Austin Dillon Survives Last Lap Melee to Earn Sixth Place Finish in Rheem Chevrolet and take Control of Owner’s Point Standings

“It’ pretty difficult to put yourself in position in those closing laps. You want to be there but you really never know what the best position is. Sometimes second or third is the best. Coming to the line first takes a lot of luck at these places. I had some help at the end with my teammate Brendan Gaughan in the No. 62 South Point Chevrolet but we really couldn’t go. I was watching the outside line coming to the checker flag but it just never had enough momentum. I just kept pushing Jeremy Clements in the No. 51 and it worked out. We ended up sixth. Congratulations to Jeremy Clements. That was probably his best finish so that was pretty awesome for him. I just want to thank Rheem again for this opportunity each and every week. I’m having a good time.”
Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Talladega–Sparks Energy 300 →

Austin Dillon Matches Career-Best Richmond International Raceway Finish in AAA Chevrolet Debut

“We had a better showing at Richmond International Raceway than we have in the past but there is certainly room for improvement. As a team, we just made too many mistakes today and it affected our overall performance. We had a few issues on pit road but we can work on those. We made a wedge adjustment in the middle of the race that put us behind. Once we recovered from that, the AAA Chevrolet was fast and handled well. It was just the small mistakes we made as a team that kept us out of the top-10 today. Today was tough, but encouraging at the same time.”

– Austin Dillon

Paul Menard Finishes 22nd in the No. 27 Duracell / Menards Chevrolet SS at Richmond International Raceway

“This Duracell / Menards team came a long way from practice on Friday and made some gains before the race during Saturday’s practice session. Track position was important today and we just didn’t have it until the end. The handling of our Chevrolet SS was loose in to the turns and tight through the center and despite all the adjustments we made, we were still a little bit off in finding the right balance that we needed. This group of guys will not give up and we’ll regroup to look at what we did and see how we can improve on it.”

– Paul Menard

Ryan Newman Overcomes Cut-Down Tire and Spin to Finish 18th at Richmond International Raceway

“This was definitely not the finish this Grainger team expected, or deserved. We raced solidly in the top 10 until a competitor made contact with us and it cut down our tire with less than 100 laps to go. At first I just thought we had a tire go down but then the team came over the radio and said someone got into us on the restart after watching the replay. At that point all we could do was pit and restart from the 22nd position. We obviously got some of our positions back but certainly not enough. We ran out of laps. Luke (crew chief – Lambert) and the team made solid adjustments on pit road to give me a car very capable of finishing in the top 10. We just need to keep fighting to get those finishes that reflect the quality of car we are bringing to the track. That’s been our biggest challenge so far this season and I feel confident we’ll work it all out.”

– Ryan Newman

Late Race Caution Puts Austin Dillon and the Ruud Team in Contention at Richmond International Raceway

“In the heat race we struggled with a really tight-handling Ruud Chevrolet but we were able to make it better on the long run before the main event started. We definitely had a decent car on the long run. We just couldn’t take off to start a run. At the end of the long run we were probably one of the fastest cars. On that last restart if we had a car that could have turned a bit better we probably could have moved somebody or tried to, at least. I just could not get to them in the first corner. It was a good day for RCR in general and I’m very proud of my brother, Ty, for his Dash4Cash win. That’s what he needed right there.”

– Austin Dillon

Ty Dillon wins #Dash4Cash, Finishes Runner-Up at Richmond International Raceway

“Today was an all around excellent day for our No. 3 WESCO team. With Nick Harrison out this weekend, our race engineer, Danny Efland, really stepped up and delivered today. This team has a whole lot of fight and was there with me at the end to give me a great race car. I really wanted to win this race today, and thought we had a chance at the end. It’s cool to win this Dash4Cash and I can’t thank XFINITY enough for allowing us to race this format. It was exciting to win the heat race and be one step closer to locking ourselves in the Chase. We’re looking forward to getting Nick back next week and hopefully scoring a win. Today was fun; we need more days like today.”

– Ty Dillon

Brandon Jones and the No. 33 Chevrolet Military Discount Camaro Team Continue Strong Season with a Top-15 Finish at Richmond International Raceway

“This weekend was tricky from the beginning with practice and qualifying cancelled because of rain on Friday. We didn’t get a chance to dial in the No. 33 Chevy to where we needed it and that showed during today’s race. We fought an overall lack of grip that had me slipping and sliding around the track. Mike (Hillman, crew chief) made great calls and we were able to finish the day with a decent finish.”

