Race: Finger Lakes 355 at The Glen
Location: Watkins Glen International
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Notes:
Richard Childress Racing at “The Glen” … In 49 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen International, RCR boasts two wins (Robby Gordon 2003 and Kevin Harvick 2006), eight top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Dale Earnhardt won three poles (1990, ’92, ’96) at the high-speed, seven-turn upstate New York circuit.
RCR in the NSCS … In 2,228 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 100 wins, 432 top-five finishes, 898 top-10 finishes and 42 pole awards, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 15.8 among all races contested. RCR has earned six Sprint Cup Series championships with Dale Earnhardt (1986, ’87, ’90,’91, ’93, ’94), 14 total championships (five NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.
The Collective RCR … Throughout the season’s first 21 races, RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries have notched five top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. RCR teams have completed 18,570 out of 18,848 total laps (98.5 percent) with drivers Jeff Burton, Austin Dillon, Brendan Gaughan, Harvick, Paul Menard and Elliott Sadler. The group has led a combined 175 laps.
Get to the Points … Following the Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway, Harvick fell to ninth in the driver championship point standings, 63 markers out of the top spot. Menard ranks 16th in the standings, while Burton is 20th.
Interactive RCR …To keep up-to-date with the latest news and to view exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages – @RCR27PMenard, @RCR29KHarvick and @RCR31JeffBurton. Information about the 14-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com.
Catch the Action … ESPN’s live coverage of the Finger Lakes 355 begins Sunday, August 12 at 12 p.m. Eastern Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Qualifying for the 22nd points-paying event on the Sprint Cup Series will be broadcast live on ESPN2 on Saturday, August 11 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Paul Menard
No. 27 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Rheem/Menards Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International … Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 361 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet was last seen on track at Watkins Glen in August 2011, where Menard finished in the 32nd position.
By the Numbers, Making Lefts and Rights … In eight career NSCS starts at “The Glen,” the Eau Claire, Wis., native has completed 99 percent of the laps (717 of 724). Menard logged his best finish of 16th in the 2010 event at the 2.45-mile road course. His best start of 14th came in August 2009.
Nine Years Later … Menard made his Sprint Cup Series debut at Watkins Glen on August 10, 2003 in the 90-lap Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen. He started the signature neon yellow Chevrolet from the 43rd position and finished 29th, on the lead lap. Since that afternoon in the Finger Lakes region of upstate N.Y., Menard has accrued one win, six top-five and 20 top-10 finishes in 204 starts. He has one pole award and has led for 151 laps.
Racing Close to Home … The No. 27 team’s front-tire changer, Terry Spalding, grew up in Troy, Pa., one hour south of Watkins Glen International. This is Spalding’s second season as a member of the No. 27 Chevrolet team’s pit crew and his third at RCR.
Double Duty Weekend … In addition to his driving duties with the No. 27 Sprint Cup Series team, Menard is scheduled to drive the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet for RCR in Saturday’s Nationwide Series Zippo 200 at The Glen. The event will air live on ABC at 2 p.m. Eastern Time.
By the Numbers in 2012 … With 21 points-paying events of the 2012 season complete, Menard sits 16th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 82 points out of the final Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup spot on the merit of four top-10 and 11 top-15 finishes. In his sophomore season with RCR, Menard has an average starting position of 16.6, an average finishing position of 15.7, maintains an Average Running Position of 17.96, and has completed 99.7 percent of his laps (5,726 of 5,746), the fourth-best of all drivers.
Race Rewind: Watkins Glen … Menard started the No. 27 Menard and the No. 27 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards in the 32nd position in last year’s Sprint Cup Series race at “The Glen,” and was en route to a top-15 finish when an issue with the left-front tire in the closing laps sent the neon yellow Chevrolet hard into the retaining wall, relegating the team to a 32nd-place finish.
In the Rearview Mirror: Pocono Raceway … Following a rain delay of almost two hours, Menard started the No. 27 Serta/Menards Chevrolet from the third position in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway and scored an 11th-place finish when NASCAR officials called the event complete at 98 laps due to the return of inclement weather in the immediate area.
