Richard Childress Racing at Michigan International Speedway … In 167 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, RCR teams have earned three wins, two with Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990) and one with Kevin Harvick (August 2010). Additionally, RCR has claimed 24 top-five and 57 top-10 finishes with 10 different drivers including Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, who recorded top-10 finishes at MIS in June 1978 and August 1979.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,874 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 16.2. 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 Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway will be televised live Sunday, June 10 beginning at 2 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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This Week’s Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Michigan International Speedway … Michigan International Speedway ranks as one of Dillon’s most seasoned tracks on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series tour, with 11 starts at the two-mile facility. He finished fourth in August 2015 to earn his best finish at the track. He also earned his best starting position, fourth, in August 2015.

Together We Can Solve Anything – Dow Salutes Veterans … Our solutions are reshaping our world. And at the heart of our solutions are our people. Their diversity is our strength. They reflect the world in which we do business and the communities in which we live. As a diverse community of approximately 53,000 employees worldwide, together we can solve anything.

Dow has a long-standing commitment to veterans through hiring practices, community involvement and flexibility for our active military employees. Our veterans bring skills beyond their job title in the military. The knowledge and attributes they add to Dow’s workforce enables excellence in the workplace.

In a show of appreciation for the contributions of veterans serving in the United States Armed Forces, and the knowledge and attributes they add to the workforce, it is a tremendous opportunity to be able to honor their service and sacrifice through Dow’s partnership with Richard Childress Racing in a special patriotic-themed No.3 Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 carrying the names of more than 1300 veteran employees, contractors and family members.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Michigan is a big weekend for Dow and of course Chevrolet:
“Well, Midland (Michigan) is tied to our team now at this point. That is where our partner at Dow is, and we go up there each year and visit with them. To be able to bring home the Daytona 500 trophy to all those employees will make it a special week this time around. Hopefully, we put on a good show for them at the race track at Michigan also.”

What is it like to go to Midland and see the whole town kind of turn out?
“It’s awesome. Dow is everything to Midland, and they do a really good job for the community and their employees. We usually go to the baseball game there and hang out with a lot of different employees from a lot of different sectors at Dow.”

A lot of drivers say they love Michigan because of all the options. Do you agree?
“Well, I think MIS is definitely getting more worn out. The temperature when we get there will hopefully be warmed up to where you will see some good racing. Michigan is a big track with a lot of different options. Between that and the different strategies you see, it makes for a good race.”

This Week’s Okuma Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Michigan International Speedway …
Ryan Newman will make his 599th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start when he returns to the Irish Hills of Michigan. In 33 Cup Series events at MIS, Newman scored back-to-back victories in the fall 2003 and spring 2004 events. The “Rocket Man” also owns a pole award. In total, he’s recorded six top-five and nine top-10 finishes. He has led 113 laps in competition. The South Bend, Indiana native has an average start of 13.8 and average finish of 16.2. And in four NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at the speedway, he has visited victory lane two times (2001, 2005). In the last 10 events at MIS, Newman ranks sixth in most championship points earned.

Okuma Onboard … Okuma America Corporation has been a valuable partner of Richard Childress Racing for almost 20 years and will be the primary sponsor on Ryan Newman’s No. 31 Chevrolet.

Okuma is the U.S.-based sales and service affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a world leader in CNC (computer numeric control) machine tools, founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan. The company is the industry’s only single-source provider, with the CNC machine, drive, motors, encoders, and spindle all manufactured by Okuma. The company also designs their own CNC controls to integrate seamlessly with each machine tool’s functionality. In 2014 Okuma launched the Okuma App Store, the industry’s only centralized online marketplace for machine tool apps and related content. Along with its extensive distribution network (largest in the Americas), and Partners in THINC, Okuma is committed to helping users gain competitive advantage through the open possibilities of machine tools, today and into the future. For more information, visit okuma.com/americas or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @OkumaAmerica.

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.

RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
What is the hardest thing to figure out at Michigan International Speedway?
“The hardest thing for us to figure out at Michigan is having a good balance in Turns 1 and 2 and then having the same good balance in Turns 3 and 4. I think Michigan is more challenging as far as getting both ends to handle well versus getting all three corners right at Pocono Raceway.”

