AAA Texas 500 and
O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News and Notes
Event: AAA Texas 500
Date: Sunday, November 2, 2014
Location: Texas Motor Speedway
Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Texas Motor Speedway … In 81 starts at Texas Motor Speedway dating back to 1997, RCR has recorded one win (Jeff Burton, April 2007), eight top-five and 30 top-10 finishes with drivers Burton, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Green and Paul Menard. Prior to Texas Motor Speedway’s inaugural season in 1997, Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, earned a pair of top-10 finishes at the now defunct Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas. RCR NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams boast an average starting position of 20th place, a 16.3 average finishing position and have completed 26,275 of the 27,105 contested laps (96.9 percent) with 139 laps led at the 1.5-mile Fort Worth-based race track.
RCR in the NSCS … In 2,493 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 46 pole awards, 105 wins, 458 top-five finishes and 977 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 15.8. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Sprint Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.
The Collective RCR …Throughout the season’s 33 races contested so far, RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries have earned one pole award with Austin Dillon at Daytona International Speedway in February. Collectively, the organization has notched nine top-five and 31 top-10 finishes with drivers Dillon, Newman and Paul Menard. RCR’s three full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers rank second (Newman), 19th (Dillon) and 21st (Menard) in the driver championship point standings.
RCR Martinsville Rewind … RCR teammates Newman, Dillon and Menard finished third, 12th and 14th respectively, in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Save Kids’ Lives by Joining the Childress Champions … Help support the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma by selecting your favorite driver when making a bronze level donation of $33 (Austin Dillon), $27 (Paul Menard) or $31 (Ryan Newman) to CIPT. To make a tax deductable donation, visit: . The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma invests resources in research, education and awareness to improve the treatment for critically injured children in the U.S. The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center was established through the generosity of Richard and Judy Childress. For more information, please visit www.InjuredKids.org.
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 – @RCR3ADillon, @RCR27PMenard, @RCR31RNewman, and driver Twitter pages @austindillon3 and @RyanJNewman. Information about the 15-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/austindillon3 , www.facebook.com/PaulMenard27 and www.facebook.com/RyanNewmanNASCAR.
Catch the Action … The AAA 500 will be televised live on Sunday, November 2 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Austin Dillon
No. 3 Dow Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Dow Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 475 in the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. This is the same Chevrolet SS that Dillon raced to an eighth-place finish at Kansas Speedway in October, and a 15th-place finish at Pocono Raceway in August. He also utilized this Chevrolet SS at Michigan International Speedway in June, where he ran in the top 10 for a majority of the event before making two unscheduled pit stops in the closing laps, resulting in a 30th-place finish.
Dillon at Texas Motor Speedway … Dillon has three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts to his credit at Texas Motor Speedway finishing 33rd and 22nd in 2013, and 21st in April 2014. In four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Dillon has not finished worse than sixth at the 1.5-mile track, acquiring his best finish of third in April 2013. In four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Texas, Dillon has earned two top-five finishes, one pole award and has led 76 laps, earning a third-place average starting position and a 14th-place average finishing position.
Welcome, Dow … Dillon’s rookie year in the Sprint Cup Series is also Dow’s first year as a primary sponsor with RCR and the No. 3 Chevrolet. Together, both teams embrace the power of safety, science and technology as RCR tests Dow products under the most strenuous conditions. Dow also drives innovation to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems, bringing a broad range of sustainable products and solutions to customers in nearly 180 countries. www.dow.com.
Get to the Points … Dillon ranks 19th in the championship point standings leading into Sunday’s 501-mile event at Texas Motor Speedway.
Season-to-Date …According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Season-to-Date Statistics, Dillon leads the Sprint Cup Series in most Laps Completed (9,597).
Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to appear at the American Ethanol Biofuels display at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, November 2 at 10:20 a.m. Central Time.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on running at Texas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series?
