Matt Tifft and No. 2 Nexteer Automotive Team Earn Top-10 Finish in Debut Roval Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway

“That was exactly what we needed out of today with our No. 2 Nexteer Chevrolet Camaro – a quiet day. No one really knew how this race was going to go, so I’m proud to come out of there pretty much unscathed with how on edge every single lap was here. My crew chief Randall (Burnett) and the team really did a great job getting the balance of our Camaro better and better throughout the weekend. The car felt the best it had all weekend at the end of the race. I was just a tad too loose to really push for more spots in the closing laps, but we will take sixth and move on to next weekend. Dover International Speedway is one of my all-time favorite tracks, and I’m really looking forward to getting back there next week for the final Playoff race in the Round of 12.”
-Matt Tifft Continue reading RCR Post Race Report – Drive for the Cure 200 →

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
BANK OF AMERICAN ROVAL 400
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROVAL
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

Richard Childress Racing announced today they have promoted one of their current Xfinity Series drivers, Daniel Hemric to drive the No. 31 Camaro ZL1 in 2019. The announcement featured Richard Childress, chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing, Torrey Galida, president of Richard Childress Racing and Daniel Hemric. Full Transcript: Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Daniel Hemric Announcement →

Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Charlotte Motor Speedway … In 165 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing teams have earned eight points-paying victories (four wins with Dale Earnhardt, one with Jeff Burton, two with Kevin Harvick and one with Austin Dillon) and four All-Star race victories (three with Earnhardt and one with Harvick), giving RCR 12 total Cup Series checkered flags at the Concord, N.C.-based track. RCR boasts 23 top-five and 52 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile track. Childress, a former driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit, contributed two of those top-10 finishes from 1978 to 1979. The Welcome, N.C. organization has led a combined 1,156 laps at the Charlotte facility.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,902 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 488 top-five finishes and 1,063 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 Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, September 30 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 Charlotte Motor Speedway … Austin Dillon earned his career-first win in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with a victory in the Coca-Cola 600 in May 2017. A native of North Carolina, Dillon has competed in nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at his hometown track, earning two top-10 finishes. He is a two-time winner at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. This weekend marks the first-ever Roval race.

Dow Delivers Solutions at the Intersection of Sport and Science … Dow is dedicated to delivering innovative and sustainable technologies and solutions that create value and competitive advantage while positively impacting the world we live in. From improving engine performance and luge aerodynamics that help develop faster, more tuned and precise vehicles to energy-efficient insulation in Olympic Games venues, Dow continues to provide high-performance solutions for the science of speed. Learn more about Dow’s unmatched capabilities www.dow.com/sports and follow on Twitter @DowSports & @DowChemical

The #NASCARPlayoffs … Dillon ranks 10th in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series point standings leading into the Bank of America Roval 400, which is the third and final race of the Round of 16. Dillon finished 11th (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) and sixth (Richmond Raceway) in the first two Playoff races. Fans can join in supporting Dillon’s Playoff run by using the team’s official Playoff Twitter hashtag, which is associated with its own emoji, #AD3.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What parts of the Roval do you think will be most treacherous?
“The whole track is treacherous. There are places where you can bust your tail at any given moment. Being over-aggressive can gain you speed, but it also can take you out if you end up jumping a curb. For me, the passing opportunities are the slow area in Turn 7, where there’s a slow left-hander, and going into Turn 1. I think Turn 1 will be a pretty good passing zone. Truthfully, I don’t think anyone really knows yet what to expect for the Roval.”

Are you worried about the Roval since it is a cutoff race in the NASCAR Playoffs?
“I don’t think worried is the correct term. The Roval is a place that could play into our favor. Survival will be key. Not making a mistake. You can race hard at the end because there will be some guys that take themselves out of it pretty quickly.”

This Week’s Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Hemric will be making his second career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Kannapolis, North Carolina native made his Cup Series debut at Richmond Raceway in April 2018, starting 22nd and finishing 32nd.

Meet the Press … Hemric will address the NASCAR media at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 30, starting at 11 a.m. local time. The media availability session will be streamed live on NASCAR.com/presspass.

About Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff … Smokey Mountain is America’s original and best-selling tobacco-free smokeless brand. Appealing to adult smokeless tobacco consumers who are seeking tobacco-free and nicotine-free alternatives, Smokey Mountain is available in long cut and easy-to-use pouches. For more information visit www.SmokeySnuff.com.

Welcome Chipper Jones and Matt Duff … Former major league baseball stars and current Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff athletes Chipper Jones and Matt Duff will be a guest of RCR and Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff during this weekend’s event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jones and Duff host ‘Major League Bowhunter’ on the Sportsman Channel.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
What does it mean to make your second Cup Series start in front of your hometown crowd at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
“To make my second career Cup Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff and the No. 8 RCR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 means the world to me. My Cup Series debut at Richmond earlier this year was something I will never forget, but to have another start come at my home track, with my family, friends, former car owners and those that have supported me along the way in attendance, that will be really special. I have had a lot of success on the quarter-mile track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, so hopefully we will have some success on the new Roval layout as well.”