What’s your favorite memory racing at Michigan?
“To me it’s been always special for me because it used to fall on Father’s Day weekend. It was an opportunity to go to a track that I considered to be my home track, mileage wise. Back in the day, if a kid from Indiana wanted to go to a stock car race, Michigan was the destination. Getting the chance to go back there and winning a race for my dad was what was so special of a place to me.”

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Michigan International Speedway … In 45 Series starts at the two-mile speedway, RCR has captured two victories with drivers Kevin Harvick (2003) and Paul Menard (2014). The Welcome, N.C., organization has completed 5,596 laps of the 5,604 (99.9 percent) that they have competed. RCR has accumulated two pole awards,10 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes, led 251 laps and averages a starting position of 10.6 and finishing position of 11.8.

Pocono Review … Daniel Hemric was the highest RCR finisher in third this past weekend at Pocono Raceway. Shane Lee finished 12th and Matt Tifft finished 14th in the Pocono Green 250 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons.

The Points … Daniel Hemric and Matt Tifft currently sit third and ninth, respectively, in the Xfinity Series driver point standings. The No. 3 RCR team is currently 13th in the series owner point standings.

Social Media … To keep up with the latest updates from RCR’s Xfinity Series teams, follow @RCRracing and @RCRNXS on Twitter. Updates can also be found via RCR’s Facebook Page and Instagram (@RCRracing).

Catch the Action … Coverage of this week’s Michigan 250 at Michigan International Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, June 9, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time on FOX. It will also be broadcast live on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Satelite Radio, channel 90.

This Week’s Nexteer Automotive Chevrolet Camaro at Michigan International Speedway … Matt Tifft has one previous NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Michigan International Speedway during last year’s race at the two-mile track. The 21-year-old driver also has one ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards start at Michigan, finishing fifth in 2016.

About Nexteer Automotive … Nexteer Automotive joins RCR in 2018 for their third season of partnership together. Nexteer Automotive – A Leader in Intuitive Motion Control – is a multi-billion-dollar global steering and driveline business delivering electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steering columns, driveline systems as well as advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) and autonomous technologies for original equipment manufacturers. The company’s global workforce of over 13,000 serves more than 50 customers in every major region of the world. The company has 25 manufacturing plants, three regional engineering centers and 13 customer service centers strategically located in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Nexteer Automotive’s customers include BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, PSA Groupe, Toyota, VW, as well as automakers in India and China. Visit Nexteer.com to learn more.

Meet Tifft … Fans can meet Tifft when he visits the Xfinity Store located at 41592 Ann Arbor Road, Plymouth, Michigan on Friday, June 8 beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. Tifft, alongside RCR teammate Daniel Hemric, will sign autographs for store customers and employees.

MATT TIFFT QUOTES:
Michigan International Speedway is known for its sweeping corners and high speeds. With this rule package we’re taking there, do you think the race will take on a superspeedway feel?
“I think the Michigan race will feel like a superspeedway feel to an extent. I think what we’ve struggled with there as a series is getting more than a groove-and-a-half off the bottom since the repave. It hasn’t quite worked in to where the top lanes have come in yet. With about half the power there it should be an interesting race, especially since handling won’t be as big of an issue as in years past. I think it’ll look like a superspeedway race where we can get multiple lines going compared to what we saw at Pocono Raceway this last weekend. This is all just purely my guess though. We won’t know for sure until we get out on the track.”

This weekend is also the “home track” for Nexteer Automotive, who has offices up in Saginaw, Michigan. Is there extra pressure to perform with their headquarters being so close?
“Yeah, I’d say there’s a little bit of extra pressure racing in Nexteer’s backyard. As drivers, we put pressure on ourselves to perform every race but knowing Nexteer is bringing a lot of employees down for Saturday’s race is neat. I’m looking forward to touring their facilities on Wednesday and meeting with their employees. This will be my first time going up to Nexteer’s Saginaw offices, so it’ll be exciting. They’ve partnered with RCR for three years now, so I’m happy to be part of the program this year. This is also a bit of a home race for me since I have a lot of family in Michigan who are also coming to the track on Saturday. Between them and Nexteer’s guests at the track, I’ll be really looking to perform well on Saturday.”

This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway … In three previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, Dillon has two pole awards (2012 and 2013) and one top-five finish (2012). This weekend marks Dillon’s first Michigan International Speedway start in the Xfinity Series since 2013. He served as a FOX broadcast booth guest analyst for this race last year.

