Richard Childress Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Richard Childress has four victories as a team owner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Robby Gordon (2001), Kevin Harvick (2006) and Clint Bowyer (2007 and 2010). In 124 starts at the 1.058-mile oval, Childress also has two pole awards, 16 top-five and 40 top-10 finishes with 10 different drivers including Dave Blaney, Jeff Burton, Bowyer, Austin Dillon, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Green, Gordon, Harvick, Ryan Newman, Steve Park and Mike Skinner.
RCR in the MENCS … In 2,884 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 487 top-five finishes and 1,057 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 New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, July 22 beginning at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This Week’s Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Dillon has made eight previous Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, earning his best finish of eighth in July 2015.
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Testing, One, Two, Three … Dillon and his team are scheduled to participate in the Roval test at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday in preparation for the Bank of America 400 on September 30. The first road course race in NASCAR’s playoffs – and the cutoff race in Round 1 – will see drivers duel door-to-door in one of the most challenging and dramatic races on the schedule.
3-on-3 Basketball for a Cause … Austin and Ty Dillon are hosting the 4th Annual 3-on-3 Celebrity Basketball Tournament presented by The Dow Chemical Company to benefit the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., on Wednesday, August 1. The 16-team, double-elimination tournament will start at 3 p.m. General admission and parking for the event are free. Autographed memorabilia and other items will be available for auction at the event. Concessions will be available for purchase. For more information, visit https://saveinjuredkids.org/basketball/
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
We are halfway through the season. How would you summarize the first half of 2018?
“Well, Daytona has been great to us. We have had two great races there. Another good race was Fontana, where we earned another top-10, but we have been struggling to break into those top 10’s with various issues. We had a good car at Chicago and blew a hub. Charlotte was going pretty well and I hit the wall and we blew a hub. So, we have brought some faster race cars to this point than what we started with and that was the biggest goal – to make gains on these cars that we have. Our speed is trending in the right direction and I’m proud of that. I just really want to finish strong from here on out to make a run in the Playoffs.”
What are some of the biggest challenges you face at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?
“I think staying disciplined and not worrying about the practices. It’s hard to not adjust your car to get faster, but the track is always changing as the rubber is laying down and it gets tighter and tighter and you start off so free there. Trying to keep up with adjustments is a big part of that and being smart about the adjustments you make knowing that it’s going to be different when you go to racing.”
How big of a difference do you see happen in the track after the Modifieds get done with their different compound rubber?
“Well it definitely changes. We ended up messing around with the PJ1 last year. I don’t know if they will have it this year, but I like that the adjustments that you had to make to your car to get it better throughout a race. And it gave you a lane to go to that you usually don’t have. It will be interesting if they add it back. It’s difficult going through all the different rubbers that are on the track, for sure.”
This Week’s Chevrolet Accessories Camaro ZL1 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman will make his 604th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start when the No. 31 team competes at the 1.058-mile oval where he owns three victories; the 2002 and 2005 fall events and the 2011 spring race. The “Rocket Man” also owns seven pole awards. In 32 starts at NHMS, he owns seven top-five and 18 top-10 finishes. Also, he has led 722 laps in competition. The South Bend, Indiana native has an average start of 10.3 and average finish of 13.9.
Chevrolet … Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet offers thousands of accessories to enhance the appearance, capability and performance of your Chevrolet. Only Chevrolet Accessories are designed, engineered, tested and backed by Chevrolet. You can buy Chevrolet Accessories online and ship to your home or save on shipping by picking up at your local Chevy dealer. You can shop the entire collection of Chevrolet Accessories online at chevy.com.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
You’ve had a lot of success at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Why?
“I’ve always said New Hampshire is the birthplace of track position. A lot of weight is put on the teams and the performance of the entire weekend is all about qualifying. Qualifying has always been a strong suit for me and looking at my stats, having an average start of 10th is pretty good indication that a solid starting spot increases your changes of a good run. Since Charlotte, we’ve seen a major improvement in our qualifying program so we need to keep that momentum going. This place produces a limited number of chances to adjust on our race car so we have to work in those windows that either the cautions or the green-flag runs will give us.
“Plus, it doesn’t hurt when you love racing at a particular track. I have always thought of this place as a fun race track. I take advantage of the track schedule when I am here. I’m once again running the Cup car and the Modifieds.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … In 45 Series starts at the one-mile speedway, RCR has captured one victory with Kevin Harvick in 2007. The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has completed 8,726 of the 9,041 laps (96.5 percent) they have competed in. RCR has accumulated four pole awards, 13 top-five finishes, 24 top-10 finishes, led 851 laps and averages a starting position of 10.1 and finishing position of 12.2 at the ‘Magic Mile.’
Kentucky Review … Daniel Hemric was the highest-finishing RCR driver when he placed second in the Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Matt Tifft finished 11th and Ty Dillon finished 16th.
The Points …Daniel Hemric and Matt Tifft currently sit second and ninth, respectively, in the Xfinity Series driver point standings. The No. 3 RCR team is currently 14th 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 New Hampshire 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, July 21, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN. It will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio Channel 90.