– Brandon Jones

Brendan Gaughan and the South Point Team Power to Seventh Place Finish at Richmond International Raceway

“Richmond was a fun surface to race on today. We could move around a lot with multiple grooves. The tires finally wore out, which was nice. Those late cautions really worked in our favor. In the end, Shane Wilson and my team got me a top-10 finish at Richmond, which has always been my worst race track statistically. They deserve a medal for that! My guys did an awesome job.”

– Brendan Gaughan

Austin Dillon Finishes 26th at Bristol Motor Speedway after Sustaining Damage

“Today wasn’t our day, the Bass Pro Shops team worked hard during practice to get the handling right on our Chevrolet and we made a lot of gains. We started the race too tight. Slugger (Labbe, crew chief) made a great call on the first stop and fixed up our handling issues. We just couldn’t get track position on our side today. We got a speeding penalty mid-race that put us further behind, which led to damage and a tire rub from tight racing. We battled hard and just couldn’t luck on our side.”

– Austin Dillon

The No. 27 Tarkett/Menards Team Rallies Late to Finish 15th in Thunder Valley

“My guys fought hard all day to make good adjustments and have fast stops on pit road. We came back from what could have been a bad day. I’m proud of this team. We just couldn’t get the front end to turn for some reason, so we’ll go back and look at those notes on Monday.”

– Paul Menard

Ryan Newman and WIX Filters Team Earn Hard-Fought Ninth-Place Finish at Bristol Motor Speedway

“We overcame a lot today between getting a tire rub in one incident and front-nose damage in another. We stayed focused and dug deep. The biggest challenge for us were restarts on the inside line. It was such a disadvantage starting there. We were very fortunate to take the last two on the high side. I’m very happy all and all. We’re looking forward to going to one of my favorite tracks at Richmond.”
– Ryan Newman

Austin Dillon Powers Through the Tight Turns to Finish Fourth at Bristol Motor Speedway

“This was definitely a different race today. It was interesting to have the heat races. The No. 2 Rheem Chevrolet was really strong for the second heat race. Danny (Stockman, crew chief) and the guys had the handling dialed in for me. After the heat race, a lot of rubber was laid down and the handling for the main changed. I got pretty tight in the center of the corners but with only 200 laps, it’s hard to make adjustments. I’m proud of the No. 2 team. We have some things we’re going to try next week at Richmond (International Raceway) that I’m pretty excited about.”

– Austin Dillon

Racing For The #Dash4Cash, Ty Dillon Finishes Seventh at
Bristol Motor Speedway

“That was definitely a tough finish at the end. I’m disappointed the way it turned out. We had a lot faster car than a seventh-place finish. It was difficult to pass and make a move today, unless you could really race the bottom of the track. I enjoyed the heat racing today, but wish we were there at the end to have a chance to win the Dash4Cash. Thanks to RedKap and Khols.com for the support this weekend, and thanks to Comcast and XFINITY for putting on a great Dash4Cash program.”

– Ty Dillon

Brandon Jones Produces Solid 11th-Place Finish at
Bristol Motor Speedway

“Today was really about track position. The heat races were really fun. We raced in the first one and finished fifth. I really think that element is really cool and I liked that they introduced it to the NASCAR XFINITY Series. We had a lot of fun doing that. Once the race started it was follow the leader out there so again, it was all about track position. It was key. Mike (crew chief, Hillman Jr.) made some good changes on pit road. Unfortunately we didn’t have many times to come down pit road the whole day, so I think that it hurt us without having many chances to adjust on the Check Into Cash Chevrolet. Today it was about being at the right place at the right time.”

– Brandon Jones

Brendan Gaughan Perseveres Through Damage at
Bristol Motor Speedway to Finish 16th

“I’m just bummed. We are usually really good here. We had to start on the bottom all day, and just went back until we could get to the high line. Then we got some damage around lap 35 which complicated an already tight Chevy in the corners. It wasn’t a bad race car, it was just circumstantial. My guys made a great effort on pit road to fix the damage. I’m ready to move on to Richmond.”

