AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News and Notes
Race: Auto Club 400
Date: March 24, 2013
Location: Auto Club Speedway
RCR in SoCal … In 69 overall NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway (ACS), RCR Chevrolet teams have earned one win (Kevin Harvick – 2011), one pole award (Mike Skinner – April 2000), 10 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes. RCR has a 20.3 average starting position, a 16.6 average finishing position and has completed 16,143 of the 16,431 laps (98 percent) contested at the moderately-banked D-shaped race track. Each of RCR’s three full-time drivers (Paul Menard, Harvick and Jeff Burton) competing this weekend has led laps at the two-mile speedway.
RCR in the NSCS … In 2,285 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 101 wins, 42 pole awards, 435 top-five finishes and 914 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.9 and an average finishing position of 15.8 among all races contested. RCR has earned 14 total championships (six Sprint Cup Series championships with Dale Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90,’91, ’93 and ’94, 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.
RCR Bristol Rewind … In last Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway, Menard (ninth) collected his second consecutive top-10 finish of the 2013 season while Harvick crossed the finish line 14th and Burton 32nd, after being involved in an multi-car accident on lap 54.
The Collective RCR … Throughout the season’s first four races, RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries have made two trips to Victory Lane with Harvick in the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race and Budweiser Duel qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway. RCR has also notched four top-10 finishes with drivers Burton, Austin Dillon, Harvick and Menard. The three full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers rank ninth (Menard), 17th (Harvick) and 25th (Burton) in the driver championship point standings.
Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages – @RCR27PMenard, @RCR29KHarvick, @RCR31JeffBurton and driver Twitter page @KevinHarvick. Information about the 14-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com along with official driver pages – www.facebook.com/PaulMenard27, www.facebook.com/OfficialKevinHarvick and www.facebook.com/OfficialJeffBurton.
Catch the Action … Live coverage of the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway will be televised on FOX Sunday, March 24, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time and will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
Paul Menard
No. 27 CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet … Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 414 at Auto Club Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS is a new addition to the Richard Childress Racing stable this season.
Menard in Fontana … Menard has 10 starts at Auto Club Speedway. His best start of 15th and best finish of 16th both came in 2011. The Wisconsin native has completed 2,241 of 2,279 laps attempted (98.3 percent) at the two-mile oval, leading three of them.
About CertainTeed … CertainTeed Corporation is a leading North American manufacturer of building materials including roofing, vinyl and fiber cement siding, trim, fence, railing, decking, foundations, insulation, gypsum, ceilings, and pipe products. Headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, CertainTeed has approximately 6,000 employees and 65 facilities throughout the United States and Canada. CertainTeed is a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the top 100 industrial companies in the world. Saint-Gobain employs approximately 19,000 people in North America and approximately 109,000 people in 64 countries world-wide. Saint-Gobain’s North American companies operate 130 manufacturing facilities in industries as diverse as industrial ceramics and containers, reinforcements and flat glass, abrasives, and building materials. For more information, please visit www.certainteed.com.
Don’t Miss Your Chance to See Menard at the Team Chevy Stage … Fans can participate in a question-and-answer session with Menard on Saturday, March 23 at 11:15 a.m. Pacific Time at the Team Chevy Stage, located in the midway at Auto Club Speedway.
Race Rewind … Starting 27th, Menard finished 19th in last year’s Auto Club 400 when the scheduled 200-lap event was called complete on lap 129 because of rain.
PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
Menard’s Thoughts on Racing at Auto Club Speedway:
“Speeds are really high at Auto Club Speedway and the tires fall off quickly. One of our biggest challenges will be trying to make the tires last as long as we can during a fuel run on the CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet. With tire wear we can move around a lot on the track and have multiple racing grooves. It’s all about lane selection at Auto Club as the racing groove is constantly changing. In the beginning of a run we can typically run the bottom groove, but as the tires fall off momentum is important. The higher we can run the more momentum we can carry and we don’t have to be as aggressive with the throttle. We had a good finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, another intermediate track, so hopefully that will help us this weekend in Fontana.”
Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Jimmy John’s Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 378 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the Auto Club 400. Harvick last ran this RCR machine to an eighth-place finish during the 2012 season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Freaky Good in his Home State … Harvick will make his 20th-career Sprint Cup Series start at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday afternoon in front of a hometown crowd. The California native went to Victory Lane in 2011 and has earned four top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Throughout the years, Harvick has completed 98.4 percent (4,463 of 4,534) of the laps contested, with 60 laps led.
