Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway… In 150 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Richard Childress Racing-prepared racecars have earned eight wins, all by Dale Earnhardt. The driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet claimed the checkered flag in 1986 (spring), both races in 1987, 1989 (fall), another sweep in 1990 plus spring events in 1993 and 1994. Additionally, the team owns two poles, 27 top-five and 50 top-10 finishes, has completed 92% of the laps contested (41,123 of 51,245 laps) and led 2,618 laps at the historic facility entering Sunday evening’s race. Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed a pair of those top-10s himself between 1977-1978.
In Good Company… RCR is tied for fourth all-time with Holman-Moody and Wood Brothers Racing for car owner victories at Darlington Raceway, thanks to Earnhardt’s eight victories at the South Carolina track.
RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Portland International Raceway… Richard Childress Racing has collected two top-five finishes (both by Austin Hill) and three top-10 finishes in six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Portland International Raceway. The Welcome, N.C., based company has led 48 total laps and earned one pole position (Sheldon Creed in 2023) at the 1.967-mile road course.
Bowtie Brigade… Austin Dillon is one of seven Cup Series drivers competing in the NASCAR Playoffs this year under the Chevrolet banner, the most by any manufacturer in the premier series. Chevrolet is also dominating in the Xfinity Series, having led 2,868 of a possible 3,763 (76%) laps this season and finding Victory Lane in 21 of 24 races.
The Cowboy Way… The Carolina Cowboys, a professional bull riding team in the PBR Teams league, an elite league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games throughout the country, return home on September 12-14 for their fourth annual Cowboy Days homestand at First Horizon Coliseum. Tickets for the event are on sale now, and start at $20, taxes and fees not included. They can be purchased online at TicketMaster.com and PBR.com, at the First Horizon Coliseum Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at (800) 732-1727. For more information on Carolina Cowboys, and for updates on the upcoming PBR Cowboy Days, visit https://pbr.com/teams/carolina-cowboys, Carolina Cowboys on Facebook, @carolinacowboyspbr on Instagram, or @CARCowboysPBR on Twitter.
Saturday Tune In… The Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Raceway will be televised live on Saturday, August 30 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW Network. NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying practice and qualifying can be viewed on The CW App beginning at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Catch the Action Sunday… The Cook Out Southern 500 will be televised live on Sunday, August 31 beginning at 6 p.m. ET on USA and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying on Saturday will be broadcast on truTV. Ride shotgun all season long with live, in-car camera feeds and scanner audio with a paid subscription to Max as part of their NASCAR driver cam experience during the race.
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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Deer Season XP® Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway… Austin Dillon has made 18 career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway, posting a career-best second-place finish in September 2020 when he missed Victory Lane by a narrow margin over Kevin Harvick. Dillon has completed 98.3% of the laps competed in the NASCAR Cup Series at the historic venue. Dillon also had a fourth-place finish in 2017. When the Cup Series visited Darlington Raceway this April, Dillon both qualified and finished 23rd.
More Than Cup Racing… Dillon has made four 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.
Let The Playoffs Begin… This weekend at the famed 1.366-mile oval, the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will get underway, marking Dillon’s sixth career qualification to the postseason (2016-18, 2020, 2022 and 2025). Dillon will begin the first round ranked 15th in the standings, two points behind the cutline.
NASCAR Foundation Speediatrics Fun Day Festival… On Friday, August 29 at 9:00 a.m. Local Time, Dillon and The NASCAR Foundation will host kids from Black Creek Elementary School at the NASCAR Experience in the Fan Zone at Darlington Raceway for the Speediatrics Fun Day Festival. The NASCAR-themed field day inside the NASCAR Experience display promotes healthy lifestyle habits for children in local racing communities through racing-themed lifestyle programming.
About 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 united with 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 RCR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit basspro.com.
Winchester Deer Season XP®… Winchester Deer Season XP® is celebrating 10 years as the most accurate and lethal bullet for deer hunting. For a decade, Deer Season XP® has been the choice of deer hunters looking to fill their tags. Deer hunters everywhere rely on the Extreme Point® bullet’s oversized impact diameter. The larger impact diameter means more impact trauma, better energy transfer, and larger wound cavities for faster knockdown. Until November 30, 2025, earn $5 per box when you purchase Deer Season XP®. Learn more here.
Meet Dillon… Dillon is scheduled to make an appearance in the Darlington Raceway Campgrounds on Friday, August 29 at 2:45 p.m. Local Time to visit fans, take photos and more. Later that afternoon, Dillon will visit a local Walmart (251 Andover Place, Darlington, SC 29532) on behalf of Coca-Cola at 4:30 p.m. Local Time to sign autographs. Wristbands are required. On Sunday, August 31 at 12:15 p.m. Local Time, Dillon will take to the NASCAR Experience Stage to participate in MRN’s Trackside Chapel Service, followed by a visit to the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Darlington Raceway Fan Midway at 1:25 p.m. Local Time. Fans are encourage to stop by to meet the driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet and purchase gear for race day.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Do you like racing at Darlington Raceway?
“I can’t wait to get to Darlington Raceway in our Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Deer Season XP Chevrolet. The Southern 500 is one of the coolest races of the year. I love the long races. You really have to race that track from start to finish. It’s exciting to be able to go to Darlington as a NASCAR Playoffs contender and represent everyone in Welcome, North Carolina.”
How do you prepare for 500 grueling laps at Darlington Raceway?
