Four All-Star Wins for RCR … Richard Childress Racing has won four Monster Energy All-Star races, most recently in 2007 with Kevin Harvick. Dale Earnhardt won the event in 1987, which included the legendary “Pass in the Grass.” Earnhardt also went on to claim the checkered flag in
1990 and 1993.
RCR in the MENCS … In 2,870 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 487 top-five finishes and 1,055 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 16.1. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Monster Energy NASCAR 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.
Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s corporate Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team Twitter page – @RCRCup, 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 – http://www.facebook.com/austindillon3 and www.facebook.com/RyanNewmanNASCAR.
Catch the Action … The Monster Energy All Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live Saturday, May 19 beginning at 8 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 Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Dillon is scheduled to make his first appearance in the Monster Energy NASCAR All Star race this weekend after racing in the Monster Energy Open the previous four years.
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Questions, Please … As the defending Coca-Cola 600 Champion, Dillon is available to the media in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Infield Media Center at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, May 18.
Austin Dillon Quotes:
You are already locked into the All Star Race.
“Oh yeah, I’m looking forward to the All-Star race. I have never gotten to be in it and we fought hard in the Open for a couple of years, but that pressure is probably the biggest pressure of the year, truthfully, not being in it sometimes. So, now I’m locked in it for the next two years, and I would like to lock myself in for life by winning it. So that is the plan when we go there. Charlotte is one of my best tracks. I definitely think we will be very competitive for the All-Star race.”
How do you approach the All Star race format?
“You’ve got to go get it. You will be after it, on the gas the entire time. There will be some strategy played I’m sure at the end. The way it is with the true real strategy is going to be based on how these cars drive. It’s a totally different package with a lot more spoiler. We are going to be running about wide-open around there, so it should be very interesting for our fans.”
How do you balance the urgency of the All Star Race versus the big picture of a championship?
“Well, you let everything go on All Star night and as far as the big picture, the Coke 600 is a grueling 600-mile race, but it’s my favorite race of the year, especially with the military men and women that are out there. I feel like there is no other pre-race ceremony that is more patriotic than that one. I would love to go back-to-back and win the Coke 600 again.”
This Week’s Grainger/Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman is eligible to race in the sport’s $1 million exhibition event thanks to his victory at Phoenix Raceway in 2017. He also won the 2002 All-Star Race during his rookie season, a feat only accomplished by one other rookie driver. Saturday’s event marks his 17th-straight appearance in the non-points race.
New Format … This year, the All-Star race is 10 laps longer than 2017 and is made up of four stages consisting of 30-20-20-10 laps. Plus, there will be no mandated pit stops, no choice of different tire compounds, no eliminations and no inversions of the running order.
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Season 26 in NASCAR … Richard Childress Racing is amid its 10th season with Caterpillar on board the No. 31 Camaro ZL1 and Cat Racing’s 26th in NASCAR. For more than 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. With 2017 sales and revenues of $45.462 billion, 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 primary segments – Construction Industries, Resource 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.
Pole to Pole … Want to go fishing with Newman and then watch him compete Labor Day weekend? Register for your chance to win a fishing trip with the Cat® Racing driver along with a VIP experience in Darlington, S.C. Enter the Pole to Pole with Ryan Newman Sweepstakes: http://bit.ly/2GliiVw.
Meet Newman … On Friday from 4:30 to 5 p.m. ET, Newman is scheduled to sign autographs for fans at the MENCS stage located in the Charlotte Motor Speedway midway.
Rescue Ranch Founder’s Dinner … Tickets are available now for the Rescue Ranch Founder’s Dinner. Join Krissie on June 7th for a fun evening highlighting the importance of agriculture in Iredell County and featuring fresh local food. To purchase tickets, visit: http://bit.ly/2KKbjc7.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE:
What was it like for you to win the All-Star Race in 2002 as a rookie?
“For me, winning the All-Star Race in 2002 was totally unexpected because we weren’t even in the race. We had to race our way in. I made the cut. We got the inversion on either the first or second segment when they were eliminating cars and then got the inversion again and I was able to stay up front. We stayed out on old tires, which was crazy for Charlotte. Somehow, we were able to hold them off. It was an amazing team victory for us and unexpected.”