Find a Jimmy John’s … Jimmy John’s is known for fresh, quality products and freaky fast service. Visit www.jimmyjohns.com to view the full menu, find your nearest location or order online. Download the Jimmy John’s mobile application for freaky fast access to this gourmet product.
2012 Race Rewind … Harvick and the No. 29 Jimmy John’s team used pit strategy to improve their position and earn a fourth-place finish in last year’s rain-shortened Auto Club 400.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
Did you learn anything about the new car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that you can use at Auto Club Speedway?
“I don’t think so. I think you have two totally different styles of track between Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway. You’ll take the same family of car that we would race at Las Vegas to California, but that is really the only similarity. Auto Club Speedway has become pretty worn out over the last several years. It’s a lot of fun to race on and move around, you can go four or five wide in the corners and down the straightaways. You just have to really pay attention to what your car is doing, to try and get it balanced throughout the whole run because there is so much fall off from start to finish.”
Why do you think Auto Club Speedway has been such a good track for you throughout the years?
“We’ve just figured some things out there, where I want to be on the race track and the team has learned what I’m looking for in the car. To be able to go to a race track where you expect to race for the win is always fun. It seems like year after year you go to different styles of race tracks and the evolution of the car or the setups or tires change. Sometime you’re on and sometimes you’re off, but is seems like Auto Club Speedway has been a very consistent race track for us to be competitive.”
Jeff Burton
No. 31 Cheerios Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS at Auto Club Speedway… Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 416 this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. This is a brand new No. 31 Chevrolet that will see its first on-track action during Friday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice session.
Burton in California … Burton has 23 starts at Auto Club Speedway with one pole award (1999), six top-five finishes, seven top-10 finishes and led 127 laps.
Featured Caterpillar Dealer … Johnson Machinery will be featured on the deck lid of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet this weekend at Auto Club Speedway.
Johnson Machinery is Caterpillar’s only Platinum level dealer, serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties since 1940. Johnson offers the complete line of Caterpillar construction equipment products, new and used parts, service and rentals. Headquartered in Riverside, they have locations in Fontana, Indio, Victorville and Temecula.
Race Rewind 2012 … Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team finished 22nd in the 2012 Auto Club 400 after NASCAR officials shortened the scheduled 200-lap event to 129 laps due to rain.
JEFF BURTON QUOTES:
Drivers like Auto Club Speedway because the surface is worn out. Is that track harder on the drivers or crews?
“I think it is harder on the crews. In my opinion, tracks like Auto Club Speedway are why this new Gen-6 car was built. It is a slick two-mile race track. How do you make the racing more fun to watch? The decision was made to make more grip. If we leave there without seeing a better race than we have in the past, it will be disappointing. In my opinion, that race track is exactly what this car was built around.”
Why do you think drivers like old worn-out surfaces like Auto Club Speedway?
“I don’t think all drivers do, just the ones that run well there do. It’s fun to slide around and not have a lot of grip as long as everyone else is doing it too. It’s fun to know you are on the limit with the car sliding around. It’s a fun way to race.”
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Nationwide Series News and Notes
Race: Royal Purple 300
Date: March 23, 2013
Location: Auto Club Speedway
RCR’s NASCAR Nationwide Series History at Auto Club Speedway … RCR’s lone Nationwide Series win at Auto Club Speedway occurred in September 2007 with Jeff Burton behind the wheel. The Welcome, N.C.-based organization has four pole awards (Burton in February 2008, Clint Bowyer in September 2006 and 2005 and Kevin Harvick in April 2003), 14 top-five finishes and 24 top-10 finishes in 38 starts.
RCR in the NNS … In 879 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts through the last 15 years, Richard Childress Racing has earned 65 wins, 299 top-five finishes, 496 top-10 finishes and 42 pole awards with an average starting position of 12.1 and an average finishing position of 12.4 among all races contested. RCR earned the Nationwide Series driver points championships in 2001 and 2006 with Harvick and in 2008 with Bowyer. The Welcome, N.C.-based team earned the owner’s title in 2003 with Johnny Sauter and Harvick and again in 2007 with Burton and Scott Wimmer.
