Richard Childress Racing at Texas Motor Speedway … In 105 starts at Texas Motor Speedway dating back to 1997, RCR has recorded one win (Jeff Burton, April 2007), eight top-five and 31 top-10 finishes with drivers Burton, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Green, Paul Menard and Ryan Newman. Prior to Texas Motor Speedway’s inaugural season in 1997, Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, earned a pair of top-10 finishes at the now defunct Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas. RCR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams boast an average starting position of 19.3, an average finishing position of 17.6 and have completed 33,937 of the 35,019 contested laps (96.9 percent) with 148 laps led at the 1.5-mile Fort Worth-based race track.
RCR in the MENCS … In 2,913 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 488 top-five finishes and 1,065 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 AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, November 4 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This Week’s Dow NORKOOL Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Texas Motor Speedway … Dillon has 10 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts to his credit at Texas Motor Speedway. He earned his best finish of 11th at the track in November 2015 and his best starting position of first in November 2016. In 11 Xfinity Series starts, Dillon has not finished worse than 10th at the 1.5-mile track, acquiring his best finish of third in April 2013 and November 2015 (polesitter). In five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Texas, Dillon has earned two top-five finishes, one pole award and has led 76 laps.
Dow’s NORKOOL™ DESITHERM™ Desiccant … The Dow Chemical Company has been a leading supplier of glycol-based heat transfer fluids to the Oil & Gas industry for more than 50 years. The formulated glycol, NORKOOL DESITHERM is an inhibited TEG-based desiccant that prevents corrosion and salt formation while boosting productivity. In addition, NORKOOL DESITHERM counteracts scaling effects and improves water-hydrocarbon separation, making it better equipped to handle the unique challenges in natural gas dehydration systems. Dow features a complete inhibitor package that buffers the system’s pH and reduces glycol degradation, protecting the entire gas dehydration system against rapid corrosion.
Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to make an appearance at the Team Chevy Stage in the Texas Motor Speedway fan midway on Sunday, November 4 at 10 a.m. Central Time. He is also scheduled to visit the Biofuels Mobile Education Center on behalf of American Ethanol on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Central Time.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile track, just like Kansas Speedway is, except it has a new surface. Tell us about racing at Texas.
“Texas Motor Speedway is a bit different from Kansas Speedway in that it is a new surface, and has two different ends. You have one end that’s very banked and has high speeds, and then you have a hard end where you have to get turned and get back on the gas. We’re looking forward to it. We plan to bring a new car to Texas Motor Speedway so we’re looking forward to getting there and seeing what we’ve got with it. Hopefully it pays dividends.”
Next year the rules package is going to be completely different than what we will see this time around at Texas Motor Speedway. Do you just throw the notebook out at the end of this race or are there things you can use still next year?
“It’s going to be tough to take the notebook that we’ve run over the last couple of years and apply it, but everything does relate. You can always apply something. Learning the history of the race and how the rubber lays down. We’re always learning a little bit.”
This Week’s Caterpillar Next Gen Excavator Camaro ZL1 at Texas Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman will make his 618th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start when he competes one final time this season in the Lone Star State. In 30 Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, he’s visited Victory Lane in the spring of 2003. The Rocket Man also won the pole for both Cup Series events in 2005 to complete the sweep. In total, he owns three top-five and six top-10 finishes. The South Bend, Indiana native has an average start of 16.5 and average finish of 19.0.
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Meet Ryan … Newman is scheduled to sign greet fans at the Team Chevy stage located in the Texas Motor Speedway fan midway on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. local time.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES
Caterpillar is bringing quite a few Cat Racing fans to Texas. This weekend you are sporting a special paint scheme. Thoughts?
“It’s my understanding we will have almost 400 people coming to Texas on behalf of Caterpillar and Caterpillar Building Construction Products (BCP). It’s a big weekend for them considering we’re introducing the Next Gen Mini Excavators to guests at Texas Motor Speedway where they will see firsthand how impressive the excavators are with on-site demonstrations. Plus, I’ll get to play a part by driving the paint scheme that our race fans will get to see. What I like about this car is that customers of BCP were given the chance to provide their input on this piece of equipment in an effort to help them do their jobs better and efficiently, with of course, safety in mind. If you look our decklid, the names of almost 40 people and companies who were involved in the design process is listed. To me, that’s what makes this deal impressive.”