What was it like testing at the Roval in 2017 and what do you expect out of this weekend’s race?
“Last fall, I was able to take part in the Goodyear tire test on the Roval, and that was my first time in a Cup car. I was getting acclimated to the Cup car, plus going through the motions of participating in my first tire test period. You’re going through the course, giving feedback, they’re moving the chicanes back and forth, it was really early in the development of the Roval and a lot has changed since then. I didn’t get to participate in the last two Cup tests at the Roval, but I do have laps and I do have an idea of shift points and the little things that take time when you go to a new racetrack to figure out. It is going to be interesting to see how it all shakes out. I think the biggest things I take away from what I have experienced and learned from our teammates’ test there this year are the lack of runoff room around the track and that makes the driver tip-toe around the track. You are going to have to be on it just to make sure you can keep your race car in one piece to have something to race with by the time they pay a check at the end of the day. If I wasn’t in both races, I would be in the grandstands watching because it’s going to be entertaining and fun to watch.”

This Week’s Grainger/American Red Cross at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman will make his 613th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start when he competes in the inaugural running of the Charlotte Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 35 total starts at CMS, Newman has recorded runner-up finishes two times (fall, 2003; Coke 600, 2009) along with nine pole awards, five top-five, 15 top-10 finishes. The “Rocketman” has led 278 laps in competition. The South Bend, Indiana native has an average start of 9.4 and average finish of 18.2.

$18 Million and Counting … Grainger has been a long-time partner of the American Red Cross and has donated more than $18 million in cash and products to their efforts since 2001. In 2017, the U.S. saw unprecedented levels of disaster. And the need to support Red Cross disaster relief efforts continues. This is why Grainger has asked its partners, Ryan Newman and Richard Childress Racing, to help raise awareness by creating special Red Cross paint schemes for the No. 31 Chevrolet that ran earlier this year at Sonoma Raceway and will compete this weekend at the Charlotte Roval.

RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
You tested at the Roval back in July. What did you learn?
“There are places where you can gain and lose the most time in and it’s the places where you are going really, really, fast to really, really slow. The key is to get through them as clean as you possibly can. The infield part of the course is a challenge, too. For me, the biggest adjustment is getting used to the last two corners. I think they are the most challenging.

“My first impression of the Roval when we tested was it still needed a little bit of work in a couple different areas. I know they were working to keep people honest on the back straightaway. It’s going to be what it’s going to be. It’s going to be a very important race in the Playoffs and it’s new to our sport. Any time we can do something new and exciting is a good thing. We want to try and make the best of those situations when turning an oval into a road course. It doesn’t happen every day. It’s not going to be a true road course. It’s a roval. I’ve got experience at Daytona and it’s considered to be a roval. I just want to make the best of a situation. The only thing we know for sure is there is going to be a winner.”

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway … In 95 Series starts at the Concord-based speedway, RCR has captured four victories with drivers Jeff Green (2002), Jeff Burton (2007) and Austin Dillon (2015). The Welcome, North Carolina organization has completed 18,146 laps of the 19,019 (95.4 percent) that they have competed. RCR has accumulated eight pole awards, 25 top-five and 53 top-10 finishes, led 748 laps and averages a starting position of 11.0 and finishing position of 12.2.

Richmond Review … All three RCR Xfinity series teams finished in the top-10 at Richmond Raceway last weekend. Daniel Hemric finished third, Matt Tifft finished fifth, and Shane Lee finished ninth in the Go Bowling 250.

The Points … Daniel Hemric and Matt Tifft currently rank second and sixth, respectively, in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Driver Standings. The No. 3 RCR team is currently ninth 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 weekend’s Drive for the Cure 200 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, September 29, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on NBCSN. It will also broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, Channel 90.

This Week’s Nexteer Automotive Chevrolet Camaro at Charlotte Motor Speedway … This weekend marks the first-ever Roval race at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Previously, Matt Tifft has collected three top-10 finishes in the Xfinity Series while racing the oval configuration, with a best finish of eighth coming in 2016. He also has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the 1.5-mile track, earning two top-10 starting spots, one top-five and two top-10 finishes. Tifft has completed 100 percent of all laps he has attempted at the speedway.