About Rheem … Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is privately held with headquarters in Atlanta and U.S. operations in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Minnesota and North Carolina. In its 86th year of operation, the company manufactures a full-line of eco-friendly, technologically advanced residential and commercial heating and cooling systems; tank, tankless, solar and hybrid heat pump water heaters; whole-home standby generators, controls, swimming pool and spa heaters; indoor air-purification products; and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The company’s premium brands, including Rheem, Raypak, Ruud and Richmond have been recognized with countless industry and consumer awards for reliability, innovative design and high quality. Rheem is the official heating, cooling and water heating supplier to Richard Childress Racing, and is a primary sponsor of RCR’s No. 29 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
You have a lot of road course racing experience, but when we look at your record at Watkins Glen International, the finishes are not there. Why is that?
“The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the most competitive series in the world and we race the same guys every weekend. We’ve had some of the best (road course drivers) in the world like Boris Said and Ron Fellows struggle at Watkins Glen (International). Last year we were actually in position to gain a lot of points for the Wild Card position in the Chase (for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) and we blew a left-front tire with a couple laps to go. Little things like that ruin your finish.”
Where are the passing zones at Watkins Glen International and what do you have to do to take advantage of them?
“You can pass anywhere, but the big ones are going into turn one, into the bus stop and then coming to turn six. The key is to out-brake the car ahead of you to make the pass. It’s really the only way to pass someone.”
How crazy does it get in the bus stop?
“When running two-wide it gets pretty hairy (in the bus stop) but if you’re by yourself it’s not too bad if you have the whole track to work with. That is the toughest spot to pass someone because if they don’t let you go and you drive through there two-wide, you’re going to make contact at some point. Usually people give and take a little more through the bus stop than they do in (turns) one and six, or even seven. It’s pretty wild.”
Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Budweiser Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 395 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 29 Chevrolet was built new for competition in 2012 and was put through its first competitive laps at Sonoma when Harvick brought home a 16th-place finish after starting from the 26th position.
Returning Winner … The 36-year-old driver made his first NASCAR appearance at Watkins Glen International in 2000 for RCR while competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Harvick has completed a total of 1,541 laps at the 2.45-mile road course between the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has collected a total of two wins (NSCS – 2006, NNS – 2007), eight top-five and six top-10 finishes, one pole award and is credited for leading 109 circuits.
Going for a Loop at the New York Road Course … Since the inception of NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics in 2006, Harvick has completed seven Sprint Cup Series events at the Watkins Glen, N.Y.-based facility and holds a 14.9 average starting position and a 15.7 average finishing position. The RCR veteran driver ranks fifth amongst all competitors in the category of Laps in the Top 15, after completing 402 laps (63.4 percent) running in a position of 15th or higher position. Harvick has also led 28 laps during the last seven events ranking him eighth in Laps Led.
Points Racing … With 21 points-paying events in the books, Harvick now sits ninth in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 63 markers behind the leader. Harvick has collected three top-five and nine top-10 finishes thus far this season, completing 99.76 percent (5,573 of 5,586) of the laps contested.
Red, White and Blue Summer … For the sixth and final time this season, the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet will sport the patriotic colors of Budweiser’s “Red, White and Blue Summer” packaging featured on bottles and cans of the King of Beers, found at various locations this summer.
Cheering on Team USA … As we enter the final weekend of the 2012 London Olympics, the No. 29 Budweiser team will be keeping tabs on Dennis Bowsher, a member of the U.S. Army who will represent Team USA in the men’s modern pentathlon competition on Saturday, August 11.. Bowsher helped teach the No. 29 Budweiser team the basics of fencing when the crew visited the U.S. Olympic Complex in Colorado Springs, Colo., in June. Photos of the team’s trip to the Olympic Training Center are available on the Budweiser Racing media site: .
Transform Reality with Blippar … Emerging technology from Blippar delivers an exclusive mobile experience to fans of Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Racing Team. Blippar is the first image-recognition phone app aimed at bringing to life products with exciting augmented reality interactions and instantaneous content. With the Blippar app fans can use their smart phones to convert the Bud 29 logo into an interactive, wow experience where they can view footage of Harvick and the team, get behind-the-scenes access and take their photo with the driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet. The free app is available for download on iOS and Android devices. Once downloaded, fans can utilize the app to blipp (scan) the Bud 29 logo, accessible in retail locations and on team merchandise, to access the special content.