– Brendan Gaughan

Austin Dillon and Dow Energy & Water FlexsoLyt Chevrolet Team Show Speed and Consistency at Texas Motor Speedway despite Late-Race Incident

“We took a chance and chose to stay out on old tires and it didn’t work out for us tonight. I was trying to get all I could and it’s part of trying to win a race. We put ourselves in a position to be out front. I don’t know if somebody got into me. I just wish we could redo it. We’re learning. We had another fast racecar. I don’t know why we were put a lap down for a speeding penalty when we came down pit road to make repairs. Usually, the penalty for speeding is tail end of the longest line, so that lost us a couple of spots, too, but we’ll take it and go on. We just have to keep fighting and build fast racecars. I’m definitely encouraged by the way this team has been performing.”

– Austin Dillon

Paul Menard Fights Adversity to Finish 26th at Texas Motor Speedway in the No. 27 Rockstar Energy/Menards Chevrolet SS

“Something was off about our car all weekend. We made some gains in final practice but handling changed with the rain delay and cold temperatures. It just wasn’t our night with the NASCAR penalty and getting caught up in that wreck late in the race. That’s ok though, we’ll regroup on Monday and check our notes to see what we could’ve done differently.”

– Paul Menard

Late-Race Incident Plagues Ryan Newman and No. 31 Caterpillar Team

“Tonight wasn’t our night. We started off the run tight and as more rubber was laid down, we got loose. There weren’t a lot of cautions, so we made green-flag pit stops and fell a lap down to the leader. With most of the stops under green, we didn’t have many opportunities to get our lap back, especially after we got caught up in a wreck towards the end of the race. The right-side of the car was tore up but not enough to take us out of the race. The Caterpillar team never gave up, that’s something to be proud of.”

– Ryan Newman

Austin Dillon Rallies Against Tight-Handling Chevrolet to Finish Eighth in Ruud/Smurfit Kappa Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway

“The Ruud/Smurfit Kappa Chevrolet was tight for the entire race. Danny Stockman made good calls on pit road, but we couldn’t get the No. 2 Chevrolet dialed in to where we needed to be. We made some gains during the middle part of the race but when I was in traffic, the car just tightened up too much. It felt like the right-front tire was wearing a lot faster than it should because we were so tight. We have a lot of work to do. We aren’t giving up. We’ll get it figured out and get back to Victory Lane.”

– Austin Dillon

Late-Race Tire Issue Leads to 13th-Place Finish for Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Bulwark Chevrolet Camaro Team

“Tonight was just a case of bad luck at the end of race. We had a car that was good enough to finish in the top-five, but we had a late-race tire issue. Things like this happen, but I’m definitely proud of the speed that we brought tonight. We didn’t let it get too far away from us, and we were still able to finish 13th.”

– Ty Dillon

Brandon Jones and the No. 33 Texas Rangers Team Earn A Top-10 Finish Their First Time up to Bat at Texas Motor Speedway

“It’s been a fun week with the Texas Rangers baseball team on the hood of our No. 33 Chevy. We had speed during Thursday’s practice sessions. Mike Hillman Jr. and the No. 33 guys unloaded a fast car, so I felt confident heading into qualifying. We fought a tight-handling car during the race, but made some gains that helped control manageability. Saturday night was fun and I’m looking forward to the other night races on our schedule. I’ve also got to thank my guys for all their hard work.”

– Brandon Jones

Brendan Gaughan Navigates to 12th-Place Finish at Texas Motor Speedway

“Today was a tough day as a whole. We fought a tight-handling Chevrolet for most of the race and couldn’t free up the car. I am really happy with my WIX Filters crew. They did a great job on pit road. We made some big changes at the beginning of the race. The guys performed at a very high level on pit road. We had a shot at the top-10 near the end going three-wide, but we ended up too loose on that last run. It just wasn’t what we needed to be up front tonight.”