What are your thoughts on Texas Motor Speedway?
“What I like about Texas Motor Speedway is it provides drivers with a lot of options. You can move around and find a line that your car responds to and it’s really versatile, so you can get around somebody. It’s also fast- really fast – so aero is also an important part of it. With it being one of the older tracks on the circuit asphalt-wise, the racing is always good for both the drivers and the fans watching in the stands and on television. I hope they leave the track’s surface alone.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Texas Motor Speedway … In 84 Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, RCR has captured five victories with driver Kevin Harvick (2001, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2012). The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has completed 15,686 laps of the 16,565 (94.7 percent) that they have competed. RCR has accumulated three pole awards, 22 top-five and 45 top-10 finishes, led 942 laps and averages a starting position of 11.4 and finishing position of 12.1.
Kansas Review … All RCR teams finished in the top 10 at Kansas Speedway two weeks ago with Daniel Hemric leading the charge in second place. Shane Lee finished fifth and Matt Tifft placed sixth in the Kansas Lottery 300.
The Points … Daniel Hemric and Matt Tifft currently sit second and fifth, respectively, in the Xfinity Series driver point standings. The No. 3 RCR team is currently 10th 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 Texas 300 at Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, November 3, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on NBCSN. It will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
This Week’s Anderson’s Maple Syrup Chevrolet Camaro at Texas Speedway … Matt Tifft has five previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts and four top-10 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway. His best finish of sixth came during the spring race earlier this season. Tifft also has one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the 1.5-mile speedway.
About Anderson’s Maple Syrup … In 1928, Paul Anderson first shared the distinct taste of Wisconsin’s Northwoods by producing sweet pure maple syrup and starting a 90-year pure maple syrup tradition. Three generations later his grandson, Steve Anderson, still carries on this syrup making heritage by bottling pure maple syrup from the same sugar bush his grandfather tapped for so many years. Anderson’s Maple Syrup is pure, all natural and a healthy alternative for families. From its humble roots in Cumberland, Wisconsin; Anderson’s Maple Syrup is still made with the love your family would expect. Try Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup in coffee or tea as a sweetener, and on ice cream as a topping. Today, some of the top barbecue grillers and chefs in the country eye Anderson’s as one of the best ingredients and glazes for most meats, fruits & veggies for summertime use and ham glazes for the special occasions. From our farm to your kitchen Anderson’s can be found in grocery & specialty stores around the country. “Everything tastes better with Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup”. For more information on Anderson’s Maple Syrup visit andersonsmaplesyrup.com, and follow Anderson’s Maple Syrup Racing on Twitter via @AndersonMaple and Facebook via AndersonsMapleSyrup.
Meet Tifft … Fans can meet Tifft when he makes an appearance at the Team Chevy display on Friday, November 2, beginning at 3:40 p.m. local time for a Q&A session.
MATT TIFFT QUOTE:
You have two 1.5-mile speedways to start the Round of 8 with Kansas last weekend and Texas this weekend. How are those two tracks similar and different?
“I think they’re similar in that the guys who have fast cars are going to have fast cars at both tracks due to aero packages. That’s about where the similarities stop though. Since they’ve paved Texas, it’s a lot more similar to Kentucky, where it’s a one to one-and-a-half lane track. It’s very narrow at Texas. Usually at intermediate tracks we have big, sweeping wide arcs. Texas doesn’t necessarily have that with the flat entry into Turn 1 and then Turns 3 and 4 being so fast. The challenge with Texas is we run such a hard tire that we’re pushing the car to make it as free as possible, but there really is no slip in that tire so if you push it too far you’re done. Kansas used to be like that, but now with the character and bumps it’s been developing it’s taking on its own form.”
This Week’s Childress Vineyards Chevrolet Camaro at Texas Motor Speedway … Shane Lee will be making his debut NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. Lee also has one previous NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the 1.5-mile speedway.