Testing with Goodyear … Prior to traveling to Watkins Glen, Harvick and the No. 29 team will spend Tuesday and Wednesday participating in a Goodyear tire test at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, where they’ll run the new 2013 Sprint Cup Series Chevrolet SS. The test is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time both days with an hour-long lunch break at noon. The grandstands will be open to the public, free of charge.
Meet Harvick … Race fans in the Watkins Glen, N.Y., area can meet Harvick on Thursday, August 9. The driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet will appear at the Walmart Supercenter, located at 515 East 4th Street, from 4:30 – 6 p.m. ET. Please contact the store for additional details on the appearance.
Golfing with Harvick … Following Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International, the 73rd annual Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., will tee off on Monday, August 13 with the third annual Kevin Harvick Foundation Pro-Am Presented by Technology Concepts & Design, Inc. The Kevin Harvick Foundation Pro-Am is the first official event of the Wyndham Championship, the seventh-oldest event on the PGA TOUR, is being held at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. PGA TOUR professionals will join Harvick and other amateur golfers on four-player teams teeing off at 10 a.m. ET.
The Last Time By … Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team survived a wild green-white-checkered finish to score a sixth-place result in last season’s rain-delayed Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen road course race at Watkins Glen International.
In the Rearview Mirror: Pennsylvania 400 … The start of the Pennsylvania 400 was delayed nearly two hours by rain and once the track was dry Harvick took the green flag from the 21st position in the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet and was credited with a 16th-place finish in last Sunday’s rain-shortened Sprint Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES: Last year you finished sixth at Watkins Glen International. What are the biggest challenges of racing there?
“Watkins Glen (International) is really fast, so the biggest thing there is to get your car good under braking so you can make passes during the race. Usually you can gain the most time is in the braking zones.”
You’ve raced Watkins Glen International 11 times, is it to the point now where you’ve learned as much as you can and it’s just a matter of having the perfect day to seal the deal at Watkins Glen International?
“I don’t think so. Every time we go there something’s a little bit different because the cars are always getting better and the tire is constantly changing. A couple of years ago they changed the race track a little bit with the concrete patches, so there’s always something that seems to change so you’re constantly learning. Obviously, you know the majority of the characteristics and direction and gears, and things you need to be in because we’ve been there so many times, but there’s always something to learn.”
How crazy does it get racing through the bus stop?
“The bus stop is obviously a very fast entry to the corner and you run over all the curbs as you go through the corner, so it’s a fun section of the race track and obviously a passing zone. Sometimes you have to get a little bit defensive getting into the bus stop, but there’s definitely a lot of time to be gained or lost there.”
What sections or turns are the most challenging at Watkins Glen International?
“It just depends on how your car is handling. I think they can all present problems. As the race goes on turn one becomes more of an issue because it’s downhill and the brakes start to get worn out. The wheel hop becomes easier to start happening as the race goes on. That is the one you have got to watch for me during the race, but they all present different challenges.”
Describe the increased emphasis on road courses in recent years. How things have changed?
“Well, that didn’t really change much over the last four or five years. I think before that there was a big change just because of the points and the things are all still the same from every other week. There were a lot of people that were good at it. You had to become good at it to be competitive so you’ve got to put a lot of effort into it.”
Are the road courses still odd ball races or do they seem like just another race now?
“They are pretty much just another race now. I think everybody knows that you are going to a road course and you’ve got a lot of different aspects from a driver’s standpoint and the team standpoint that you have to pay attention to.”
Jeff Burton
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Weekend’s Caterpillar Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International … Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 357 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend at Watkins Glen International. This No. 31 Chevrolet, built specifically for road-course racing, was driven by Burton earlier this season, finishing in the 11th position at Sonoma. RCR teammate Kevin Harvick piloted this machine last year at Sonoma where he started 26th and finished ninth.