– Brendan Gaughan

Austin Dillon Comes from Deep in the Field to Earn Career-Best Short Track Finish in No. 3 Dow Chevrolet

“I was pretty much distraught Friday after qualifying 29th because we put a lot of focus into qualifying here and talked about where I had messed up in previous races. I backed it up and messed it up again. I came back Saturday and regrouped as a team and decided to work on our car and work on me. The race today was fun. To start 29th and to drive up through there like we did is a testament to these guys and effort they put in. The Dow Chevrolet seemed to race well. The pit crew did a great job. We broke a jack and were able to recover from that. A lot of things happened today. It was just a career day for me and everyone on the Dow Chevy team here at Martinsville Speedway. I’m looking forward upcoming races. I learned a lot today.”
– Austin Dillon Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Martinsville 500 →

RACE REPORT
Alpha Energy Solutions 250
Martinsville Speedway
April 2, 2016
Newsletter – Dance Drop Shadow Image
Red Horse Racing at Martinsville Speedway

After just over a month off, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams went north to Ridgeway, Virginia for the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway. On Friday, teams participated in three practice sessions. Timothy Peters was 2nd, 8th and 11th-fastest, and Ben Kennedy posted the 12th-fastest time in the first practice and the 11th-fastest time on the board in the second and 14th-fastest in the third session. On Saturday morning, teams competed in three rounds of knockout group qualifying. Kennedy and Peters both transferred into the second round, where Kennedy earned the 15th starting position and Peters the 16th. After 255 circuits and a NASCAR overtime finish at the 0.526-mile speedway, Peters crossed the finish line in fifth and Kennedy finished 11th.
Newsletter – Dance Drop Shadow Image
Timothy Peters No. 17
No. 17 Red Horse Racing Continue reading Red Horse Racing–Alpha Energy Solutions 250 →

Austin Dillon Earns Pole Award at Auto Club Speedway and Runs in Top-10 Before Finishing 24th in American Ethanol Chevrolet

“We win as a team and we lose as a team and this weekend we definitely experienced a little bit of both. We made huge strides as an organization earning the pole award and I liked the view from up front. We got a little bit behind in the middle of the race but we were able to battle back and race our way into the top-10. When the final caution came out it was never a question whether or not to pit, just whether to take two or four tires. We took four but had a parts failure and it hurt us in the end. Nothing we can do about it but be gracious in defeat. On to Martinsville Speedway.”

– Austin Dillon

The No. 27 FVP/Menards Team Bounces Back After Pit-Road Penalty to Finish 15th at Auto Club Speedway

“Our race started out strong today in California. Right at the beginning the car was on the splitter but we made adjustments during the first caution that helped. The next stop we adjusted a little too far, then received a speeding penalty on pit road. The penalty put us a lap down and definitely set us back for a while. After taking the wave around, we got some positions back but needed more on the restarts. I’m proud of my team for not giving up today. We’ll take a weekend off then get back at it in Martinsville.”

– Paul Menard

Ryan Newman and the Caterpillar Team Forge On After a 14th-Place Finish at Auto Club Speedway

“Luke Lambert and the Caterpillar pit crew did a great job on pit road for me today. We had a top-10 Chevrolet for a good portion of the race. Our biggest challenge was a lack of grip and a loose-handling Chevrolet but we kept fine tuning on it. The pit crew busted off a fast stop at the end when we needed it to have us lined up in 10th on the final restart. Unfortunately the adjustment we made did not react the way we predicted and I drove as hard as I could to get that finish. It’s disappointing to come up short but at the same time, it’s encouraging to see the potential this team has as well as the rest of our RCR teammates. I mean, Austin Dillon drove up in the top 10 for most of the race and Paul Menard was right there with us so the hard work put in during the off season is producing solid results. Now that the West Coast tour is over, we can get a nice break and prepare for the long haul.”

– Ryan Newman

Austin Dillon and the Rheem Team Notch Their First Win of the 2016 Season In Spectacular, Last-Lap Fashion

“We were about a fourth or fifth-place car the entire race but we kept working very hard to make the Rheem Chevrolet better. It seems like we were a little better than the No. 19 car on the final run. Danny Stockman told me before the run that we needed to save about one lap’s worth of fuel so as soon as I felt like we had a little bit of a gap I started saving. The No. 6 car was behind us and he was keeping me pushing a little bit there. He came to me a few times during that run so I was saving a little bit and then picking up a little bit when I wanted to, but I felt like I saved a pretty good amount so when Stockman said I was good on fuel I went for it at the end of the race. ECR Engines provided good fuel mileage, I did my job, Stockman did his job and sometimes things just go your way and today it definitely did. It was a fun race and I hope the fans liked that last lap. That was exciting because a little bit of everything happened with tires flat, fuel running out and cars hitting the wall.”
– Austin Dillon

Ty Dillon Endures at Auto Club Speedway to Claim a 17th-Place Finish in the Bulwark/PAR Electric Chevrolet Camaro

“Today wasn’t the outcome I was expecting after how well we practiced on Friday. Nick Harrison and the guys kept pushing all day and never gave up on adjustments. We started out the race tight then the car got loose and we had to fight back from that. We raced all the way up to seventh an then I had some minor damage on the right rear from a brush with the wall, but we overcame that on pit road. I’m looking forward to a two-week reset and then getting back to it at Texas Motor Speedway.”