About Nexteer Automotive … Nexteer Automotive joins RCR in 2018 for their third season of partnership. Nexteer Automotive – A Leader in Intuitive Motion Control – is a multi-billion-dollar global steering and driveline business delivering electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steering columns, driveline systems as well as advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) and autonomous technologies for original equipment manufacturers. The company’s global workforce of over 13,000 serves more than 50 customers in every major region of the world. The company has 25 manufacturing plants, three regional engineering centers and 13 customer service centers strategically located in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Nexteer Automotive’s customers include BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, PSA Groupe, Toyota, VW, as well as automakers in India and China. Visit Nexteer.com to learn more.

Meet Tifft … Fans can meet Tifft when he takes part in a Q&A at the Team Chevy Display at 11 a.m. local time on Saturday, September 29 out in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Fan Zone. Tifft will also take part in a Q&A session alongside RCR teammate Daniel Hemric at the Trackside Live show after the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, beginning at 8 p.m. local time.

MATT TIFFT QUOTE:
This weekend, the highly-anticipated Roval race will take place. How have you been preparing for the race and what are you expecting?
“I’ve gotten to run some laps of the Roval on the simulator, and it has been very interesting. It’s an extremely unique road course, but it does have a lot of characteristics to it during the infield portion that feel a little similar to Mid-Ohio. That’s got me smiling because I love that road course, and it suites me very well. The problem for me, and all of the drivers, is that if I lose any track position, I really can’t force any spots out there. At least in the simulations, there seems to be one groove and that’s about it. The track itself seems as slick as ice, even in the preferred groove, which I think is why there were so many incidents with guys getting into the wall during the Cup test sessions. So if you’re not perfect, or extremely close to it, it’s going to be tough. You’re going to have a few calamity corners, especially with the chicane on the backstretch, that if one guys checks up and causes a chain reaction it’ll be interesting to see how we as drivers get out of that situation. Any damage we get could have huge implications. Normally on road courses, we can get away with a little bit of damage, but with the oval portion of the course we’re approaching the speeds we normally run around Charlotte and will need our cars to be perfect for that. Figuring out the balance between that oval portion and the infield section will be really important to figure out.”

This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Camaro at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will make his third NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the season for Richard Childress Racing. The inaugural Roval event will mark his 13th NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 12 starts, Gaughan’s best finish was runner up in 2009. In total, he’s recorded one top-five and three top-10 finishes. His average start is 19.5 and average finish is 14.1.

This Week at the South Point … Fans visiting the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet have the opportunity to see Frankie Avalon at The Showroom on September 28 through 30. Tickets and more information are available at southpointcasino.com.

BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
You’ll get the chance to take a spin around the Roval on Thursday. What are your thoughts racing a brand-new configuration at Charlotte?
“I really think it’s the ideal and perfect scenario for me. It’s puts me at no disadvantage against the rest of the NASCAR Xfinity field that has been racing all year. I’ve been hearing how everyone seems intimidated by it and frankly, that makes me smile. I also hear that there may be weather in the area for the weekend and that would really spice things up even further. I can’t wait to get there and drive the No. 3!”

This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Like the rest of the field, Hemric will be making his first start at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s new Roval road course. Hemric was able to participate in a 2017 Goodyear tire test at the Roval but has not been on it since the track announced the final configuration. Hemric has six NASCAR Xfinity Series road course starts, earning three top-five and three top-10 finishes, with a total of 29 laps led.

Rearview Mirror: Richmond … Starting from the sixth position, Hemric wasted little time racing his way to the front of the field and into contention for the win during Friday night’s opening Xfinity Series Playoffs race at Richmond Raceway. The No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet took the lead for the first time on Lap 46, with Hemric winning Stage 1 and earning a playoff point. Hemric remained a factor at the front of the field, battling for the lead throughout the evening. When the checkered flag flew after 250 laps, Hemric was third, his 10th top-three finish of the 2018 season.

This Week at the South Point … Fans visiting the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet have the opportunity to see Frankie Avalon at The Showroom on September 28 – 30. Tickets and more information are available at southpointcasino.com.

Meet the Driver … Fans have the opportunity to see Hemric and RCR teammate Matt Tifft at NASCAR Trackside Live! on Saturday, Sept. 29, starting at 8 p.m. local time. Hemric and Tifft will be on stage answering questions and interacting with fans.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
With so many unknowns heading into this weekend’s first-ever race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, what are the keys to having a successful day?
“Going to the Roval, it is going to be all about racing the racetrack – kind of the Darlington mentality. There are so many variables and not a lot of runoff room around the track, so there is a lot of opportunity for mistakes and issues. Taking part in the Goodyear tire test last year in the Cup car, as well as running both the Xfinity and the Cup races this weekend, I am going to have a lot more laps around the Roval than most other Xfinity Series drivers. I will try to use that to my advantage. I will make sure I focus on the things within my control and limit my mistakes. That is what the Roval is going to be all about. There is no room for mistakes. This No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino team is focused on executing, limiting our mistakes and having a solid second race of the Playoffs and hopefully be sitting comfortably as we head to Dover for the final