The Season So Far … In the four races contested this season, RCR has earned one win in the Nationwide Series, with Tony Stewart at Daytona International Speedway, along with two top-five and eight top-10 finishes. The organization has led 52 laps in 2013.
Get to the Points … Brian Scott is ranked third in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings, trailing point leader Sam Hornish, Jr. by 25 points, while Dillon ranks sixth, just 34 points out of the lead. In the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, the No. 2 Chevrolet team ranks fourth, while the No. 3 team ranks seventh and the No. 33 team ranks eighth.
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 – @RCR2BScott, @RCR3ADillon and @RCR33NNS, RCR’s NNS driver Twitter pages – @BScottRacing, @AustinDillon3 and @DakodaArmstrong and the official Facebook fan pages – facebook.com/BScottRacing, facebook.com/austindillon3 and facebook.com/Dakoda22.
Catch the Action … Flag-to-flag coverage of the Royal Purple 300 will be televised on ESPN beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, March 23 and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Satellite Radio.
Brian Scott
No. 2 Whitetail Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Whitetail Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Brian Scott will pilot chassis No. 110 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable in Saturday’s Royal Purple 300. The No. 2 team utilized this chassis last season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, starting and finishing the event seventh.
Longest Top-10 Streak in NASCAR … Heading into this weekend’s Royal Purple 300, Scott has the longest top-10 finishing streak (six) of any driver in NASCAR’s top three touring series. The RCR driver has not finished outside the top-10 since Phoenix International Raceway last fall.
SoCal History … The 25-year-old Chevrolet driver has five previous Nationwide Series starts at Auto Club Speedway. His best start of third came in August 2010, and best finish of fourth came one year ago in this event. He has one top five and two top-10 finishes, along with 100 percent laps completed.
Point Out the Points … Coming off his fourth consecutive top-10 finish of 2013, Scott sits third in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings. This marks his strongest start of a Nationwide Series season since his debut in 2009.
Whitetail Club: It’s Time to Play and Live … TheWhitetail Club will adorn the hood of Scott’s Chevrolet Camaro this Saturday afternoon. Set on 1,300-acres of old-growth Ponderosa pine forests, grassy meadows, streams and trout ponds. Whitetail prides itself on a place for families to relax among friends and discover new forms of adventure. Whitetail comes with such amenities that include membership to Andy North golf course, athletic complex with indoor tennis courts, private fish and swim club, Nordic ski trails and ten miles of paved walking paths.
Can You Sign This? … Scott will participate in the NASCAR Nationwide Series autograph session Friday afternoon at Auto Club Speedway following practice. Fans can meet the No. 2 Whitetail Club driver from 4:30 – 5:15pm.
Last Time Around … One year ago, the 25-year-old Nationwide Series regular started the 150-lap event from the seventh spot and brought home a fourth-place-finish at the two-mile-speedway, earning his first top-five finish of 2012.
BRIAN SCOTT QUOTES:
How is it racing at Auto Club Speedway?
“Fontana has been a good racetrack for me. It’s big and slick; it’s one of those tracks where you really need to slip between the seams, because they’ll really affect your tires. It’s really similar to Chicagoland Speedway, both tracks I’ve had really strong success by finishing inside the top five. There are multiple grooves to run through the corner with the ability to pass. As a driver, you have to be really disciplined because it’s such a challenging track as you slip around from lap-to-lap.
How do you determine which line to run through in the corner at Auto Club Speedway?
“It’s a mixed bag in choosing your lane. One, where you have comfort. Two, where your car runs well. Three, run where your competitors don’t. I’ve always been the type to make speed on the high side. I’ve always been able to make my car better in the high line and have the ability to pass people. You have to work around and try it. Once it’s hot and slick, not too many people run the bottom because you have to cross too many seams. As tires get older it really hurts the handling in the corner.”
Austin Dillon
No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s AdvoCare Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 109 in the Royal Purple 300 at Auto Club Speedway. In 2012, Dillon drove this Chevrolet to a sixth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September. He also scored a pair of fifth-place finishes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July and Michigan International Speedway in June, earning his first career Nationwide Series pole award and setting a new track record at MIS. He earned an 11th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May in this Chevrolet.