– Ty Dillon

Brandon Jones Perseveres To Earn Third Top-10 of Season at
Auto Club Speedway With Ninth-Place Finish

“Auto Club Speedway is probably the hardest track for me to have tackled in my rookie season. It’s like a combination of Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. It has the rough characteristics of Atlanta with the seams and everything with the way you run over them and obviously it has the big feel to it like Daytona does. I think all and all, we had a great Nexteer Chevrolet the whole day. We kept improving on it through the whole weekend. In qualifying we got a second-and-a-half faster so this entire team is pretty pumped up about it. I think being able to come out of here with a top-10 finish is pretty awesome. This is a big eye opener for us that we can run in the top 10 at the hardest place I’ve been to so far. I think at some of these tracks where I get to see beforehand or return to, we’ll be even better.”

– Brandon Jones

Brendan Gaughan Excels on Restarts at Auto Club Speedway to Finish Seventh in the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet

“I love fuel mileage racing. I think it’s fun and I like the drama. I’m really excited that Austin won. That’s great for RCR and ECR. We should have had a top-five so I’m disappointed about that. The guys were great on pit road all day. Shane Wilson had a strategy that really played out well with tires at the right times. Considering where we were off the truck, we made all the right changes and I’m happy with that finish.”

– Brendan Gaughan

Austin Dillon Battles Tight-Handling Conditions En Route to Seventh-Place Finish in the Desert

“The Ruud Chevrolet was tight all day. We fought tight on exit for the majority of the race. The No. 2 team had good pit stops and put us third on the final restart, but we had to come back to pit road with 25 laps to go to get a set of fresh tires. Danny (Stockman, crew chief) and the boys didn’t give up. We ended the day with a top-10 finish, but we have some work to do. We’ll get it figured out and get back to victory lane this season.”

– Austin Dillon

Dillon Records Third Consecutive Top-10 Finish

“Today was an overall great day. We executed on all levels, made no mistakes and came home with a top-10 finish. We showed a lot of speed all weekend and were able to qualify well and race up front for a majority of the race. We even got to lead a few laps and show that we are capable of doing so. I was happy with our overall strategy from Nick (Harrison, crew chief) and Danny (Efland, engineer). We still have a lot of work to do as a company to get on the level of competition I know we are capable of being on. I’m looking forward to the last leg of the NASCAR Goes West trip.”

– Ty Dillon

Brandon Jones Earns 11th-Place Despite an Up and Down Day at Phoenix

“It was an up and down kind of day for the No. 33 E-Z-Go Chevrolet team. We ran inside the top-10 for most of the day but on that last pit stop, we just got a little too far away from what the car needed. The No. 33 pit crew had a lot of great stops, and Mike (Hillman Jr., crew chief) made awesome calls to keep us in the top 10. I think the biggest thing is getting the car to turn better. If we can make that happen, we’ll definitely be able to contend for wins. It’s nice to leave Phoenix (International Raceway) with a solid finish. I haven’t had the best of luck here in previous years. Overall, it was a decent day for us.”

– Brandon Jones

Brendan Gaughan Finishes 13th After Battling Handling Issues

“The team had a good day on pit road, but we couldn’t get the handling quite right during the race. We fought tight conditions in the middle and loose off through the turns. That’s the toughest condition in racing to fix. Shane (Wilson, crew chief) and the guys did everything we could to correct the car and gain in those 200 miles. The No. 62 team has had a couple of races in a row that didn’t quite go the way we wanted. We will re-group and finish off the west coast swing in California, a track that has always been really good for us.”

