RCR Event Preview – Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series History at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … In 64 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolets have earned 10 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes with eight different drivers – Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Austin Dillon, Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Mike Skinner.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,924 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 488 top-five finishes and 1,067 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 Menards Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.

#RCR50 … Richard Childress Racing celebrates it’s 50th Anniversary in 2019. Follow our social channels season-long to join in the celebration.

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, @TylerReddick and @DanielHemric. 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/DanielHemric.

Catch the Action … The Las Vegas 400 will be televised live Sunday, March 3 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s Dow SILASTIC Silicone Elastomers Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … In seven Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dillon’s best finish is fifth in 2016.

Racing to Meet Consumer Demands … Dow Performance Silicones is showcasing their 70-year history of proven performance and innovation on the track this weekend, as the No. 3 will sport a SILASTIC™ brand paint scheme. SILASTIC™ brand, the flagship of Dow Performance Silicones’ Elastomers-Rubber product line, helps meet highly specialized performance and processing needs across a wide range of industrial and consumer markets including mobility, consumer goods, industrial and electrical. From safety and sustainability, to resistance to extreme temperatures, learn how SILASTIC™ can provide high performing, versatile silicone elastomer rubber solutions at www.consumer.dow.com/. Follow us on Twitter @DowRacing, @DowSports & @DowSilicones.

Winner, Winner … Dillon is a former Las Vegas Motor Speedway race winner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (2010) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (2015). He plans to pull double-duty this weekend, competing in both the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Testing 1, 2, 3 … Dillon and the No. 3 team participated in a test session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in January to help prepare RCR for this weekend’s Las Vegas 400. This will be the first race with NASCAR’s new rules package.

Questions, Please … Dillon is scheduled to take questions from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway media during a NASCAR-scheduled media availability session in the Infield Media Center on Friday at 2:45 p.m. local time.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Let’s talk about the Las Vegas Motor Speedway test. With this new package the style of racing is much more pack-like. What was it like hearing the spotter in your ear so much more frequently on a 1.5-mile track?
“The spotters will constantly need to be talking. You’ll hear a lot of chatter on the radio in order for the team and spotter to give the driver what is needed, such as seeing the runs, the momentum and clearing other cars. There’s going to be a lot of tight moves made and guys sticking their cars in holes that are tighter than normal. You’ve got to clear that guy in order to get that air clear on the back of the car. Close calls are going to be made and you’re just going to have to live with them. Hopefully your spotter does a good enough job making the right call.”

How do you make a pass with this package?
“I think when somebody gets side-by-side it really helps the third-place guy. Obviously, being faster is a key part of that. Speed is king so we’ll be trying to work on our cars to get them as fast as we can to be able to pull out and make moves. I think the air works a lot differently than it used to with having the air ducts in the front so learning that is going to be pretty key. I think learning the air is still a work in progress and once we figure that out, we’ll have a better idea of what we can and cannot get away with. I’m really pumped to have Danny Stockman as my crew chief this year. He’s a guy that was really good in the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series and I think finding that balance shift between aero is going to be something he is good at. I’m really excited about it.”

Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … Hemric will be making his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but has starts in both the NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series at the 1.5-mile track. He had an average start of 15.3 and an average finish of 16.0 in the Xfinity Series, as well as an average start of 9.0 and an average finish of 4.0 in the Truck Series.

Review Mirror: Atlanta … Hemric’s finish of 20th does not reflect the strong run the No. 8 Red Kap/Alsco Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 had going at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Starting in the 28th position, Hemric overcame a spin on pit road and drove his way inside the top five late in the race. However, a flat right front tire forced Hemric to give up the fourth position with less than 20 laps to go as he came to pit road under green flag conditions. With four fresh tires, Hemric worked his way back to 20th by the time the checkered flag flew. He was the highest finishing Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender.