“I’ve been to Texas Motor Speedway a few times, and I really like the track. I can’t wait to get there. Texas Motor Speedway reminds me a little bit of Las Vegas Motor Speedway in how you carry a ton of speed and turns three and four are similar. We had a really good run this week at Martinsville Speedway, so it has our whole team pumped up and ready for Texas.”
Paul Menard
No. 27 Richmond/Menards Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Richmond/Menards Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Paul Menard will utilize chassis No. 487 during the 334-lap event at the Fort Worth, TX-based facility. This Chevrolet SS has seen racing action at Kansas Speedway last month where Menard started 13th and finished ninth.
Texas by the Numbers … The Richard Childress Racing driver has 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track. He has three top-five starts and earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes. He has completed 96.5 percent of the laps with two laps led in competition.
About Richmond … Richmond®, a member of the Rheem family of quality brands, is committed to offering exceptional value and performance with a complete line of water heating products for residential environments. Known as, “the water heater experts,” Richmond is the go-to brand for value-conscious buyers. Innovations including “Fast Recovery” technology for peak-time water use and EverKleen™ Self-Cleaning tanks make choosing Richmond products easy. Richmond water heating products are available in Menards® stores throughout the Midwest. For more information, visit www.richmondwaterheaters.com.
Season-To-Date … Through 33 Sprint Cup Series races of the 2014 season, Menard has completed 9,265 of 9,621 laps contested (96.3 percent), led 45 laps and is currently 21st in the driver point standings. In addition, the RCR driver has four top-five and 12 top-10 finishes this season.
Last Time at Texas Motor Speedway … The RCR driver earned his third-consecutive top-10 finish of the season last time in Texas. Menard started 13th and dealt with a car that wouldn’t turn the way he needed exiting the turns. He lined up 12th for the final restart and crossed the finish line ninth.
Hometown Proud … Although he currently lives in North Carolina, jackman Sam Abney is a native of Austin, Texas and later moved just outside of Fort Worth, Texas, where he played baseball at Azle High School.
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
What do you think about racing at Texas Motor Speedway?
“Texas is a cool track. It’s an older surface which makes for great racing. Obviously, we have really fast qualifying times then the pace really slows down during the race. The tires wear out, which makes the car slide around and you’re always looking for grip by moving around and changing your line.”
Is Texas Motor Speedway a track you enjoy going to?
“Yeah, I really enjoy it. Texas is one of my favorite tracks because the pace drops off. Seems like anytime the tires wear out, the pace falls off and the racing is a lot better. You can move around since there are multiple grooves, you know like five grooves or so there. You can really search out what your car wants.”
Ryan Newman
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS
This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet SS at Texas Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 491 on Sunday at the 1.5-mile speedway. This is a new Chevrolet SS being utilized under race conditions for the first time this weekend.
The Newman Two Step … Newman is looking to capture his second-career victory at the 1.5-mile oval when he makes his 23rd NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at the Fort Worth, Texas venue. His win came in the spring of 2003 making him the youngest Texas winner at 25 years, 3 months and 22 days. The Rocket Man also won the pole for both Sprint Cup Series events in 2005 to complete the sweep. In total, he owns three top-five and five top-10 finishes. The South Bend, Ind., native has an average start of 16.6 and average finish of 19.1.
Featured Caterpillar Dealer … HOLT CAT and Warren CATwill be featured on the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
HOLT CAT® sells, rents and services Caterpillar® machines, engines, generator sets and trucks in a 118-county Texas territory spanning from the Red River to the Rio Grande. HOLT offers total machine and engine rebuild capabilities, sells used equipment around the world and fabricates its own line of land clearing equipment and HOLT Spray King® water tankers. HOLT is the dealer for Link-Belt Cranes in the Eastern half of Texas as well as the El Paso area. They are the dealer for AGCO/Challenger and Claas farm equipment for the Eastern half of Texas and portions of Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana. SITECH Tejas, another division of HOLT, is the authorized dealer for Trimble Heavy and Highway construction products and services, as well as AccuGrade grade-control products in the same 118 county territory of Texas.