Moving Forward Together … Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s have created a “best of the best” shopping experience for all outdoor enthusiasts. It means more selection as the best in fishing with Bass Pro Shops, the best in Hunting with Cabela’s and the best in boating with Tracker Boats are brought together. Increased buying power will also help deliver greater value to customers. At the same time, it means continuing to provide unmatched expert service. Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s plan to be a powerful, unified voice for conservation and become a stronger advocate for the outdoors and sportsmen’s rights.

The Lineup … This weekend marks Dillon’s fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series start of 2018. The 2013 Series Champion’s best finish in three races this season is fourth at Auto Club Speedway in March.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Describe Michigan International Speedway …
“I really enjoy the big speedways, Michigan included. When a car is not handling well you feel out of control, so you’ve got to have a solid piece under you. It takes small adjustments to kind of creep on up and have a good day. It’s going to be fun to race in the Xfinity Series at Michigan again since it’s been a few years for me, and I’m really looking forward to trying out the aero package that we are running this weekend. I hope we put on a good show for the fans.”

This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro at Michigan International Speedway … Hemric will be making his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Michigan International Speedway during this weekend’s 250-mile race. In his first Xfinity Series start at the 2-mile track, Hemric started 16th and finished 12th, completing all of the laps attempted. Hemric also has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at MIS, earning a seventh-place finish in 2015 and a third-place finish in 2016.

Rearview Mirror: Pocono … Hemric recorded his fourth third-place finish of the 2018 Xfinity Series season after starting 11th in the No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Pocono Raceway. Making his second start at the ‘Tricky Triangle,’ Hemric earned points in Stage 1 and ran inside the top 10 for much of the first two stages. Crew chief Danny Stockman used pit strategy to get track position at the start of the final stage, but a vibration brought Hemric back to pit road between stages. With a well-handling car, Hemric was able to race his way to second, but fell to third in the closing laps. The third-place finish was Hemric’s eighth top-10 finish of the season.

This Week at the South Point Hotel & Casino … The 2018 Mrs./Ms. Earth Pageant is being held at The Showroom on June 9 – 10. The Mrs. Earth and Ms. Earth Pageant is the Elite international pageant system for Diverse and Poised Women. Tickets are available at southpointcasino.com.

Meet the Driver … Hemric is scheduled to join teammate Matt Tifft for a Xfinity store appearance at 41592 Ann Arbor Rd. E., Plymouth, Michigan 48170 on Friday, June 8, starting at 6:30 p.m. local time. He is also scheduled to make an appearance at the Michigan International Speedway Acceleration Club on Saturday, June 9, starting at 9 a.m. local time.

Meet the Press … Hemric is scheduled to be part of the Xfinity Series driver panel that will meet with the NASCAR media on Friday, June 8, starting at 11:15 a.m. local time. The media availability session will be streamed on NASCAR.com/PressPass.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
You are taking the same package run at Pocono Raceway to Michigan International Speedway this weekend. With this package, the race has the potential to shape up similar to a restrictor-plate race. Do you expect Michigan to be like Talladega or Daytona?
“I feel like this weekend’s race at Michigan will be closer to a race at Talladega or Daytona given this aero package. It is just fast enough, and the racetrack is just getting worn out enough, where it will be easy for guys to possibly lose the pack, but that’s just based off what we have done with that package in the past. Michigan has kind of turned into a superspeedway-feel race, even with the older package we ran there. I feel like it will give everyone a little bit of extra confidence to be able to run that much harder and that much closer as a group. Anytime you do that, the fans enjoy it and they love the racing. It’s going to be very interesting to see how everyone attacks it. I think once that green flag flies you’re going to see that huge pack and I think it’s going to be a heck of a show.”

Given it was with a different package, the fastest lap of last year’s race at Michigan was just under 195 miles per hour. How fast is too fast at a track like this?
“The Cup Series drivers are going way faster than us on a regular basis, especially at Michigan. Too fast at any racetrack to me is where you get consensus throughout the garage that no one feels in control of their stuff to actually be around each other. When you do that, that’s when you tend to see the single-file races that go green for a long stretch, because everyone is so on edge that you have to give each other room. It’s not because you don’t want to race, it’s just that we’re at the limit of grip and aero and that’s all we can do around each other. That’s when I think things get too fast. I don’t think it is a certain mile per hour, but more so how it all coincides with downforce and grip level. Hopefully this package will eliminate a lot of that this weekend.