Career Watkins Glen Stats … This weekend’s event marks Burton’s 19th start at the road-course facility in Upstate N.Y. and 641st-career Sprint Cup Series entry. Burton has garnered two top-five and five top-10 finishes at the track, including back-to-back ninth-place finishes the last two seasons.
Last Time on a Road Course … After starting deep in the field, Burton and the No. 31 Wheaties Chevrolet team persevered to an 11th-place finish in the Sprint Cup Series race in Sonoma. With the strong finish, Burton gained two positions in Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings and earned NASCAR’s official USG “Improving the Finish” Award by gaining 24 positions during the 112-lap event.
Last Time at “The Glen” … Burton overcame a qualifying hiccup by finishing inside the top 10 (ninth-place) in a Monday edition of the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen. Burton qualified 40th for the scheduled 90-lap main event that was slated for Sunday afternoon, but heavy rain forced NASCAR and track officials to postpone the race until Monday morning.
Featured Cat Dealers … Milton CAT will be featured on the deck lid of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet this weekend at Watkins Glen International.
Milton CAT is the northeast dealer for Caterpillar machinery and power systems as well as a range of top name brands that complement the Caterpillar product offering – Metso mobile screening plants, Hartl crushers, Genie aerial lifts, and Sullair compressors. Milton CAT serves light to heavy construction, forestry, agriculture, governmental, paving, scrap, demolition and waste as well as marine, prime and stand-by power generation industries. Through www.rentmachines.com, a network of independent rental stores, Milton CAT offers short-term rentals. To learn more visit www.miltoncat.com.
Meet the Driver … Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Jeff Burton is scheduled to participate in an autograph session at the Walmart located on 515 E. 4th Street in Watkins Glen, N.Y. on Thursday, August 9 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time
Race Rewind … After rain delayed the start of the Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday for nearly two hours, Burton and the No. 31 EnerSys/ODYSSEY Battery Chevrolet team claimed a 22nd-place finish when severe thunderstorms enveloped the track and shortened the event.
Points Racing … After 21 points-paying events of the 36-race Sprint Cup Series season, Burton has scored 527 points and sits in the 20th position in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings. The veteran RCR driver has two top-five and four top-10 finishes and has spent 1,868 laps running in the top 15, made 2,122 green-flag passes and led 35 laps.
JEFF BURTON QUOTES:
How does your 11th-place finish at Sonoma set you up for Watkins Glen International?
“I think we learned a lot. We didn’t perform or qualify the way we wanted to, but we made changes during the race that worked. We are accustomed to running better than that on road courses. We didn’t unload very well, but we kept making the car better. I think RCR collectively as a team worked really well together between the three Sprint Cup Series teams. It was probably because we were running close to the same so we were all working off common ground. Most of the places we go, one teammate is fast and the other two are off. That weekend, we all were struggling so we had to pull together and move forward. We had a great weekend as it relates to being teammates and trying to make things better. We were the only RCR team that got a decent finish, but everyone ran well on Sunday.”
Talk about your back-to-back ninth-place finishes at Watkins Glen International the last two seasons.
“I like Watkins Glen (International) a lot. Overall, I like road-course racing. The only thing I don’t like about road racing is getting knocked out. That seems to happen often. We were able to avoid it Sonoma. Unfortunately, we had an issue where Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) and I got together, but it was one of those things where neither one of us really did anything wrong. It was just a product of having 43 cars go into a corner that is a 90-degree turn. Some of it can’t be avoided and that’s what is difficult. Some of it is people just not caring who they run into, but some of it is people trying to avoid it. I think when these road-course racers join the field for these races, they are surprised how good we are it. What we lack in road-course racing experience, we make up for it by knowing how to handle these race cars. There is no car in the world like these Sprint Cup Series cars. These cars are animals. I’m not saying we are the best drivers in the world. It takes a different skill set to drive these cars. They aren’t point-and-shoot race cars.”
Where is it easier to separate yourself from road-course racers, Sonoma or Watkins Glen International?
“Sonoma. Turn one on restarts at Watkins Glen (International) is problematic because you have this long straightaway leading into a 90-degree corner. That always gets hairy. After you go through the esses and up through the inner loop, you have another long straightaway heading into a very slow corner. Those two areas are the big problem areas on restarts. As for the long chicane, when someone wrecks there, it gets very ugly as we’ve seen over the last few years. Turn one, turn two and the inner loop on restarts is where a lot of stuff happens.”