The Holt name has been associated with heavy equipment and Caterpillar for over 100 years. Peter M. Holt, Chief Executive Officer of HOLT CAT, is the great-grandson of Benjamin Holt, who in 1904 developed the first successful track-type tractor which he named the “Caterpillar.” HOLT CAT has come to be synonymous with quality, integrity and commitment to customer service. The HOLT CAT team is committed to providing rock solid stability with superior products and services to heavy equipment and engine users from Brownsville to Texarkana, Texas. For more information, visit www.holtcat.com.
Warren CAT proudly serves customers throughout sixteen locations in West Texas and the State of Oklahoma. Dedicated to providing customers complete solutions for their equipment needs, from heavy machinery to industrial engines, Warren CAT is segmented by five divisions to better serve the needs of our customers: Heavy Construction/Governmental, Rental/General Construction, Engines/Generators/Vocational Trucks, Ag, and Parts & Service. Warren’s capabilities extend beyond their ability to offer the leading name in heavy equipment by dedicating their focus to providing customers with the finest service in the industry. As part of the Caterpillar dealer network, Warren’s product support capabilities are vast, offering customers universal support at a local level.
About Caterpillar … For nearly 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets. Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company principally operates through its three product segments – Resource Industries, Construction Industries and Energy & Transportation – and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.
#NewmanNation …When calculating points earned through the seven Chase races, Newman ranks second in most points earned. With a third-place showing at Martinsville Speedway, Newman is now second in the championship standings, just three markers out of first place.
Newman Media Availability … The driver of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet is scheduled to stop by the TMS media center on Friday at 11 a.m. CT.
Where’s Ryan? … On Sunday, Newman is scheduled to participate in a question and answer session at the Sprint Experience located in the Texas Motor Speedway midway at 10:20 a.m. CT.
Race Rewind … Earlier this year in the Caterpillar Chevrolet, Newman started eighth and was running in the top five when an unscheduled pit stop slowed the team’s effort and resulted in a 16th-place finish.
Drive Home a Winner … Quicken Loans’ latest sweepstakes, “Drive Home a Winner” awards one lucky winner both a brand-new Chevrolet SS and a year’s worth of mortgage payments. The sweepstakes, open to those 18 and older, is a collaboration between General Motors and Quicken Loans. Fans can enter by visiting www.qlracing.com.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
You finished third at Martinsville Speedway and head to Texas Motor Speedway second in points, sum up your start to the Eliminator Round?
“Martinsville Speedway was a hard-fought battle for us. I put our whole team behind with the pit road speeding penalty. We fought back. We had a really tight-handling car during the entire race. We kept freeing it up. It finally got better in the end when it mattered. We took two tires and it was nice to see it go green because we had some guys behind us that had four fresh tires. They were going to pass us eventually, but we just had the right number of laps left to finish third. It was a good day for the No. 31 Chevrolet.”
Can you win this championship without winning a race?
“The math is officially there now. With Dale Jr. winning at Martinsville, there are at least two people making it to the Championship 4 Round that will not have a win in this latest bracket. Technically you can finish 39th at Homestead and still win a championship. The math is going in that direction more than ever. In saying that, this team still wants to win. We are here to win each and every race. It is nice to have back-to-back top fives. It is a first for me here at Richard Childress Racing. I just look forward to going to the next three races.”
Is your strategy more about consistency or about taking chances to get the win?
“There is no defining goal on consistency. Our job is to go out there and do the best job we possibly can based on how we work together as a team. We have to outperform all those guys and, so far, it has provided us with consistency. We have been one of the most consistent teams out there when it comes to the Chase. For the longest time we were a seventh to 11th-place car. Over the second half of the season, we have made improvements that have allowed us to be championship contenders. With that said, we definitely need to win as a team. That’s what we need to do to improve. That’s our goal. We just have to keep our nose to the grind stone and keep digging and digging. We need a win.”
