Richard Childress Racing at Circuit of the Americas… This weekend marks NASCAR’s inaugural event at Circuit of the Americas. All three national touring series will hold their debut race at the 3.426-mile road course this weekend.
Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ COTA 200 at Circuit of the Americas will be televised live Saturday, May 22, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
The NASCAR Cup Series’ COTA 400 at Circuit of the Americas will be televised live Sunday, May 23, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
This Week’s Workrise Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Circuit of the Americas … This weekend marks the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series appearance to Circuit of the Americas, but Austin Dillon does have limited experience at the track competing in a World Racing League endurance race last December. He has also enjoyed COTA as a fan at a Moto GP race.
About Workrise… Workrise is the leading workforce management solution for the skilled trades. Workrise makes it easier for skilled laborers to find work and for companies to find in-demand, trained workers. Workrise operates across the solar, wind, construction, defense and oil & gas industries. Through people and technology, they provide the staffing, training, and professional services to empower the people who get hard work done. For more information visit workrise.com.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Where do you think the best passing zones are going to be at COTA?
“I think the best passing zones are probably on all the big straights. The esses’s are pretty tight; you can’t really gain anything there. Obviously, lengthening the straightaways as much as you can is huge and in the final corner. Turn One, up the hill, you can out-brake someone into there, but it gets tight quick. In Turn One, it can be a struggle to really get off of the corner sometimes, from what I’ve noticed. You can maybe get someone on entry, but it’s probably going to put you in a bad position leaving.”
This weekend, we’re racing in Austin, Texas, where your primary sponsor for the weekend, Workrise, is located. How cool is that to be able to race in their backyard?
“It’s awesome to race for Workrise this weekend. They are the leading workforce management solution for the skilled trades. I’m pumped that the race is in their hometown of Austin, Texas. It’s awesome to be having a race at COTA, in Austin, where they are based out of. I can’t wait to get there and hopefully put on a good showing for everyone at Workrise. They are there for the people that get stuff done and we’re pumped to be working hard for them this weekend.”
Do you expect chaos going into Turn One at COTA?
“Yeah, I think Turn One will be aggressive, for sure. I have to qualify into the NASCAR Xfinity race, so luckily, we’ll have some experience after Saturday to see how that goes. But Turn One is a tough corner for any type of car to race on and not just our cars in NASCAR. It’s difficult because it kind of falls away from you. You’re going uphill and then it flattens out; just a lot of stuff going on there and it gets tight quick. There’s definitely going to be some chaos. If you miss Turn One on the bottom, that outside lane is probably really going to check up.”
Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Circuit of the Americas… This weekend marks the NASCAR Cup Series’ debut at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), but Tyler Reddick does have some experience at the road course. During the off-season, Reddick, alongside RCR teammate Austin Dillon, competed in an endurance race at the 3.426-mile course to get some valuable on-track time.
Cheddar’s Salutes… In conjunction with NASCAR Salutes, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is debuting a patriotic paint scheme for this weekend’s race at COTA as a way to honor everything military servicemen and women have done and continue to do for our country. The red, white and blue scheme features the names and hometowns of 40+ Cheddar’s Veteran Team Members who on both sides of Reddick’s Chevrolet.
“As the son of a decorated combat Veteran, I’m proud that Cheddar’s is honoring our Team Members in this way because I know firsthand the sacrifices they took to protect and serve our country,” said John Wilkerson, president of Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen.
About Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen … Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is the homestyle casual dining restaurant where guests always Get a lot. For not a lot™. The restaurant offers a variety of scratch-made meals and generous portions served up in a warm, welcoming atmosphere – all at an unbelievable price. After being welcomed with a signature Honey Butter Croissant on the house, guests can enjoy signature entrées like hand-breaded Chicken Tenders, Homemade Chicken Pot Pie and Fall-off-the-Plate Baby Back Ribs. Cheddar’s operates more than 170 restaurants in 28 states and employs more than 15,000 friendly and passionate team members. For more information or to locate the nearest restaurant, visit Cheddars.com. Fans can like or follow Cheddar’s on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
When Tyler Wins, You Win Tenders! Like Reddick, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is hungry for his first Cup Series win to come in 2021. So all season long, when Reddick takes the checkered flag in the Cup Series, all NASCAR fans will win a FREE No. 8 Special Chicken Tender Platter at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen the Monday following the race. Offer is valid both dine-in and To Go. See cheddars.com/offer/race-day for full details.
Cheddar’s Croissant Clash… Tune in for the Cheddar’s Croissant Clash via RCR’s Facebook page on Wednesday, May 19, at 8:30 p.m. ET to see if iRacers across the country can beat Reddick in a 25-lap race at the iRacing Superspeedway. Fans tuning in can also submit questions during the evening on Cheddar’s Facebook or Twitter pages for a chance to have Reddick answer them during an exclusive post-race Q&A on the livestream.
TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
With NASCAR heading to COTA for the first time, what are expecting out of the race this weekend?
“COTA will be a very interesting weekend. It’s a fun course. During the endurance race I ran during the off-season, one thing I noted was how it almost has four different sections that are nothing alike, so you need to be diverse as a driver on how to attack each one. One approach will only work in for one part of the track. There is a lot of run-off, so drivers should be able to be aggressive and not pay a massive penalty by ending up in a gravel pit like other road courses. As for the race, it’s going to be a mixed bag of strategies. Guys who are going for the win are going to try to flip the strategy for track position at the end of the race. You’re also going to see guys going for stage points on a different strategy, so we’ll see how our team falls in the mix, knowing we are now above the cut line for Playoffs. I hope we have the freedom to choose on what to focus on, but man, the weather may come into play too, which would throw a whole other wrench into the race.”
You also have a unique paint scheme with Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen this weekend. What can you say about that?
“It’s a really special scheme we’re running with Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen this weekend. When we get around this time of year during each season, you see some patriotic schemes start to come out and I’m really honored that Cheddar’s chose to participate in the NASCAR Salute window. There will be 40+ Cheddar’s team members who have served in the military whose names and hometowns are going to be riding along with me at COTA. I just thought that was a really cool, personal touch on the paint scheme. Those team members have done a lot for this country, and I’m going to do everything I can to get them a good run this weekend.”
Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Louisiana Hot Sauce Chevrolet Camaro at Circuit of the Americas… This weekend marks the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Myatt Snider has not competed at the track previously in any other motorsports series and will log his first laps at the Texas road course on Friday afternoon during practice.
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MYATT SNIDER QUOTES:
What is your outlook for this weekend, heading to a track that is new for NASCAR and new for most of the drivers?
“I’m pretty optimistic honestly. Last year when I went to new race track, especially road courses at Indianapolis and Daytona, we ran really well. We had a strong performance earlier this season at the Daytona Road Course, so I feel like that run will bode well with us going to COTA. I have all the confidence in the world heading into it.”
How do you prepare for a racetrack that you’ve never been to before?
“You try to find whatever videos exist online and run it on iRacing and the simulator as much as possible. You do anything you can to learn how the race track actually is, that will help give you a feel for what it’s like to run a lap. Andy Street and my RCR team have a good job of prepping for this weekend and I’m excited to get there.”
How will practice and qualifying impact the weekend as a whole?
“I think it’s a good thing for us to have practice and qualifying this week especially. It allows us to know as a team where we are going to start for the race and what the car will feel like when the green flag drops. Qualifying puts it a little more back in the drivers hands to know and help determine where your starting position will be, instead of relying on the metrics. Our Louisiana Hot Sauce Chevrolet Camaro should be fast.”