– Brendan Gaughan

Austin Dillon Comes from Two Laps Down to Earn Top-Five Finish in Dow Energy and Water Intellifresh Chevrolet at
Las Vegas Motor Speedway

“At the end of the race I was trying to save a little bit of fuel, so it helped that we had some caution laps since Ryan Blaney was really coming on strong. For our team to be able to come back to fifth, we are just blessed, because we had a fast Dow Intellifresh Chevrolet today but we didn’t have a fifth-place performance. The cautions fell right for us. We really have to pick it up as a group – me included – on pit road. It was disappointing to have issues on pit road today because we had such a fast racecar. At some points, we were faster than the race leader. But, we had a shot there at the end. As a group we are working together really well but we still have a little bit of work to do. I’m proud of everyone on this team today. We’ve worked hard to make our cars fast and we’re proving it right now. I believe we will get a win soon.”

– Austin Dillon

Paul Menard and the No. 27 Dutch Boy / Menards Chevy Team Finish 15th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

“15th is not the finish we were hoping for today. We learned a lot this weekend though, so we have that to go off of. Our car was fast, but handling was tight during the race so we had to make adjustments during pit stops. I’m proud of my team and how hard they worked this week.”

– Paul Menard

Ryan Newman Leaves Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 13th-place Finish

“I don’t know what happened there at the end. We got extremely tight. We were in the running again for a top-10 finish but we just didn’t quite have the handling when we needed it to have a real shot. I don’t know if we sustained damage to the front nose when we dodged the wreck. Regardless we’ll keep working on it and get better as a team.”

– Ryan Newman

Austin Dillon Battles a Loose-Handling Chevrolet to Finish Fifth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

“We never really had the speed today that we wanted. We lacked a little bit on the car handling ability, but the No. 2 RTP/Rheem Chevrolet team worked hard at it all day. We had to save fuel there at the end to make it all the way to the checkered flag. Brandon Jones really started saving a lot, and we ended up getting by him coming to the flag. I had a lot of fun today. We have some things to work on to get better, but we’ll get there.”

– Austin Dillon

Ty Dillon Cruises to Top-10 Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

“Our race strategy paid off today. We didn’t have the fastest race car, but we were able to compete inside the top-10. That’s a credit to Nick Harrison (crew chief). I’m happy to leave here with a solid finish, but we know we have a lot of work to do. I’ve noticed a lot of improvements even in the early parts of the season. It’s a long NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule, and we’re making sure we’re staying in the thick of the point’s battle.”

– Ty Dillon

Brandon Jones Logs Laps, Learns Lessons and Finishes Sixth in NASCAR XFINITY Series Debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

“We had a great qualifying effort and started the race fifth, but we were a little too loose on the initial start of the race and got shuffled back in the order. It was a long race, so I rode around as we made changes to the No. 33 Chevrolet. We zeroed in on some changes at the end, and I knew we were really close to a perfect chassis. I was saving fuel in the closing laps and got passed by our teammate, Austin Dillon, but I learned a lot today. I logged a lot of laps and am proud of what we accomplished today.”

– Brandon Jones

Brendan Gaughan Battles to 10th-Place Finish in Front of Hometown Crowd

“Today was definitely not what we wanted coming out of Las Vegas. We wanted to be a lot better than top-10. The South Point Chevy wasn’t quite as good as it was last year. It’s a bummer because this was the first race of the year that wasn’t as good as last year’s. We still brought home a top-10 finish, and that is half the battle. We will keep chipping off top-10’s, and that’s good for the stat line and points. We just wanted to do better for the hometown crowd. I love racing and I love what I do, I’m having fun.”

– Brendan Gaughan

Austin Dillon Earns Best-Career Atlanta Motor Speedway Finish with 11th-Place Showing in Dow Chevrolet

“It was a decent race for us again and I’m proud of the fast car that the Dow racing team provided. We were challenged with improving our performance as an organization over last year on downforce races and 1.5-mile tracks and I think we showed that we can perform. We still have work to do, but I earned my best Sprint Cup finish at Atlanta and that says a lot about the start to our season. I do think we can get better on pit road. We struggled a little bit on green-flag stops today. Overall, it was another good finish to start the year, though, so it was a solid day in the points.”

– Austin Dillon

Paul Menard Finishes 19th at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Valvoline/Menards Chevrolet SS

“I’ve been looking forward to today’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It’s one of my favorite tracks that we go to. We just got a bad set of tires that we had to adjust for. It messed us up for a few runs but we were able to come back from it towards the end. I’m proud of my guys for pushing today and not giving up.”