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Nationwide Series News and Notes
Event: O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge
Date: Saturday, November 1, 2014
Location: Texas Motor Speedway
Richard Childress Racing at Texas Motor Speedway … The Welcome, N.C. organization currently has 51 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway. Since 2000, RCR has earned five victories with Kevin Harvick. The Richard Childress-led company has led 812 laps, accumulated 17 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes and averages a starting position of 11.4 and finish of 11.6.
Recap of Charlotte Motor Speedway … Brian Scott, Brendan Gaughan, Ty Dillon and Cale Conley earned 10th, 16th, 30th and 33rd-place finishes, respectively, in the Nationwide Series Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.
NNS Most Popular Driver 2014 … Voting for the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver has begun and Brian Scott, Ty Dillon and Brendan Gaughan are all eligible for this season’s award. Fans can vote once a day until the night of the season finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway by visiting NASCAR.com/mostpopulardriver.
To the Points … As the Series returns to Texas Motor Speedway, Brian Scott has taken over third in the Nationwide Series driver championship standings, 19 points behind second place. Ty Dillon is fifth, only one point from fourth, and Brendan Gaughan remains eighth.
Social Media … To stay on track with the latest news and information and to view exclusive, behind the scenes content visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing, RCR’s NASCAR Nationwide Series team Twitter pages – @RCR2BScott, @RCR3TDillon, @RCR33NNS and @RCR62BGaughan. RCR’s Nationwide Series driver Twitter pages – @bscottracing, @tydillon, @austindillon3 and @Brendan62. For additional photos, news and video log on to rcrracing.com.
Texas Coverage … Coverage of this week’s race at Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, November 1, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. It will also be broadcasted live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel 90.
Brian Scott
No. 2 Country Bob’s Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Country Bob’s Chevrolet Camaro at Texas Motor Speedway … Brian Scott and his No. 2 Country Bob’s Chevrolet Camaro team will race chassis No. 126 this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared chassis last raced at Dover International Speedway where Scott qualified and finished seventh. Scott also raced this chassis at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway this season. In six races, this chassis has finished 17th or better with an average finish of 11.1.
Scott at Texas … Scott will be making his 10th-career start at TMS this weekend in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300. In nine previous starts, Scott has captured two top-10 finishes with an average start of 12.6 and an average finish of 17.7. Scott has completed 1655 of 1805 laps (91.7 percent), with two laps led at the 1.5-mile speedway.
Three To Go … Scott leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series regulars with a 6.4 average starting position and the most laps spent inside the top 15 (5,239, 96.1 percent). Currently third in the driver point standings only 61 points out of the lead, 19 points out of second place, the No. 2 Chevrolet team has collected six top-five and 20 top-10 finishes this season. Additionally, Scott has earned three pole positions; one at Richmond International Raceway and two at Chicagoland Speedway.
Country Bob’s Sauces and Seasonings … The No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro team welcomes primary sponsor Country Bob’s Sauces and Seasonings for their first venture into NASCAR this weekend. The Centralia, Illinois-based company has a significant product line including: Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauces, BBQ Sauce, Spicy All Purpose Sauces, Seasoning Salt, Apple Chipotle All Purpose Sauces, Honey Habanero All Purpose Sauces and Country Bob’s Marinade.
Most Popular Driver Award … From now until November 15, fans can vote for Brian Scott for NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Award. Vote online at nascar.com/mostpopulardriver once per day.
Meet Brian Scott … Fans have the opportunity to meet Scott at the Kroger Marketplace – 3300 Texas Sage Trail, Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday, October 30. Scott will participate in a two-minute shopping spree on behalf of Country Bob’s Sauces and Seasonings beginning at 6:35 p.m. CT which will be followed by an autograph session at 7 p.m. CT.
Last Time at Texas … Brian Scott and his No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro team qualified 13th for the 200-lap Nationwide Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. The team took four tires, fuel and made chassis adjustments during the lap 43 caution to help Scott’s tight-handling Camaro. Scott continued to fight through the field for the remainder of the race and collected a 12th-place finish.
