RCR Event Preview – SpongeBob SquarePants 400

Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Kansas Speedway … In 56 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has one win, visiting victory lane in 2013 with Kevin Harvick, among five top-five and 18 top-10 finishes. The Welcome, N.C.-based organization holds an average starting position of 19.6, an average finishing position of 14.9, has completed 14,609 of the 14,801 contested laps (98.7 percent) and has collectively led for 281 laps around the 1.5-mile race track.

RCR in the NSCS … In 2,536 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 46 pole awards, 105 wins, 466 top-five finishes and 988 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 15.9. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Sprint Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR XFINITY 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.

RCR ‘Dega Rewind … In the Sprint Cup Series’ 10th race of the season at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend, teammates Menard, Newman and Dillon finished third, seventh and 35th, respectively.

Did You Know … Life threatening injury is the No. 1 killer of kids in America. Nearly 10,000 children lose their lives every year from serious injuries, and many more are treated in the emergency room. It can happen anywhere, at any time, to any child. The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma discovers and shares the best ways to prevent and treat severe injuries in children. The Institute funds research, education and advocacy to improve the care and treatment injured kids receive across the U.S. Visitwww.SaveInjuredKids.org or find them on Facebook and Twitter to learn more.

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 atwww.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com along with official driver pages – www.facebook.com/austindillon3 , www.facebook.com/PaulMenard27 andwww.facebook.com/RyanNewmanNASCAR.

Catch the Action … The SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway will be televised live Saturday, May 9 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s Dow Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 507 in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway. This Chevrolet SS was built new for the 2015 season and was utilized in April at Texas Motor Speedway, where Dillon finished 20th.

Dillon at Kansas Speedway …. In three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, Dillon earned his best finish of eighth and his best start of 16th in his most recent appearance at the track in October 2014.

Did you Know … Dillon made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Kansas Speedway in 2011, posting a 26th-place finish in an entry fielded by Mike Curb and sponsored by the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration.

On the Pole … Dillon is a two-time polesitter at Kansas Speedway, earning the top starting position in the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2013 and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2011.

Welcome, Dow … Returning primary sponsor of the No. 3 Chevrolet SS, Dow enters its second season with RCR and driver Austin Dillon. Together, both teams embrace the power of science, technology and safety 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 with more than 6,000 products manufactured across the globe.  See our YouTube video “Dawn to Dusk” to see how Dow products touch the lives of everyone…from dawn to dusk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSspiG8DkOs).  More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

Getting Loopy … According to NASCAR’s Season-to-Date Loop Data Statistics, Dillon ranks fourth in the Closers category, advancing an average of 2.6 positions in the last 10 percent of each contested race so far this season.

RCR Salutes … The No. 3 Dow Chevrolet team pit box sports a patriotic theme this season in homage to the United States military, current service members and the memory of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. On Saturday, the team honors Soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division stationed at Fort Riley to Kansas Speedway. The NASCAR Troops to the Track program is a season-long initiative that honors members of the military for their services and treats them to customized experiences at a NASCAR race.

In the Rear View … Last week at Talladega Superspeedway, Dillon earned a 35th-place finish in the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet after retiring from the race 31 laps shy of the advertised finish with a mechanical issue. He now ranks 25th in the driver point standings leading into the SpongeBob SquarePants 400.

“I feel like Kansas Speedway can be a really good track for the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet team. As the surface wears in following the repave, the track becomes more and more fun. I think it’s a track we can do well at, and that we need to do well. I’m comfortable there.”

This Week’s Pittsburgh Paints / Menards Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway … The Richard Childress Racing team will utilize chassis No. 508 this weekend in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway. This Chevrolet SS was raced earlier this year at Texas Motor Speedway where Menard started eighth and finished 41st after a mechanical issue ended the team’s strong run early.

Kansas by the Numbers … Menard currently has 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track. He has five starts from the top 10, including a start from the outside pole in 2010. The Wisconsin native has one top-five and five top 10 finishes. He has led 17 laps and completed 99.8 percent of laps in competition.

