Joe Graf Jr. Joins Richard Childress Racing’s 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series Program
Graf Jr. to Make Select Starts in No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro, While Also Serving as Team’s Marketing and Communications Intern

WELCOME, N.C. (April 26, 2019) – Richard Childress Racing welcomes Joe Graf Jr. to its NASCAR Xfinity Series program, as well as its marketing and communications team. Graf Jr., who will pilot the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro in select races this year, is a freshman at New York University. He will also learn the business side of the sport by serving as a marketing and communications intern for the team. The 20-year-old’s first race will be at Michigan International Speedway this June. Continue reading Joe Graf Jr. Joins Richard Childress Racing’s 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series Program →

Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Talladega Superspeedway … Richard Childress began his driving career at Talladega Superspeedway in 1969 and is in a tie for the most all-time car owner victories at the storied Alabama-based racetrack with 12 wins. Dale Earnhardt visited Victory Lane nine times, while Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer swept the 2010 events at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. Bowyer added to the Welcome, N.C.-based organization’s total by claiming RCR’s 100th Cup Series win when NASCAR’s senior series visited the facility in October 2011. In 176 starts, RCR also has four pole awards, 42 top-five, 70 top-10 finishes and has led 1,843 laps of competition.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,938 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 488 top-five finishes and 1,069 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.

Catch the Action … The Alabama 500 will be televised live Sunday, April 28 beginning at 2 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Talladega Superspeedway … In 11 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega, Dillon earned his best finish at the 2.66-mile track in April 2016 when he finished third. His best finish in four NASCAR Xfinity Series Starts was also third. He has two starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, earning a best finish of seventh in October 2011.

Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team … Austin Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by recreating in the lab one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack. After 5 years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sports and follow us on Twitter @DowRacing, @DowSports & @DowChemical.

Play Ball … Following final practice on Friday, Dillon is scheduled to travel from Talladega Superspeedway to Atlanta, Georgia for NASCAR Night at SunTrust Park. Dillon is scheduled to throw out the first pitch at the Braves game on behalf of Coca-Cola, and his No. 3 Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will also be on display at the game. A special $80 joint ticket offer that includes both a ticket to the Talladega Superspeedway Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on April 28 and a ticket to a Braves game in 2019 is available by visiting braves.com/Talladega.

Birthday Wishes … Dillon celebrates his 29th birthday on Saturday, April 27.

Cheering for Dillon … If you’re at Talladega Superspeedway, come shop the all-new Austin Dillon merchandise available track-side by visiting the RCR souvenir trailer in the fan midway.

Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to participate in a Q & A on the Team Chevy Stage in the Talladega Superspeedway fan midway area on Sunday, April 28 at 9:45 a.m. CT.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
We are running a much bigger spoiler at Talladega Superspeedway this year. What do you think about that?
“I think everybody is looking forward to something a little bit different in speedway racing. Something to change it up. This should definitely do that. When you get to Talladega Superspeedway there will be a big pack and being able to maneuver through that pack will be everybody’s focus. The handling of the car shouldn’t be as much of a focus as just being able to move through the field the fastest and trying to keep the lead the longest.”

You’ve had a lot of success at superspeedways. When you go there do you have certain guys that you like to work with and ones you don’t so much or is it more dictated by circumstances?
“Sometimes you’re put in situations where you have to work with whoever is around in order to help yourself, but there are definitely guys that I see out there that put themselves in better positions throughout the race than others. There’s some that you just don’t like being around because you feel uncomfortable. Trying to stay with those guys that put you in good positions and knowing how to get to the front are the ones I try to stay around.”

Have you been keeping up with all of the fan improvements coming at Talladega Superspeedway?
“I was at Talladega Superspeedway for the announcement when they announced the changes, and it’s really cool to see all of our tracks and our venues growing and moving into the future. It’s great for our fans and they should be proud of what they’re doing at Talladega Superspeedway.”

Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Talladega Superspeedway … Hemric be making his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Talladega Superspeedway in this weekend’s 500-mile event. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native recorded an average start of 2.0 in his two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track. He also made two NASCAR Truck Series starts at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, earning a best-finish of 11th.

About Thompson Tractor Company … Thompson Tractor Company, Inc. is the full-line Caterpillar dealer for Alabama and northwest Florida and the Hyundai lift truck dealer for most of Georgia. The company specializes in the sales and service of Caterpillar products, including earthmoving, construction, forestry and material handling equipment, as well as diesel engines used for electric power generation, on-highway and marine propulsion applications. Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, Thompson Tractor provides a diverse array of solutions to their customers in its service territory through four divisions: Thompson Tractor Company, Thompson Power Systems, Thompson Lift Truck Company, and The Thompson Cat Rental Store. Thompson has 25 locations and the South’s largest fleet of field service vehicles to best serve their customers. For all your equipment and product support needs, please visit www.thompsontractor.com or stop by your nearest Thompson location.