“I think racing for 500 miles is one of those things you prepare yourself all year long for. There’s some races, like the Coca-Cola 600, the Southern 500, that you know are just going to be one of those places that you go to and get locked in, focus on one lap after another. You take it lap by lap.”
Is getting a Darlington stripe a badge of honor?
“The Darlington stripe is a badge of honor, but I like to keep my car clean. I don’t want any stripes. I want it to be race ready the whole race so I have everything I can for the end of the race.”
How important is qualifying at Darlington Raceway?
“Qualifying is super important. A lot of emphasis will be put on qualifying because we’re trying to gain stage points. Darlington Raceway is a tricky place to qualify at, because you can be very aggressive and gain a lot, but it’s easy to step over the line in the same situation.”
What’s the strategy for the Southern 500?
“I think the strategy for the Southern 500 is to get better throughout the race. Execution is key. You can’t have a setback, but as it gets cooler throughout the night, you’ve got to make the right adjustments so the car is the best at the end of the race.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway… Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 will mark Kyle Busch’s 28th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Darlington Raceway. Busch has one win (2008), seven top-five finishes and 16 top-10s at the 1.366 mile oval. Additionally, Busch has led 899 laps, has an average starting position of 12.8, an average finishing position of 13.3, and has completed 94.8% (8,841 of 9,326) of the laps he’s contested there. This past April at Darlington Raceway, Busch qualified eighth before finishing 10th.
A Dominating Darlington Victory in a Dominant 2008 Season… Busch earned his lone Cup Series victory at Darlington Raceway in May 2008. The Las Vegas, Nevada native overcame numerous issues thrown his way to lead a race-high 169 of the 367 laps en-route to becoming the youngest winner on NASCAR’s oldest speedway. He led early, but a penalty following a pit stop dropped him to 29th. He bounced hard off the wall an estimated “five or six times” as he worked his way back to the front in what would become an eventful fight to the finish. The win was his third of eight that season.
Success Not Limited to the Cup Series… In addition to his Cup Series success at the historic South Carolina track, the veteran racer also has two NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at the egg-shaped oval.
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KYLE BUSCH QUOTE:
Do you enjoy the challenge of racing at Darlington Raceway?
“I do feel like Darlington has its own unique challenges and those challenges are pretty fun. It kind of gives to that old school nature of NASCAR but yet still has its own unique differences between any of the other one-mile or mile-and-a-half racetracks that we go to.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Portland International Raceway… This weekend’s Pacific Office Automation 147 will mark Jesse Love’s second career Xfinity Series start at Portland International Raceway. When Love made his debut at the Pacific Northwest venue last year, the Menlo Park, California native qualified 12th before finishing 19th. Love’s experience at 1.967-mile road course, however, isn’t limited to the Xfinity Series. Love raced in the ARCA Menards Series West event at the Oregon track in 2021, starting from the seventh position and finishing in third place.
Standings Update… Through 24 regular season events, Love currently holds the fourth position in the Xfinity Series driver championship point standings – 67 points behind third-place Sam Mayer and 93 points behind standings leader Justin Allgaier. Love leads the Xfinity Series with 16 top-10 finishes.
Rearview Mirror… Last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, Love began the race 10th after qualifying was cancelled due to weather. Leading 14 laps, Love raced the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet to a fourth-place finish.
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JESSE LOVE QUOTE:
Coming off a top-five finish last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, what can we expect from you and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet in Portland International Raceway with just two regular season races remaining before the Playoffs?
“Portland is a fun road course. We’ve been good at some road courses this year, and struggled at others, so hopefully we can put together a solid performance this weekend, qualify well, get some stage points and have a good shot to win at the end of this race. You have to be good on the brakes in Portland, and have a good car with nice platform. Portland is a place I have struggled at in the past, and I have put a lot of work into it, so hopefully this run is better than last year.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at Portland International Raceway… Austin Hill has made three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Portland International Raceway, securing two top-five results and never finishing worse than 11th-place. The Winston, Georgia native earned a third-place finish in 2022 and a fifth-place effort in 2023. At the Pacific Northwest road course, Hill’s average starting position is 9.3 and average finishing position is 6.3.
So Close to a Road Course W… Despite being known for his talents on ovals, Hill has proven his ability when turning left and right on road courses. In five road course events during the 2025 Xfinity Series season, the 31-year-old has posted four top-five results – fourth at Circuit of The Americas, third at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, fourth at the Chicago Street Race, and fourth at Watkins Glen International – and never finished worse than 14th-place (at Sonoma Raceway). A road course victory is the only style of track that the veteran racer has not won at this far into his series career.
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AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:
Describe racing at Portland International Raceway.
“Portland International Raceway is unlike any other road course that we go to throughout the season. The surface is different than other courses. There are tight corners, which could be like COTA in certain areas of the track, because you will have a lot of first gear corners. But then Portland also has sections that you have to carry a good amount of speed, especially on the back half of the track when you are leaning on the rears laterally. You need the car to have good straight-line drive, because the track is a worn-out surface which will make tire fall off a thing.”
The forecast shows potential warmer temperatures than past events, with the race date shifting from the beginning of June to the end of August. Will this affect the balance of the car?
“If the temperature is going to be hotter than it normally is when we’ve raced at the beginning of June, then I would expect a lack of overall grip. The pace will be slower, and the car will need to turn better front grip-wise. We will have to decide how much front turn do we want to have in the car, knowing that will give up drive. It’s a balancing act of gaining front turn and losing drive. I personally think we will want more front turn than years past if it’s going to be warmer outside.”