– Paul Menard

Cut Tire Slows Ryan Newman to 24th-Place Finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway

“Hats off to this Cat team today. They gave me a fun car to drive. The guys on pit road did a great job. There are no complaints from me about today. We are moving in the right direction, that’s for sure. I thought we might have a tire going down there at the end and was riding it out and hoping for the best but it cut down. Despite what happened, we’re encouraged not discouraged.”

– Ryan Newman

Paul Menard and the No. 2 Richmond/Menards Chevrolet Team Earn Fourth-Place Finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway

“I just have to thank my Richmond/Menards team for bringing a fast Chevrolet this weekend. We didn’t qualify as well as we hoped and were missing just a little bit off the top-three cars. We were on the splitter for restarts and really needed a longer green-flag run at the end. Our car was the best on the long run for sure. Overall, we learned a lot and I’m excited for tomorrow. This track is awesome.”

– Paul Menard

Late Race Surge Propels Ty Dillon to Top-Five Finish at Atlanta

“Wow, what a way to battle there at the end. We had an unlucky situation happen at the beginning of the race and went a lap down, but the speed stayed in this No. 3 Rheem Chevrolet, and we didn’t give up. Thank you to Rheem for all of their support this weekend. I was glad to be able to put on a good show in front of their hometown crowd in Atlanta.”

– Ty Dillon

Brandon Jones Finishes 11th at Atlanta Motor Speedway Despite Pit Road Mishap

“I’m really proud of this Roland Chevrolet team. We didn’t get the qualifying spot we wanted and started 19th but with help from my spotter and Mike (Hillman, Jr., crew chief), I was able to roll really well on the high line and picked up almost 10 spots before our first pit stop. Unfortunately, we got behind on our pit stop because I slid through the pit box, but the No. 33 pit crew worked fast and got us back out there. We had a really good run going and rolled the top toward the end of the race, but I just got too tight and fell back to 11th. I’m happy with the finish. Tire management was huge, and we did a really good job at taking care of our tires. We’re going to roll this momentum into a great finish at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) next weekend.”

– Brandon Jones

Late Race Gamble Pays Off for Gaughan at Atlanta Motor Speedway

“We had two right fronts go away that put us battling to get laps back. The team took a chance on that last pit stop in the South Point Chevy Camaro. Staying out before the last caution paid off. It was all about the numbers. I’m from Vegas, so I like numbers. The last restart was fun. We are ready to head home to Vegas next weekend.”

– Brendan Gaughan

Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing drivers Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman and Paul Menard finished ninth, 11th and 18th, respectively, in the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
Dillon ranks ninth in the Sprint Cup Series championship point standings, trailing current leader Denny Hamlin by 12 points, while Newman ranks 11th and Menard is 18th.
Hamlin earned his first win of the 2016 season and was followed to the line by Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards.
The second race of the 2016 Sprint Cup Series season is the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, February 28, 2016, which is scheduled to be televised live on FOX beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the Dow Racing Team Earn Redemption at Daytona International Speedway with Top-10 Finish in Daytona 500

Start – 21 Finish – 9 Laps Led – 1 Points – 9

“What a fun Daytona 500 and a good result especially compared to the finish I had here last July. Near the end of the race we restarted in the sixth position on the top line and that hurt us because the bottom line was the line that was moving best the entire race. It was hard to get those guys off of it. That’s actually what got us up there was being in that bottom line. I wish we could have gotten in that bottom line because it was really fast. When I was at the top I was just trying to get in to the bottom. It was a good comeback there to get us a top 10 finish. When the No. 20 car went high it kind of helped us out. We split him three wide in the middle and it was crazy back there at 200 mph. Daytona has gotten much slicker and I think you’re going to see a lot of fun racing now because of how slick it is. You have to work on your car’s handling now just because of how slick it is out there. It was all about handling and my guys did a good job. We were pretty far off at the beginning of the race. I was tight at the exit of the corners. By the end of the race I had a loose racecar but it was fun! We needed a little more speed off the corners. The No. 3 team did great with pit strategy. I’m proud of my guys. I just have to thank Dow and everybody involved with this program. We have a team and car capable of winning and we’re going to do it.”

