the Truck Series, earning his best finish of fifth in August 2010.
Tracker Off Road … Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.
Bass Pro Shops … Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit .
Throwing it Back … Richard Childress Racing and Bass Pro Shops are teaming up to pay tribute to NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts with a special throwback No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE driven by Austin Dillon this weekend at Darlington Raceway. Fireball Roberts is one of seven NASCAR Hall of Fame driver who have won driving the No. 3 since 1949. His win came during the 1959 Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway after starting from the pole position.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
How does Darlington Raceway suit your driving style?
“I think long races in the past have fit my racing style. There is plenty of time to make the car better during a long race, and all of our wins have come in races 500 miles or more. So, I think that bodes well for Darlington. Even though this weekend’s race is only 400 miles, I think we were able to learn a lot in the Southern 500 last year that we can translate to this weekend. Darlington is a place that falls off, so tire management becomes important and I really like that. It’s nice that we’re going to a place that long run speed matters a bit.”
How important is it to make sure that not only the pit crew is executing on pit road, but also the driver is hitting their marks in the car?
“It takes everybody to win a race in the NASCAR Cup Series. We’ve been working really hard on the No. 3 team. We recently had a team-building exercise for the pit crew, and I got to join them. A Navy SEAL came in and we worked for a week together on accountability, teamwork, what it takes to be a good teammate to each other and how to talk to each other. It’s been great and we’re starting to see some benefits from what we did a couple of weeks ago. Its helped us put together solid races.
Who in the NASCAR garage has had the best throwback paint scheme of all time?
“I’ve really enjoyed some of our throwback paint schemes over the years. I really loved ours last year, the Jr. Johnson car was really awesome. We did some awesome stuff early on as well. Our Wrangler scheme was awesome. One of our coolest schemes was the silver secret. We just backed the car off the trailer, and that was the first time anyone saw it, just like it was done originally. The media didn’t see it until we backed it off the trailer. Our scheme this year is special, too. We are paying tribute to Fireball Roberts, who won in the No. 3 in 1959. Pretty cool to honor a NASCAR Hall of Famer, and to do it with Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER Off Road.”
Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Joe Nichols / Quartz Hill Records Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Darlington Raceway… Tyler Reddick has three NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, with his best finish of seventh coming last year at NASCAR’s first race back after the season paused out of COVID-19 concerns. Reddick also has three starts at the ‘Lady in Black’ in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, collecting two top-five finishes.
NASCAR Throwback… This week, Reddick’s No. 8 Joe Nichols / Quartz Hill Records Chevrolet celebrates the close relationship between country music and NASCAR by honoring country music legend and NASCAR driver, Marty Robbins. The No. 8 Chevy’s scheme, which features Joe Nichols’ new single “Home Run,” is based around Robbin’s 1972-1973 iconic pink and yellow machine he drove for 35 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series. Robbins, a three-time GRAMMY award winner who is best known for his song “El Paso,” captured six top-10 finishes during his driving career. His best finish of fifth came at Michigan in 1974.
About Joe Nichols… Multi-platinum Quartz Hill Records’ Joe Nichols is one of country music’s most-lauded recording artists. A 21st century traditionalist, Nichols is an artist who is both timely and timeless – one who has racked up a half-dozen Number 1 singles and ten Top 10 hits with a sound that blurs the boundaries between country music’s past and present. It’s an approach that has earned Nichols three Grammy nominations, a CMA award, an ACM trophy, a CMT “Breakthrough Video of the Year” Award as well as multiple gold and platinum-certified records. Nichols’ additional honors include awards from Billboard, Radio & Records and Music Row Magazine as well as a New York Times “Best-Albums-of-the-Year” nod. The celebrated star has appeared on national media programs ranging from the ACM Presents: Superstar Duets on CBS to The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The View, Entertainment Tonight and Austin City Limits. Nichols new single, “Home Run,” is available digitally worldwide and impacts country radio on May 10. For the latest news on Nichols visit: www.JoeNichols.com and follow him (@JoeNichols) on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Quartz Hill… Quartz Hill Records is a full-service country music label led by Benny Brown, Paul Brown and award-winning songwriter Jason Sellers. In addition to multi-platinum star Joe Nichols, Quartz Hill’s roster includes triple threat singer/songwriter/ guitarist Ben Gallaher as well as up-and-coming country stylist Nate Barnes whose first single, “You Ain’t Pretty,” was a Top 10 Most Added Song 4 out of its first 5 weeks at Country Radio.” (Mediabase)
TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
We ran multiple races at Darlington Raceway last year, but this year we’ll be going back with the low-downforce package. What are your thoughts on that?