What about the “bus stop?” How crazy can it get?
“It’s so much fun. Rolling up the back straightaway at 170-180 miles per hour and going into a…I don’t even know what you call it. In that corner, there is a lot of braking, hard turning and acceleration. It is a really cool corner and very hard to race through there. Overall, it is a very fun corner.”
Race: Zippo 200 at The Glen
Location: Watkins Glen International
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Nationwide Series Notes
RCR’s NASCAR Nationwide Series History at Watkins Glen International … In 15 Nationwide Series starts at Watkins Glen International, Richard Childress Racing has made one appearance to Victory Lane, with Kevin Harvick in 2007, among five top-five and eight top-10 finishes. The Welcome, N.C.-based organization has completed 96.8 percent of laps attempted at the track, with 111 laps led.
The Season So Far … In the 20 races contested this season, RCR has acquired five wins in the Nationwide Series, with Elliott Sadler at Phoenix International Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway and Iowa Speedway and Austin Dillon at Kentucky Speedway. RCR has earned eight pole awards in 2012, with Sadler at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and both Iowa Speedway events, Paul Menard at Texas Motor Speedway, Kevin Harvick at Richmond International Raceway and Austin Dillon at Michigan International Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. The organization has 27 top-five and 46 top-10 finishes and has led 1,069 laps in 2012.
RCR in the NNS … In 826 Nationwide Series starts over the course of the last 15 years, RCR has earned 61 wins, 277 top-five finishes, 457 top-10 finishes and 40 pole awards, with an average starting position of 12.4 and an average finishing position of 12.7 among all races contested. RCR earned the Nationwide Series driver point championships in 2001 and 2006 with Harvick, and in 2008 with Clint Bowyer. The Welcome, N.C.-based team earned the owner’s title in 2003 with Johnny Sauter and Harvick, and again in 2007 with Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer.
To the Point … RCR’s two full-time Nationwide Series entries rank first (Sadler) and second (Dillon) in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings heading into this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen International. The No. 2 team sits second in the owner point standings while the No. 3 team ranks third. The No. 33 team sits seventh in the owner championship point standings.
Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news and information and to view exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing, RCR’s NASCAR Nationwide Series team Twitter pages – @RCR2ESadler, @RCR3ADillon and @RCR33NNS, RCR’s Nationwide Series driver Twitter pages – @Elliott_Sadler and @AustinDillon3, the official Facebook fan pages – facebook.com/RCRracing, facebook.com/ElliottSadlerOfficial, facebook.com/austindillon3 and facebook.com/PaulMenard27.
Live on ABC … Flag-to-flag coverage of the Zippo 200 at The Glen is scheduled to be televised on ABC beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, August 11 and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Elliott Sadler No. 2 Charter Chevrolet Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Charter Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International … Elliott Sadler and the No. 2 Charter team will unload Chassis No. 498 from Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Nationwide Series stable this weekend as the series travels to Watkins Glen International. This chassis was acquired from the merger with Kevin Harvick Inc., and refurbished by the No. 2 team in the off season.
Road Racing … The event at Watkins Glen International serves as the second of three road course races on the 2012 Nationwide Series schedule this season. In June, Sadler finished 15th at Road America after a late-race incident damaged the No. 2 Chevrolet in the first road course event of the season. Sadler returns to “The Glen” for the fourth time in his Nationwide Series career scoring one top-10 finish and completed 100 percent of laps contested. He also brings experience at the 2.45-mile track from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 12 starts and a best finish of seventh-place in 2006.
Welcome Back, Charter … The No. 2 Chevrolet will sport the Charter blue and green paint scheme for the second time this season this weekend at Watkins Glen International. Charter, the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States and a leading broadband communications company, also adorns several RCR entries throughout the 2012 season, including the Nos. 29 and 31 Sprint Cup Series Chevrolets, the Nos. 2 and 3 Nationwide Series Chevrolets and the Nos. 2 and 22 Chevrolets in the Camping World Truck Series. Sadler drove the No. 2 Charter Chevrolet earlier this season at Road America.