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Meet the Driver … Fans will have multiple opportunities to meet the driver of the No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. On Friday, March 1, Hemric is scheduled to participate in a fan Q&A session in the Neon Garage starting at 2:30 p.m. local time. On Saturday, March 2, he is scheduled to have a Q&A and autograph session at the South Point Hotel & Casino booth in the Fan Midway starting at 10 a.m. local time. He is also scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR merchandise hauler in the Fan Midway on Saturday, starting at 10:20 a.m. local time.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
Would you rather be lucky or good at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
“I would rather be good. Las Vegas is a place that always pays when you have speed. If you have speed, your car handles good and you are good as a driver, you’re going to have a good weekend. That is what we will look to do this weekend with the No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.”

How do you feel the bumps in Turns 1 and 2 will affect the car with the new aerodynamic package and will handling be an issue?
“The bumps in Turns 1 and 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will definitely be an issue this weekend. We saw at the test a few weeks ago that when the car goes through those bumps with this package it goes through a huge aerodynamic shift. That makes the cars very unpredictable and that will be magnified when we get in traffic. Everyone has to learn at the same time with the variables and try to figure it out.”

Is there anything that you can learn from what Austin Dillon and the No. 3 team learned at the Vegas test at the end of January that you can apply to the No. 8 team moving forward?
“That test, in particular, was a little different from the fact that it wasn’t a small group of cars. You still had 14-20 cars on the racetrack at any given time. It gave you a good indication of what you needed, what the strong suits were, what kind of the trouble spots that we need to work on were and know that because of the amount of cars that is just going to enhance as you get into the full field. I tried to be there and work closely with Austin throughout the test just to make sure that I was taking in the information that I needed to help prepare me.”

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … In 51 Series starts at the 1.5-mile paved oval, RCR has captured three victories with drivers Kevin Harvick (2004), Jeff Burton (2007) and Austin Dillon (2015). The Welcome, N.C., organization has completed 9,491 laps of the 10,227 (92.8 percent) that they have competed. RCR has accumulated four pole awards, 13 top-five and 28 top-10 finishes, led 528 laps and averages a starting position of 9.9 and finishing position of 12.8.

Atlanta Review … Tyler Reddick finished fifth in Saturday’s Rinnai 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Reddick spent much of the day up front, leading laps and running in the top five for the majority of the race.

The Points … Reddick is currently fourth in the Xfinity Series driver 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 Las Vegas 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, March 2, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on FS1. It will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.

Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 Hurdl Chevrolet Camaro at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … Tyler Reddick has two previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, collecting one top-10 finish (eighth) during last year’s spring race. Reddick also has one win (2016) and two top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile speedway in the NASCAR Truck Series.

Text ‘TYLER’ to 770022 … Thanks to Hurdl, fans have the unique opportunity to gain access to exclusive RCR deals and opportunities to meet Reddick throughout the next three race weekends when they text ‘TYLER’ to 770022. Message and data rates may apply.

About Hurdl … Hurdl is a new kind of experiential SMS tech platform connecting fans with their favorite teams, drivers, artists, and brands through the familiarity and immediacy of personalized messaging. We believe that memorable experiences are the most powerful opportunities to forge relationships, which is why more fans opt-in to participate in Hurdl-powered events than any other technology platform.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:
You have had some solid races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the past few years. What have you learned from those races that you can take into this weekend?
“I’ve learned a lot at Las Vegas Motor Speedway over the last few years. I was the leader there last year in the spring Xfinity race on the last restart and wasn’t able to make it happen. I learned a lot on that final restart on what to do and what not to do when I find myself in that position at Las Vegas in the future. I think that’s one race from last year I feel like I should have finished better than I did and look forward to making up those spots this year. At the same time, I do have success at that track to lean on. I won the Truck race there in 2016, so I feel confident heading into this weekend. I know we’re only two weeks into the season, but we’ve brought strong Chevrolet Camaros to the track and I don’t see why this weekend would be any different.”

Tell us about the perks fans can take part in over the next couple of weeks by taking part Hurdl’s ‘Text TYLER’ program.
“Fans have a really cool opportunity during the next couple of weeks to get in on some exclusive deals and offers thanks to Hurdl. All they have to do is text ‘TYLER’ to 770022, answer five questions and then they’ll receive RCR store offers and discounts, along with the opportunity to meet me at the track. It’s a neat program Hurdl and RCR have put together for the fans, and I really hope people both at home and at the track will take advantage of it during the west coast swing.”