Meet the Driver … Fans will have the opportunity to meet the driver of the No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet at the RCR merchandise hauler in the Talladega Superspeedway fan midway on Saturday, April 27, starting at 11 a.m. local time.

Meet the Press … Hemric is scheduled to meet with members of the NASCAR media corps during an availability rotation on Friday, April 26, starting at 2:30 p.m. local time.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTE:
Is there anything you and the team learned in the February test at Daytona International Speedway that can be applied to this weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway?
“We were fortunate enough to take part in the test in Daytona in February, but there were only four cars total in that test session. With so few cars, it is hard to know what to expect when the entire field is out there this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway racing for the win. There are so many unknowns whenever you go to Talladega, so we will try to keep the No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet out of trouble, have a solid day and make the most of the opportunities that come our way.”

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway … In 48 Series starts at the 2.66-mile speedway, RCR has accumulated five pole awards, nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes, led 257 laps and averages a starting position of 8.0 and finishing position of 19.4. RCR has completed 4,613 laps of the 5,576 (82.7 percent) that they have competed.

Richmond Review … Tyler Reddick secured his fifth-consecutive top-five finish when he placed fourth during the most recent Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway. Kaz Grala had a strong showing in the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro, capturing his first top-15 finish with RCR at Richmond.

Dash 4 Cash … The NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash is back. The top-four finishing Xfinity Series regulars from Richmond Raceway will compete for a $100,000 bonus at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. Tyler Reddick qualified for this segment of Dash 4 Cash with his fourth-place finish at Richmond.

The Points …Tyler Reddick remains the current Xfinity Series points leader.

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 Alabama 300 at Talladega Superspeedway will be televised live on Saturday, April 27, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on FS1. It will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.

Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 Roland Chevrolet Camaro at Talladega Superspeedway … Tyler Reddick has two previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway, with his best finish of eighth coming during last year’s event. Reddick also has one pole award and two top-10 finishes at the 2.66-mile track in the NASCAR Truck Series.

About Roland … Roland DGA Corporation serves North and South America as the marketing, sales, distribution and service arm for Roland DG Corporation. Founded in 1981 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Roland DG of Hamamatsu, Japan is a worldwide leader in wide-format inkjet printers for the sign, apparel, textile, personalization and vehicle graphics markets; engravers for awards, giftware and ADA signage; photo impact printers for direct part marking; and 3D printers and CNC milling machines for the dental CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping, part manufacturing and medical industries. For more information, visit rolanddga.com.

Dash 4 Cash … Reddick qualified for this week’s Xfinity Racing Dash 4 Cash bonus after placing fourth and being among the top-four finishing Xfinity Series regulars during the race at Richmond Raceway. He will compete against Justin Allgaier, Austin Cindric, and Cole Custer for the $100,000 bonus at Talladega Superspeedway.

Meet Reddick … Fans have their chance to meet Reddick during Friday night’s “Big One on the Boulevard” event at Talladega Superspeedway. Reddick will be among the featured drivers on the float that takes off down the boulevard at 7:30 p.m. local time on April 26. Reddick will also be available for autographs in front of his No. 2 hauler during the Xfinity Series’ Open Garage on Saturday morning, April 27, beginning at 8:30 a.m. local time.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway can be two very different restrictor-plate races. What are the differences that stand out to you?
“At Talladega Superspeedway, you can be a little bit more aggressive with your speed since handling doesn’t come into play for your car as much as it does at Daytona International Speedway. Part of that is due to the track layout and wider corners that you have at Talladega. If our No. 2 Roland Chevrolet Camaro is as fast as the one we had at Daytona earlier this year, with some added tweaks to it we should be right there for the pole again. Our Camaro was just so good at Daytona and handled so well in the draft that we should be able to cushion it a little more at Talladega, make it a little faster and keep it handling just fine.”

How do you handle that close-quarter, fragile type of racing we see at Talladega?
“It’s not too bad, honestly. At least, it’s not too bad when you’re racing around a bunch of really good drivers. It’s when two drivers have a disagreement on where they want to be on the racetrack that makes it tricky. Whenever we’re riding out there and you’re giving and taking equally, it’s not bad. But when it gets down to the end and you’re trying to get to the front and someone disagrees with you, that’s when the wrecks happen.”

It’s also another Dash 4 Cash race for you. Does that extra incentive change your mindset at all?
“Yeah, it’s definitely something you think about. Maybe you race the other three Dash 4 Cash drivers a little harder so you can lift that check in the end. That’s not necessarily our game plan right from the start, but you definitely have to be a little smarter about it at Talladega than anywhere else we have a Dash 4 Cash race. It’s tough. You have to decide if it’s worth the risk to push and go to the front to work in a pack. Or do you wait for that pile-up to happen first so you hopefully can stay out of it? You have to weigh your options.”