About Pittsburgh Paints … PPG Pittsburgh® Paints is a nationally recognized brand trusted by painting contractors, building owners, architects, designers and homeowners for over 100 years. Products include interior/exterior paints and interior/exterior stains. For additional information, please visitwww.ppgpittsburghpaints.com.

Where Do You Stand … Menard currently sits 11th in the Sprint Cup Series driver point standings after earning his best finish of the season, third, at Talladega Superspeedway.

Last Time in Kansas … Menard earned his 12th top-10 finish of the 2014 season during the Sprint Cup Series’ last event at the 1.5-mile track. Starting 13th, he fought a tight-handling race car for the duration of the event but the team made adjustments that helped him cross the finish line ninth.

“Kansas is a pretty newly repaved track so it’s extremely fast. Since it’s a night race it will be even faster than during the day. I enjoy night racing, I think it adds another level of excitement. You can see flames from the exhaust and sparks from under the car which makes it cool for the fans. The only downside is we have to wait all day for the race and there really isn’t much to do. I enjoy it, but I’ll be there ready to go whether it’s Sunday afternoon or Saturday night.”

This Week’s Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS at Kansas Speedway … Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 504 at Kansas Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet competed two times this season at Auto Club Speedway (Start: 9/Finish: 5) and Texas Motor Speedway (Start: 7/Finish: 12).

Career Stats at Kansas … In 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Kansas, Newman visited victory lane in the fall of 2003. In total, he owns three top-five and five top-10 finishes. The South Bend, Ind., native holds an average starting position of 13.8 and average finish of 14th. He has led 128 laps in competition.

Engineered to Amaze … Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc. is the nation’s second largest retail home mortgage lender. The company closed $140 billion of mortgage volume across all 50 states in 2013-2014. Quicken Loans generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Scottsdale, Arizona. The company also operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit, as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. Quicken Loans ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Primary Mortgage Origination” in the United States by J.D. Power for the past five consecutive years, 2010 – 2014, and highest in customer satisfaction among all mortgage servicers in 2014.

Quicken Loans was named among the top-30 companies on FORTUNE magazine’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the last 12 consecutive years, ranking No. 12 in 2015. It has been recognized as one of Computerworld magazine’s ‘100 Best Places to Work in IT’ the past ten years, ranking No. 1 in 2014, 2013, 2007, 2006 and 2005. The company moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010, and now more than 10,000 of its nearly 12,000 team members work in the city’s urban core. For more information about Quicken Loans, please visit QuickenLoans.com, on Twitter at @QLnews, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/QuickenLoans.

Newman Media Availability … Newman will be available to the media on Friday at 10 a.m. outside the No. 31 hauler in the NSCS garage.

Double Duty … Newman will pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet in Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway.

Get to the Points … After finishing seventh at Talladega Superspeedway, Newman moved up to 14th in the championship point standings and is just 10 markers out of the top 10 entering this weekend’s race event at Kansas. In the first 10 Cup events in 2015, the No. 31 team has earned four top-five and six top-10 finishes.

Last Time Around … While running third, crew chief Luke Lambert called Newman in one final time under caution for a splash of fuel and right-side tires on lap 231. The fast stop allowed Newman to take the lead and command the restart with 33 laps left in the event and held on until the lap-239 restart. When the No. 31 Chevrolet settled back in, Newman raced on to a sixth-place finish.

Rescue Ranch Open House… Come on out to Rescue Ranch on May 18, 20 or 22 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. to see the facility, meet the animals, and get a glimpse of the beautiful 87 acres! Guests can tour Rescue Ranch’s facility every 30 minutes. Daily raffle items along with Rescue Ranch and Ryan Newman merchandise will be for sale. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and Coca-Cola products will also be for purchase. For details, visit ResueRanch.com.

“Kansas is super fast. I am kind of excited to get back there after it has aged a little bit. With the new pavement we’ve had a few years back, it has still maintained its speed. It seems like we keep coming back here with softer tires. In general, the track has maintained the speed and I hope it’s gained some more character.”

What is the hardest part to figure out?

“Entry to Turn 1 is kind of tricky there. You kind of drive it up close to the wall, I mean real close to the wall. The wall kind of flattens out instead of curved in radius. It’s kind of like Richmond.”