– AUSTIN DILLON

Paul Menard Finishes 18th in the PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant/Menards Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway

Start – 37 Finish – 18 Laps Led – 0 Points – 18

“Today we started out really strong and were able to move up through the pack with no problem. I would say about halfway through the race we just started going backwards. Contact with the No. 23 caused some left-rear quarter panel damage which really affected the aero on our car. Handling from there was a struggle, then we got some nose damage that caused overheating. Luckily, my guys are fast on pit road and were able to make adjustments while keeping us on the lead lap. In the closing laps, Billy (O’Dea, spotter) pushed me hard on the radio and we got all the positions we could.”

– PAUL MENARD

Handling Key in Ryan Newman & the Cat Racing Team’s 2016 Daytona 500

Start – 38 Finish – 11 Laps Led – 1 Points – 11

“That was a hard-fought finish for us, that’s for sure. We waited it out and when it was time to go we got in the low line and it moved okay. For the most part we were tight all day but the Caterpillar crew worked on it for me to race up there and almost walk away with a top-10. I’m proud of my guys and glad we can bring the Cat car home in one piece.”

-RYAN NEWMAN

Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing drivers Austin Dillon, Brandon Jones, Brendan Gaughan and Ty Dillon finished fifth, seventh, 10th and 13th, respectively, in the Powershares 300 at Daytona International Speedway.
The next race of the 2016 XFINITY Series season is the Heads Up Georgia 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 250-mile event is scheduled to be televised live on FOX beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90. Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Powershares 300 →

Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing drivers Austin Dillon and Paul Menard finished 11th and 21st in the first of two Duels at Daytona. Ryan Newman competed in the second Duel and finished 22nd.
In the first Duel, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished first and was followed to the finish line by Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin. Kyle Busch won the second Duel and was followed to the line by Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards and Ty Dillon.
The 2016 Sprint Cup Series begins with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 21. The first race of the 2016 season is scheduled to be televised live on FOX beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.

Austin Dillon Runs as High as Third in Duel at Daytona before Securing 11th-Place Finish in Dow Chevrolet

Start – 5 Finish – 11 Laps Led – 0 Points – N/A

“That was a good race. I have to thank Dow and everybody involved in this program. I’m proud of my guys because they put a lot of hard work and effort into this Chevy. I was hoping for a win tonight and tried to be as aggressive as I could. I just got put in the middle and went to the back on the last lap. We got to the front a few times, but just didn’t have enough steam to hold us up there. We were close though and I learned a lot tonight. We got through the race in one piece which is what we needed because it pays on Sunday. I feel like we have a solid car for the Daytona 500.”
– AUSTIN DILLON

Paul Menard Finishes 21st in PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant/Menards Chevy in Duel at Daytona

Start – 9 Finish – 21 Laps Led – 0 Points – N/A

“I only have positive things to say after tonight’s race. We made some changes and learned a lot. I think the car was a lot better than practice and we feel confident heading into Sunday’s race. I’m proud of this team and how hard they’ve worked this week to get the car where it needs to be. Our Chevy ran really well during the race, maybe just a little more free than practice, but I was happy with the changes we made. We got some debris on the grille which hurt us in the long run and forced us to the garage a little early. Overall, I’m happy with how tonight went and looking forward to Sunday.”
– PAUL MENARD

Mechanical Issues Slow Ryan Newman to 22nd-Place Finish in Duel at Daytona

Start – 7 Finish – 22 Laps Led – 0 Points – N/A

“This is definitely not the Speedweeks we were expecting so far. We had a fast Caterpillar Chevrolet. I barely had to lift before we had an issue under the hood. We felt it was in our best interest to bring the Cat Chevy to the garage to diagnose the issue. Something is definitely off here and we’ll figure it out. I am confident what we have planned for the Daytona 500 is even better than what we had planned for this Duel. We will be fine.”

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Sprint Unlimited
Daytona International Speedway
February 13, 2016

Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing drivers Paul Menard, Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman finished third, eighth and 19th, respectively, in the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway.
Denny Hamlin earned the Sprint Unlimited victory and was followed to the finish line by Joey Logano, Menard, Kyle Larson and Casey Mears.
The 2016 Sprint Cup Series begins with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 21. The first race of the 2016 season is scheduled to be televised live on FOX beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90. Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Sprint Unlimited →