BRIAN SCOTT QUOTES:
You finished 12th at Texas back in April. The track looks almost identical to Charlotte in an aerial view, they don’t drive the same do they?
“There are a lot of character differences between Charlotte, Texas and all of the 1.5-mile tracks even though they look somewhat similar. We call them cookie-cutter tracks, but they have bumps in different places. Whether the tunnel bumps are in one and two or three and four or both, the grooves in the seams in the asphalt and the way it wears tires and your tire fall off, those are all drastically different from 1.5-mile to 1.5-mile track. Texas is a track with a lot of character. It has bumps, it wears tires, it has seams and it has multiple grooves. It’s a place where you really have to handle. The 1.5-mile program at RCR has been good, so even though we didn’t have a good finish there earlier this year, I’m still looking forward to going back. I know we can capitalize and have a good run in our Country Bob’s Chevrolet Camaro.
When you have a track like that, that has a lot of character, do you have to make your car handle over it, or do you try and avoid it?
“There isn’t a lot of room to run and hide. You pretty much have to take the bumps head on, or at least that’s always been my theory. Attack them head on, go right through them and get your car to handle through it. If race time comes and you’re still not handling through it, then maybe you try to get around them. But, if you can go right through them and other people struggle, then that will be an area where you pass cars or where your car is noticeably better.”
Ty Dillon
No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Ty Dillon will pilot chassis No. 145 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Camaro visited victory lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. Dillon qualified on the pole each of the last two races he has raced chassis No. 145 (Kansas Speedway, Kentucky Speedway). In all, chassis No. 145 has six top-10 and three top-five finishes.
Winner, Winner … The 22-year-old Welcome, N.C. native has collected one top-10 finish in two Nationwide Series starts. In five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, Dillon picked up one of the track’s signature Charlie 1 Horse Cowboy Hats in Victory Lane last fall at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. Overall, he has one win, five top-10 and four top-five finishes.
Bass Pro Shops & RCR in 2014 … Bass Pro Shops will be on the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro for the 12th time this season as a primary sponsor. America’s No. 1 Outdoor Retailer has been a long-time partner of RCR, including last season with Dillon in the Camping World Truck Series.
#VoteTy … From now until November 15, fans can vote for Ty Dillon for NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Award. Dillon, the 2014 Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie won the award last season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Vote online at nascar.com/mostpopulardriver once per day.
Looking Back… Dillon drove the No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet Camaro to a ninth-place finish at TMS in April. Crew chief Danny Stockman gave Dillon a competitive race car during the race’s longer green-flag stretches. He was able to run in and around the top-10 for a majority of the 200-lap event and ultimately finished ninth, one of the team’s 22 top-10 finishes this season.
Points update … Dillon is currently fifth in the driver championship point standings, trailing the leader by 64 points. Third through fifth place are separated by just three points with three races remaining. Also competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year, Dillon is in second-place.
Meet Ty Dillon … Fans have the opportunity to meet Ty Dillon at the Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine, Texas on Thursday, October 30 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Dillon is also scheduled to visit the Team Chevy stage located in the Midway on Friday, October 31 beginning at 1:45 p.m. CT.
TY DILLON QUOTE:
What is the mindset for Texas Motor Speedway after two off weekends?
“Texas Motor Speedway has been a track I’ve had some success. Last year, we were able to get a win there and it seems as if we’ve been able to put together very competitive race cars every time we go there. The track is fast, the fans are great and the area is beautiful. I really enjoy coming to Texas and hopefully a win is up our sleeve this weekend.”
Austin Dillon
No. 33 Grainger Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Grainger Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 146 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. This is the same Chevrolet Camaro that Paul Menard drove to Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway in June. He also earned a fourth-place finish at Kentucky Speedway in June and a sixth-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.