Last Time By … In Sadler’s last visit to “The Glen” in 2011, the Emporia, Va., native wheeled his way to a 10th-place finish, his best Nationwide Series finish at the track to date.
Just The Stats … According to NASCAR’s 2012 Loop Data Season-to-Date statistics, Sadler leads the Nationwide Series in Average Mid-Race Position (6.7), Average Running Position(7.1), Quality Passes(879), Laps in the Top 15(3432)and Percentage of laps in the Top 15(96.1).After 20 events in the Nationwide Series season, Sadler has earned four wins, three pole awards, eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes with 234 laps led.
To the Point … Sadler remains atop the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings, leading RCR teammate Austin Dillon by 18 points.
Race Rewind: Iowa Speedway … Starting from the pole position last weekend at Iowa Speedway, Sadler and the No. 2 OneMain Financial team competed at the front of the pack for much of the 250-lap event. Taking over the lead on lap 193, Sadler held onto the top spot to bring home the team’s fourth victory of the 2012 Nationwide Series season, his ninth-career Nationwide Series win.
Seeing Pink … For the remainder of the season, Sadler will have a little more color to his outfit on race days. The Emporia, Va., native will sport pink driving shoes, showing support for Breast Cancer Awareness. Sadler’s mother, Bell, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and is now a survivor. Fans have the opportunity to bid on his race-worn pink shoes throughout the season with benefitting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. For more information, visit www.sadlerfoundation.org.
ELLIOTT SADLER QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on Watkins Glen International?
“I always look forward to the road course races on the schedule. Watkins Glen (International) is a great course, and it is pretty fast. I think that it is a lot faster than Road America, or even Sonoma on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. We have a decent record there, and I’m really looking forward to improving on my 10th-place finish from last season. The trick of the track is to get through the s-turns and around the back side of the carousel, you are doing pretty well when you can make it through without incident.”
Austin Dillon
No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s AdvoCare Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 098 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable. This is a new Chevrolet from the RCR stable that will be utilized for the first time this weekend.
Dillon at the Glen … Dillon will make his first Nationwide Series start at Watkins Glen International this weekend and has one Nationwide Series road course race to his credit, finishing in the 18th position at Road America in June. He has competed in two road course races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Division, finishing 12th at Watkins Glen and finishing 21st at Lime Rock Motorsports Park, both in 2008. The 22-year-old Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender has been training with road course racing veteran Max Papis this season.
The Season So Far … According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Season-to-Date Statistics, Dillon has completed 90.8 percent of his Laps in the Top 15, ranking him second and has an Average Running Position of 8.496 in the season’s 20 contested Nationwide Series races, also ranking him second among all drivers. The Nationwide Series rookie is ranked second in the Fastest Laps Run category with 279 laps so far this season and has completed 96.02 percent of Laps on the Lead Lap, ranking him third among all competitors. He maintains a Driver Rating of 105.1, ranking him fourth, has the fourth-fastest Speed in Traffic and is the fourth-Fastest Driver Late in a Run. He has 283 Laps Led this season, ranking him fifth, has the sixth-fastest Green Flag Speed, is sixth-Fastest on Restarts, is the sixth-fastest Driver Early in a Run and ranks sixth in Quality Passes with 774.
Get to the Points … Dillon is second in the 2012 Nationwide Series driver championship point standings, trailing RCR teammate Elliott Sadler by 18 points. The Welcome, N.C., driver currently leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings over Cole Whitt.
Spark your Engines … Dillon and the RCR team will sport the colors of award-winning premier health and wellness company AdvoCare on the No. 3 Chevrolet at Watkins Glen. AdvoCare offers nutrition, weight loss, energy and sports performance products of the highest quality developed through comprehensive research and backed by a Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. Dillon trains with AdvoCare products throughout the week and is a distributor as well. For more information about Dillon’s favorite products, including Spark, Rehydrate, meal replacement bars and Post-Workout Recovery, visit .
