Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL… Richard Childress Racing has 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. Tyler Reddick owns the company’s best finish, a second-place effort in 2021. Both RCR Chevrolets captured top-10 results in 2022 (Reddick – eighth; Austin Dillon – 10th). Kyle Busch led RCR in 2023 with a third-place finish.
RCR’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL… RCR has made 10 starts at the ROVAL in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, highlighted by Tyler Reddick’s second-place finish in 2019. The Welcome, N.C., organization has six top-10 finishes dating back to the inaugural event in 2018. The best qualifying effort by an RCR driver is second-place by Daniel Hemric (2018) and Tyler Reddick (2019). Sheldon Creed led 18 laps in the 2022 race, the most at the ROVAL by an RCR driver.
Catch the Action on Saturday… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Drive for the Cure 250 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL will be televised live on Saturday, October 12, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on The CW. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Follow Sunday’s Cup Series Race… The NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL will be televised live on Sunday, October 13, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BetMGM Chevrolet at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL… Charlotte Motor Speedway is Austin Dillon’s home track. Growing up, Dillon watched many races from his grandfather’s condo with his family. In six NASCAR Cup Series starts at the ROVAL, Dillon earned his best finish of 10th in October 2022 and has completed 93 percent of the laps run at the 17-turn road course. Dillon is a previous winner on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s oval configuration, sweeping both NASCAR Xfinity races at the track in 2015 and earning his career-first NASCAR Cup Series win in the Coca-Cola 600 in 2017.
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Meet Dillon… On Friday, October 11 at 1 p.m. ET, Dillon is scheduled to make an appearance at the Huk store in the Charlotte Premium Outlets (5512 New Fashion Way, Charlotte, NC 28278 Suite #1055). Stop by to shop some of Dillon’s favorite Huk styles and try to beat his time on a RCR race simulator. Dillon is scheduled to greet race fans at the RCR Merchandise Trailer in the Fan Midway at Charlotte Motor Speedway at 10: 45 a.m. ET on Sunday, October 13. Meet the driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet and get new RCR gear.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
What are your thoughts on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL?
“It’s always nice to compete at your hometown track. I have confidence leading into the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL this year because we have worked hard on our road course races. We’ve put a lot of time and effort into road course cars. This weekend we aim to carry on the momentum into finishing races like we have in the past few weeks.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Lenovo Chevrolet at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL… Kyle Busch will make his seventh NASCAR Cup Series start at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL this weekend. The driver of the Lenovo Chevrolet has reeled off three consecutive top-five finishes at the North Carolina road course, including a third-place finish in the 2023 event. Busch finished fourth in 2021 and completed 97.56 percent of the possible laps at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (641 of a possible 657 laps).
Stat of the Week… Busch leads all active Cup Series drivers with three top-five finishes at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.
Road Course Successes… Busch has racked up four wins (two at Watkins Glen International and two at Sonoma Raceway) along with 19 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes in 55 career road course races in Cup Series competition.
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KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
There have been changes made to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL configuration. Do you think that will create additional passing zones and improve the quality of racing?
“Anytime there are changes made to a road course I think it is always directed towards creating additional passing zones and improving the quality of racing, so hopefully that happens. I think the area of the racetrack before in Turns 6, 7 and 8 was always single file, follow the leader, so maybe now you’ll have guys pull out a line and try to make a pass in the hairpin before getting back up on the big track.”
Would you be in favor of changing the course layout of a street course or the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL every few years to mix things up?
“I’m more in favor of going to different, permanent courses than street courses or rovals.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL… Jesse Love will make his inaugural start at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL this weekend. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year points leader has prepared for the new course layout by spending hours on the Chevrolet Tech Center simulator, walking the track, and watching past races.
Round of 12 Cutoff… With one race remaining in the Round of 12, Love currently sits sixth in the Xfinity Series playoff championship point standings. The 19-year-old driver has a 22-point advantage over the cutline and needs to secure a maximum of 41 points (without help) to advance to the Round of 8.
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Meet Love… On Saturday, October 12 at 1 p.m. ET, Love and his RCR teammate Austin Hill are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Fan Midway at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Stop by to meet the Chevrolet drivers and purchase new gear.
JESSE LOVE QUOTES:
Having never competed at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, what are your initial thoughts of the course?
“I walked the track on Monday morning to get a good look at it. It’s pretty interesting, but it looks fun. The hairpin in Turn 7 is going to create added chaos, and I’m honestly not sure what to think about the backstretch chicane yet. It should create a different pass zone, but not too much different than before. Turn 7 will add to the race and could make it easier to pass cars if you’re within a few car lengths of the guy in front of you. I’ve put my heart and soul into this race and have been working on it since Watkins Glen International, so I’m as prepared as I can be.”
How does a younger driver like yourself be a sponge to learn as much as possible in only six road course races over the course of the season?
“I’ve been pretty good – fair – at the road courses so far this season. We ran sixth at Circuit of the Americas, had a shot to win at Sonoma Raceway, and had an okay day at Watkins Glen International most recently. I need to step up my game just a little bit on the road courses though. Having guys like Connor Zilisch, SVG, and AJ Allmendinger in our series makes the rest of us work harder at it. They make us level up to their level. I’ve put a lot of work into it and learned a couple of things to hone in on for road course races. Right after Watkins Glen International, I realized how big of a race this weekend was going to be. It’s a huge opportunity race, so getting the reps in before arriving has been important for me.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL… Austin Hill has made four career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, dating back to 2020. One season ago, while driving the Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet, Hill started from the eighth position and finished a career-best ninth place.
One to Go in the Round of 12… With one race remaining in the Round of 12 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Hill currently sits fourth in the playoff championship point standings. The Winston, Georgia native has a 37-point advantage over the cutline and needs to secure a maximum of 34 points (without help) to advance to the next round.
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Meet Hill… On Saturday, October 12 at 1 p.m. ET, Hill and his RCR teammate Jesse Love are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Fan Midway at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Stop by to meet the Chevrolet drivers and purchase new gear.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:
With the new course updates to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, how have you prepared and what do you expect?
“We have run simulator time at the Chevrolet Tech Center in Concord to prepare for this weekend’s race. The new course design is a lot different than what we have run in the past. Turn 7 is going to be an extremely tight corner, so I think there is going to be a lot of bonsai moves and carnage happening there. The change to the backstretch chicane makes it tighter with it being more of a 90-degree corner now. You need a car that will turn really good through all of those tight sections, but you can’t be too loose. It’s a balance of needing to be free though to have good switch backs. Turn 7 will definitely be one to watch.”
On a scale of one to 10, where does your road course game stack up?
“I obviously can’t put myself at a 10 since we haven’t won yet, but I think I’m a solid seven. There have been so many road course races that our No. 21 team has had a shot at winning over the last several years. We have either come up a little short or a late race restart has prevented us from capturing a win. But if you look at it from a whole, I’m a little bit of an underdog when it comes to road course racing, and I like it that way. We always seem to find ourselves inside the top-five at the end when it matters though.”