Dillon at Texas Motor Speedway … In four Nationwide Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Dillon has never finished worst than sixth, earning his best finish of third, after starting third, in April 2013. In addition to Nationwide Series competition, Dillon has three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway and four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts. Dillon has earned two top-five finishes, one pole award and has led 76 laps, acquiring a third-place average starting position and a 14th-place average finish position in Truck Series competition.
Welcome, Grainger … Grainger joins Dillon and the No. 33 team in the Nationwide Series team this weekend. Grainger is a distributor of more than 1.2 million products used to maintain, repair or operate facilities. Millions of organizations worldwide rely on Grainger for safety gloves, ladders, cutting tools, motors, hand tools, janitorial supplies, fasteners and much more. Visit Grainger.com today.
Last Time Around … The last time Dillon made an appearance in the Nationwide Series was at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November 2013, when he finished 12th and clinched the Series Championship.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on running at Texas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series?
“It’s been a while since I’ve run a NASCAR Nationwide Series race, so I can’t wait to get to Texas Motor Speedway. I’ve had so much fun running at Texas in the past, and we’ve had quite a bit of success running Nationwide Series races there. I’ve never won at Texas though, so it will be fun to try to win there this weekend. My brother is also in the Nationwide Series race and it’s always fun when I can race against him.”
Brendan Gaughan
No. 62 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will drive chassis No. 149 in this weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at the 1.5-mile speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Chassis No. 149 was a new addition to RCR for 2014 and has been utilized by Gaughan at Atlanta Motor Speedway in August and Kansas Speedway in October. In both previous appearances, this RCR-prepared Chevrolet finished inside the top 15.
Gaughan’s Lone Star State Stats …The Las Vegas-native will make his sixth Nationwide Series start at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon. Gaughan has been successful at the Fort Worth, Texas track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, collecting his first Series victory in June 2002. The 39-year-old driver also holds a two-year streak of four-consecutive Camping World Truck Series victories in 2002 and 2003.
Welcome Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff … Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff will join Gaughan and the No. 62 RCR team this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway as the primary partner. TMS will mark Smokey Mountain’s final race this season with RCR, having served as primary partner on the No. 2 Camaro with Brian Scott at Iowa Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and Kansas Speedway. Smokey Mountain is America’s original and best-selling tobacco-free smokeless brand. Appealing to adult smokeless tobacco consumers who are seeking tobacco-free and nicotine-free alternatives, Smokey Mountain is available in long cut and easy-to-use pouches. For more information visit SmokeySnuff.com.
In the Rearview Mirror: Charlotte … Gaughan battled a tight-handling Chevrolet for most of the 200-lap event. The Shane Wilson-led team made adjustments throughout the night to improve condition of the South Point Hotel & Casino Camaro. After making a late-race pit stop, the No. 62 team restarted in the 18th position and took the checkered flag in 16th place at Charlotte Motor Speedway
#VoteBG62 … Let’s give Gaughan another reason to celebrate this season by voting him as the 2014 Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver. Fans can vote once a day from now until the night of November 15th by visiting NASCAR.com/mostpopulardriver.
To the Points … Gaughan remains eighth in the Nationwide Series driver championship standings as the Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
What are your thoughts on returning to Texas Motor Speedway?
“I have done really well at Texas in the past and I have a huge heart for that speedway. It is a great place to visit since we have our family’s ranch down the road and dad, the family and some friends will all be there. It is also exciting for the team because we have a new sponsor on the No. 62 Chevrolet for Texas with Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff.”
Do you drive through the bumps and seams at Texas Motor Speedway, or do you try and avoid them?
“You really have to drive hard at those places on the track, try and stay off the seams and time where you are entering how and when to cross them. Our Goodyear tires have so much grip and they are slick tires that lay down a lot of rubber, but still move when they hit the seam sealer on the track. You feel it in the race car, so you have to watch out where you drive at a place like Texas. You have to try and avoid those seams and slide around them a little bit. It all makes for a fun and exciting day.”
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