Iowa Speedway Recap … Dillon started from the third position and led 53 laps in the Nationwide Series’ second Iowa Speedway appearance of the season before a vibration caused the RCR driver to make an unscheduled pit stop and fall one lap down to the leader. A long green-flag run ensued, preventing Dillon from earning the “Lucky Dog” award and he ultimately finished in the 15th position.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
With limited road course racing experience, what are your goals for this weekend at Watkins Glen International?
“This weekend could be a big game changer for a lot of people in the point standings. I’ve been working with Max Papis a lot and I know that his feedback will be helpful throughout the race weekend. Max has given me a lot of confidence and I’m definitely more prepared, both physically and mentally, for this weekend. I think the biggest thing when racing at Road America, Watkins Glen International and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is to stay on the race track. It’s easier said than done. If we can survive and finish the race, I know that it will be very helpful for us in the point standings.”
Paul Menard
No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Rheem/Menards Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International … Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 97 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable. This No. 33 Chevrolet was built new for 2012 competition and was previously driven by RCR teammate Max Papis at Road America in June where he started from the fifth position and finished fourth.
By the numbers at “The Glen” … In six Nationwide Series starts at Watkins Glen International, Menard has one top-five and three top-10 finishes, completing 99.6 percent of his laps (494 of 496) and leading for three circuits. He holds a 13th-place average starting position and an average finishing position of 13.7. He claimed his best finish of fourth in the 2007 Nationwide Series race with his best start coming in his 2005 NNS debut at the 2.45-mile road course.
A Little Loopy the Last Time Around … Menard posted some impressive NASCAR Loop Data Statistics with his sixth-place performance at “The Glen” in August 2011. The Eau Claire, Wis., native tied for first in Laps in the Top 15 (85, 100 percent), ranked fourth in Fastest on Restarts (117.353 mph), fifth in the categories Speed in Traffic (117.559 mph), Green-Flag Speed (118.689 mph) and Average Running Position (6.341), seventh in the categories Driver Rating (107), Drivers Fastest Early in a Run (118.733 mph) and Drivers Fastest Late in a Run (118.492 mph) and tied for eighth in Closers (1 position).
2012 in the Nationwide Series for Menard … This weekend marks Menard’s fourth of seven scheduled starts in the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet for RCR in the 2012 Nationwide Series season. He holds one top-five and three top-10 finishes this season, earning one pole award (Texas Motor Speedway, April) and leading for 137 laps. Menard has an average starting position of 5.7 and a sixth-place average finishing position. He will return to the driver’s seat of the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet next at Chicagoland Speedway in September, followed by Dover International Speedway (September) and Kansas Speedway in October.
Race Rewind: Watkins Glen … Menard started the 2011 Zippo 200 at The Glen from the seventh position and remained in the top 10 throughout the 85-lap race to bring home a sixth-place finish.
In the Rearview Mirror: Iowa Speedway … After running in the top 10 for the majority of the Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway, Brendan Gaughan nursed a shredding right-front tire on the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet in the closing laps of the American Ethanol 200 to finish in the 14th-position.
About Rheem … Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is privately held with headquarters in Atlanta and U.S. operations in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Minnesota and North Carolina. In its 86th year of operation, the company manufactures a full-line of eco-friendly, technologically advanced residential and commercial heating and cooling systems; tank, tankless, solar and hybrid heat pump water heaters; whole-home standby generators, controls, swimming pool and spa heaters; indoor air-purification products; and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The company’s premium brands, including Rheem, Raypak, Ruud and Richmond have been recognized with countless industry and consumer awards for reliability, innovative design and high quality. Rheem is the official heating, cooling and water heating supplier to Richard Childress Racing, and is a primary sponsor of RCR’s No. 29 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
How do you go about picking out the races you run in the NASCAR Nationwide Series?
“We always choose our (Menards) markets first. Even though it is not in a Menards market, I like to race Watkins Glen (International) because it is a road course. Since we don’t get to run many throughout the year, I like to switch it up a bit.”
Are the Nationwide Series cars close enough to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars that you can learn things on Saturday to use during Sunday’s race?
“On a road course, I think that the cars are close enough. On a typical oval, no, I don’t think that they are. I think that you can pick up a little more on how to drive the race track on a road course to help you on Sunday.”