About Childress Vineyards … Childress Vineyards is a premier winery located at the southern gateway of the Yadkin Valley in Lexington, North Carolina. Owned by Richard Childress, NASCAR team owner and Hall of Fame member, Childress Vineyards has been producing award-winning wines with the expertise of Winemaker Mark Frizsolowski. Open daily for tours, tastings, and lunch in the Bistro. Information about Childress Vineyards can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/childresswines/, on Twitter at @ChildressWines and on Instagram at Instagram.com/childresswines.
Meet Lee … Lee is scheduled to take part in a Q&A session at the Team Chevy display on Saturday, November 3 beginning at 11:15 a.m. local time.
SHANE LEE QUOTE:
You have experience at Texas Motor Speedway with one truck start. What did you think of the track and how will that help prepare you for this weekend?
“It has been almost two years now since I raced at Texas in the trucks, so my experience there was actually on the old configuration. For me, that makes this weekend almost like a new track since I haven’t really seen the new configuration in person to be able to study it as much as other tracks. We’ve had some solid weeks with the No. 3 RCR team though, so I’m not too worried about it. We were so strong at Kansas, firing off really well and putting together a race that ended in my first top-five Xfinity Series finish. That was probably our best weekend so far from start to finish. I think we’re really starting to find some momentum which will help us out this weekend.”
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro at Texas Speedway … Hemric will be making his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Texas Motor Speedway during this weekend’s 200-lap event. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native has two top-10 qualifying efforts and finished third in April after leading a total of 39 laps.
Rearview Mirror: Kansas … The No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet was the most dominant car during the opening race of the Round of 8. Hemric earned his fourth pole award of the 2018 season and led every lap of the opening stage. He kept the No. 21 Chevrolet out front for 128 of the 200 laps but faded to second in the final run to the checkered flag. The second-place finish was Hemric’s 14th top-five finish of the season and 11th top-three finish of the year.
This Week at the South Point … Fans visiting the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet have the opportunity to see the National Barrel Horse Association “Dash for Cash” at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center from November 2 – 4. The event is free to the public. For more information, please visit southpointcasino.com.
Meet the Driver … Fans have the opportunity to see Hemric at NASCAR Trackside Live! on Friday, Nov. 2 in the Texas Motor Speedway fan zone, starting at 3:45 p.m. local time. Hemric is also scheduled to take part in a Q&A session at the Team Chevy display in the fan zone on Saturday, Nov. 3, starting at 11:30 a.m. local time.
Meet the Press … Hemric will be in the Texas Motor Speedway media center for a Xfinity Series driver panel on Friday, Nov. 2, starting at 1:30 p.m. ET. The media availability session will be streamed live on NASCAR.com/presspass.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
What are your thoughts heading into this weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway after showing so much speed at the last mile-and-a-half track at Kansas Speedway?
“The No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet team is ready to get to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. The RCR Xfinity Series program is bringing fast race cars to the track each weekend, and that showed at Kansas Speedway. We had a lot of speed in these Chevrolets at Kansas and expect that to continue this weekend in Texas. We did not get a chance to qualify at Texas in April, but still found our way to the lead and secured a solid third-place finish. We are looking to capitalize on what we learned in the spring, utilize the speed these Chevrolets have shown over the last few weeks and put together another solid day, hopefully finding a way to secure our spot in Homestead for the championship battle. We will have to do all of that without crew chief Danny Stockman at the track, but I am more than confident in this No. 21 group, everyone back at the shop and the leadership of RCR and expect us to be a contender throughout the entire weekend.”
With so many playoff contenders having issues at Kansas Speedway, do you think the intensity level will ramp up at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend?
“The guys that entered the Round of 8 with a solid points advantage thought they could cruise all the way to Homestead, well, we proved that theory wrong in the opening laps of the race at Kansas Speedway. That is tough as a competitor, because on any other day that could be us, so you can’t take anything for granted. What we saw at Kansas could happen at any point over the next few weeks. Now everyone has to legitimately race every single lap and try to get to the end of these races in order to score points and at least get an opportunity to advance. It is no different than what we have been doing all year. We need to maximize our days and maximize the weekends.”