This Week’s National Brain Tumor Society Chevrolet Camaro at New Hampshire Speedway… Matt Tifft has one previous NASCAR Xfinity Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, finishing 11th in 2017. The 22-year-old driver also has two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts at the “Magic Mile.”
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MATT TIFFT QUOTES:
You’re currently sitting ninth in points halfway through the year. How would you say the season so far has gone for you and the No. 2 team?
“It has been a good start to the season with seven top-10 finishes, but I think there were about four to five races we all feel we should have capitalized more on. The speed in our Chevrolet Camaros has been good all year long. Now we’re looking more at where we’re at and how to make gains heading into the races before the Playoffs start. We’re starting to go to a couple tracks for the second time in the next couple of months, so we need to make sure we are getting better and better. The last few weeks I’ve felt like we’ve learned the things that do and don’t work for our team, so that’s good. These next couple weeks we’re visiting tracks I feel like play to my strengths with the road courses and short tracks, so I’m really looking to gain some momentum in the points at those places.”
New Hampshire is a really flat, one-mile oval where you finished 11th last year. Are you excited to get back to the “Magic Mile” again?
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to getting back to Loudon. Last year, I qualified really well there with fourth, and I had a great set-up for dealing with the VHT they lay down on the track. The issue was that after the modifieds ran and we got out there, the VHT was pretty much gone. So that’s something that Randall (Burnett, crew chief) and I will really be staying up on. Being a rookie there last year, I don’t think I fully realized how much the track changes. Having that experience now and knowing what changes I think I’ll need in the car throughout the weekend, I’m looking forward to getting back out there. It’s a fun race track and one I feel RCR has had some pretty good runs at. Last year I left a little disappointed, so I definitely want to redeem that this time around. It’ll be exciting to have a large group from the National Brain Tumor Society at the track as well. They’re headquartered up in Boston, so I’m happy to have them back on the car and represent all the great work they do surrounding the brain tumor community.”
This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Chevrolet at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … In five previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Dillon has finished outside of the top-five on just one occasion. He earned his best finish of second in 2015 and best starting position of sixth, also in 2015.
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 fifth NASCAR Xfinity Series start of 2018. The 2013 Series Champion clinched the win in his most recent NXS appearance at Michigan International Speedway in June.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What is the most important thing to get right in order to be successful at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?
“The biggest thing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is to stay focused on the fact that the track is changing. The way the rubber lays down, it really changes the stability of the car. At the beginning you start out really free and then it tightens up and you really just let it come to you as far as the track goes.”
What is the hardest thing to figure out at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?
“I think passing is the hardest thing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The key to New Hampshire Motor Speedway is getting a car that can turn underneath people and have enough forward drive and entry stability to make a pass. It’s a tough track to pass on but when you have a car that’s capable of it you can really make some moves.”
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … Hemric will be making his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during this weekend’s 200-lap event. In his first start at the ‘Magic Mile,’ Hemric qualified fifth and finished 12th.
Rearview Mirror: Kentucky … Daniel Hemric and the No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet team had an up-and-down evening at Kentucky Speedway, ending on a high note and finishing second to race-winner Christopher Bell. Hemric qualified fifth but fought a tight-handling car for much of the opening stages of Friday night’s race. Thanks to strong adjustments from crew chief Danny Stockman, the No. 21 Chevrolet came to life in Stage 3. Hemric drove to the leaders and made a pass on Kyle Busch for the top spot on Lap 144. When cautions bunched the field up in the closing laps, Hemric slipped to third but was able to work his way back to second before the checkered flag flew.
This Week at the South Point Hotel & Casino … Fans visiting the South Point Hotel & Casino this weekend have the opportunity to see the World Chinese Badminton Federation Championships on July 20-22. This event is free to the public. More information at southpointcasino.com.
Meet the Driver … Fans have the opportunity to meet Hemric at the Xfinity Zone in the New Hampshire Motor Speedway fan zone on Saturday, July 21, starting at 2:15 p.m. local time.
Meet the Press … Hemric is scheduled to be part of the Xfinity Series media availability session in the New Hampshire Motor Speedway media center on Friday, July 20, starting at 11:30 a.m. Fans can watch the press conference on NASCAR.com/presspass.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
You have some NASCAR Camping World Truck Series experience and a 12th-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the Xfinity Series last year. Do you enjoy the one-mile flat track up there in New England?
“New Hampshire is always a place I look forward going to each year, especially how our company is on the short tracks right now. Hopefully, our South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet will have speed when we unload there this weekend. I feel like I know what I want in terms of speed when I get to a place like New Hampshire, it’s just a matter of getting our race car where we want it. I feel good headed to New Hampshire this weekend.”
How hard is it to get a handle on New Hampshire throughout the weekend, especially given the different series that race there so often?
“New Hampshire has a very difficult surface to get a hold of because of all the different series that race there throughout the year, plus last time we were there they had the track bite sprayed and applied to the second and third lane. It was, honestly, a different New Hampshire than we’ve had in the past. There were a lot of variables to overcome for the race teams, but I do think one thing that always shows its face is that if you have speed and drivability in your race car it always shows up by the end of the weekend. If you have that, it makes maneuvering through all of those variables much easier. I think we’re doing a lot of good things to make sure we’re headed in the right direction going there.”