“I love the change in the aero package for this race at Darlington Raceway. I really enjoy races where we’re in the gas, sliding around and up by the fence, so I’m excited about this Sunday. Anytime I watch highlights of Cup racing from 2017 or 2018 at any 1.5-mile track, I see the drivers lifting and getting sideways, and it looks so fun. I love these low downforce races on these fast tracks. They’re a lot of fun. I’m really excited to see what that means for us and our team, considering the momentum we’re coming into the weekend with after four top-10 finishes in the last five races.”
What can you tell us about your throwback paint scheme for Sunday’s race?
“I really enjoy Darlington’s Throwback weekend and have had a lot of fun with the schemes I’ve ran in the past. This one we’re running in honor of Marty Robbins’ 1972-1973 pink and yellow machine was one that came together quickly, but I think it’s a really cool way to celebrate the crossover between country music and NASCAR, which is a pretty big one. Marty Robbins was quite literally an intersection between the two, winning three GRAMMY awards but also running 35 NASCAR Cup races. It’s cool to be able honor his legacy while also continuing to promote the country music NASCAR fans love so much with Quartz Hill Records and Joe Nichols’ new single, ‘Home Run.’”
Myatt Snider and the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro at Darlington Raceway… Snider has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Darlington Raceway, both of which came during the 2020 season while driving for RSS Racing. The 26-year-old earned a 10th-place finish in the fall race last season.
Family Legacy Continues… Paying tribute to Snider’s grandfather, Gurney Snider, and the generational legacy of racing in the Snider family, the TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro will adorn Jimmie Lewallen’s No. 2 scheme, highlighted by a lightening bolt striking down the side of the car. Gurney Snider, along with three gentlemen from High Point, N.C., owned Grand National Series cars from roughly 1949 to 1954. Lewallen piloted the No. 2 at Darlington Raceway in 1952 and finished fourth behind Dick Rathman and the Flock brothers, earning just $350 that day. Saturday’s race is just two days shy of the 69th anniversary of this outing.
About TaxSlayer… TaxSlayer makes online tax filing accessible for millions of Americans, with an easy-to-use platform and unlimited support at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Trusted for over 50 years, the Augusta-based tech company successfully completed more than 10 million federal and state e-filed tax returns in 2020 and processed $15 billion in refunds. TaxSlayer achieved a 4.5/5 TrustScore on consumer review site Trustpilot, with 87% of its customers rating the tax filing platform Great or Excellent. For more information, visit www.TaxSlayer.com.
MYATT SNIDER QUOTES:
What does it mean to you to carry on the racing legacy in your family?
“The fact that the 2 number has so much history behind it for our family is really cool to me. To know that Jimmie Lewallen ran this number in the Grand National Series with my grandfather owning the car is special. They were able to have success together with wins and I hope to be able to take our TaxSlayer scheme to Victory Lane on Saturday.”
TaxSlayer is a big part of your career and especially this scheme. What does it mean to have a partner who is willing to work with you to honor your family’s heritage?
“It’s something that as a race car driver you dream about. You want that sponsor that is committed to you, wants to work with you and is focused on growing in the sport together. That’s what a lot of drivers strive for, so I’m very blessed to have a partner that not only supports my efforts but wants to honor our family’s heritage.”