Dillon at Auto Club Speedway … Dillon has one previous start at Auto Club Speedway in the Nationwide Series, finishing fifth after starting fourth in 2012 as a rookie.
Get to the Points … Dillon ranks sixth in the 2013 Nationwide Series driver championship point standings, trailing current point leader Sam Hornish, Jr. by 34 points.
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 Auto Club Speedway. 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 .
AdvoCare Supporting the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma … If Dillon wins this weekend’s Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway, AdvoCare will make a $5,000 donation to the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma. The health and wellness company will pledge $2,000 to CIPT for a top-five finish and $1,000 for a top-10 finish. The Childress Institute invests resources in research, education and awareness to improve the treatment for critically injured children in the U.S. and AdvoCare’s generous donations are aimed at helping to raise awareness for pediatric trauma, the No. 1 killer of children in America. You can help save the lives of injured children by making a contribution to the Childress Institute in two ways: donate $33 in honor of Dillon via his website, or text WIN to 80077 to make a $10 donation.
Hometown Proud … Although they currently live in North Carolina, four members of the No. 3 AdvoCare team consider California their home state, including crew chief Danny Stockman. The 30-year-old crew chief was born in Fontana and lived there until the fifth grade when he and his family moved 35 miles north to Yucaipa, Calif. Car chief Robert Strmiska is from Manteca, Calif., mechanic Harley Rouch is from Clovis, Calif., and mechanic Charles Price is from Redlands, Calif.
Meet Dillon … Dillon will join other Nationwide Series drivers in an autograph session in the Nationwide Series garage area at Auto Club Speedway on Friday, March 23 from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
What do you think about Auto Club Speedway?
“I like Auto Club Speedway. The bigger tracks suit me well. It’s very similar to the way Michigan International Speedway was before they repaved it and I run really well at Michigan. I can’t wait to get to California. The track is a little rough. On big tracks like California you can really move around and find speed. My dirt background plays to the advantage there. I’ve just always been good at those types of tracks.”
Dakoda Armstrong
No. 33 WinField Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s WinField Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Dakoda Armstrong will pilot Chassis No. 107 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable in the 300-mile event at Auto Club Speedway. Most recently, this Chevrolet was piloted by Brendan Gaughan to a third-place finish in the 2012 Nationwide Series season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Welcome to the Team … Armstrong joins RCR for his first of five Nationwide Series appearances of the 2013 season. In addition to competing in Saturday’s event, the 21-year-old driver will also pilot an RCR entry at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 25), Chicagoland Speedway (July 21), Kentucky Speedway (Sept. 21) and a fifth race to be named later.
Nationwide Series Rookie … Saturday’s Royal Purple 300 will mark Armstrong’s second-career Nationwide Series appearance, and first start at the 1.5-mile facility. The rookie driver’s only Nationwide Series appearance came in 2012 during the season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway where he started 19th and finished 25th.
WinField on the Hood … WinField, a Land O’Lakes company, offers top-performing seed and crop protection products and will adorn the hood of the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. With unmatched agricultural expertise and performance as core company values, WinField brands match leading seed and crop protection products to help growers, dealers and other industry partners achieve high levels of success. WinField brands include CROPLAN® seed, crop protection products, plant nutrients and other proprietary products. Backed with unrivaled technical services and knowledge, WinField™ products deliver outstanding solutions and value for the agricultural industry.
Meet the New Guy … Armstrong will be signing autographs for fans during a NASCAR autograph session in the Nationwide Series garage on Friday, March 22 from 4:30-5:15 p.m. Pacific Time. Fans without infield access or a Pre-race Pit Pass should enter through the tunnel at Gate 17 after 4 p.m.
2012 Race Rewind … During this race last season, Brendan Gaughan piloted the No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway, and collected a 43rd-place finish after the engine expired during the early stages.
DAKODA ARMSTRONG QUOTE:
What are your thoughts going into your first Nationwide Series race with Richard Childress Racing at Auto Club Speedway?
“I’m definitely excited, with a healthy amount of nerves mixed in. I just recently met everyone on the team, and I have never been to Auto Club Speedway, so a lot of things will be new for me. Despite all of that, I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to drive for a great race team like Richard Childress Racing and to have a great sponsor in WinField. I’m really looking forward to the race weekend, and feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.”
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