Category Archives: Richard Childress Racing

RCR Event Preview – Daytona International Speedway

Richard Childress Racing at Daytona International Speedway … Dating back to 1976, Richard Childress Racing has won 11 poles and collected six points-paying victories at the most-storied race track on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series circuit. RCR owns three Daytona 500 wins (Dale Earnhardt – 1998, Kevin Harvick – 2007, Austin Dillon – 2018), three Coke Zero 400 trophies (Earnhardt – 1990, 1993 and Harvick – 2010) and 14 qualifying races, including 10-consecutive victories with Earnhardt (1990 – 1999). In addition, RCR has earned the Advance Auto Parts Clash a total of eight times, with drivers Harvick (2009, 2010, 2013) and Earnhardt (1986, ’88, ’91, ’93, and ’95).

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,874 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 487 top-five finishes and 1,055 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. Continue reading RCR Event Preview – Daytona International Speedway

RCR Post Race Report – Chicagoland 400

Austin Dillon and The Dow Intellifresh Camaro ZL1 Team Finishes 37th at Chicagoland Speedway Despite Solid Showing

“All I can say is what a race. We started off Stage One with a deficit when we decided to gamble and late-pit, which put us one lap down. Luckily, the Dow Intellifresh Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was decent on the long run and we were able to get back on the lead lap. Our car was really solid and we were racing in the top-12. Shortly into the third stage, my foot went flat down to the floorboard when I pressed the brakes. We came down pit road, but it was evident we needed to retire to the garage. The entire right-front hub burned up and was on fire. It’s definitely not the ending we were hoping for, but we’re heading to Daytona next week and we love that place so we have confidence leading into next week.”

-Austin Dillon

Ryan Newman and the Okuma Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Team Battle Back from Handling Challenges to Finish 15th at Chicagoland Speedway

“We fought hard for 15th place, that’s for sure. We found ourselves down a lap early and battled an extremely tight-handling Okuma Camaro ZL1. We rallied back by getting the car more competitive and using some strategy to race onto the lead lap. We’ve had a run of some pretty bad luck this season, so we’ll take this finish and keep working hard. We’re by no means out of this thing when it comes to the Playoffs.”

-Ryan Newman

RCR Post Race Report – Chicagoland 300

Matt Tifft Posts a Solid Finish in the Surface Sunscreen Camaro Despite Late-Race Pit Stop

“That was one of the most physically grueling races of my career. It was hot with temperatures above 100 degrees, but my team battled through it. We had a fast No. 2 Surface Sunscreen Camaro yesterday, finishing fifth in both practices. Unfortunately, we tightened up way too much for the race. Nothing we seemed to do helped to loosen it up throughout the race, and I couldn’t run the top line like I wanted to. We still managed to run top-15 for most the race and showed some good speed. We made an unscheduled pit in the closing laps of the race which cost us a top-12 finish, but overall I’m proud of my team and looking forward returning to Daytona next week.”
-Matt Tifft Continue reading RCR Post Race Report – Chicagoland 300

RCR Event Preview – Chicagoland Speedway

Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Chicagoland Speedway … Richard Childress Racing has two victories at Chicagoland Speedway with Kevin Harvick’s back-to-back wins in 2001 and 2002. In 54 starts at the 1.5-mile suburban Chicago tri-oval, Richard Childress Racing teams have a combined 10 top-five, 19 top-10 finishes and one pole award with Jeff Burton in 2006.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,878 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 487 top-five finishes and 1,055 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. Continue reading RCR Event Preview – Chicagoland Speedway

RCR Post Race Report – Sonoma 350

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow Camaro ZL1 Team Earn 16th-Place Finish at Sonoma Raceway

“The Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 had a solid run today, especially considering how far back we started. There’s a saying that our No. 3 Dow Racing team has been going by all weekend in Sonoma – ‘slow is smooth, smooth is fast.’ That’s really how we tried to run our race today. We took advantage of pit strategy by pitting just before the stage breaks and stretching Stage 3 to one stop instead of two. It’s all about race car management here, as the tires fall off pretty quickly. In the end we finished 16th, which is the best we’ve finished here by 1 spot. We’ll take it and keep moving on.”
-Austin Dillon

Ryan Newman and Grainger/American Red Cross Team Earn Stage Points Enroute to 24th-Place Finish at Sonoma Raceway

“The first two stages went exactly like we had planned. We wanted to run the stages out so that we could earn as many points as possible. Our Grainger/American Red Cross Camaro ZL1 was so much better than the Chevy we had the last time we were here so kudos to the entire RCR organization for giving us a competitive car. We finished the first two stages in the top 10 and going into the final stage, our car needed a little more help through the right turns but we were still capable of a top-10 or top-12 run. Unfortunately, we gambled on what we had hoped would have been a caution, but it did not pan out and it cost us considerable track position. We rallied back but just ran out of laps. We are making gains but we’re not quite able to translate them into the finishes. We’ll get there.”

-Ryan Newman

RCR Event Preview – Sonoma Raceway

Richard Childress Racing in Wine Country … In 69 starts at the 10-turn stadium course, Richard Childress Racing owns two wins, with Dale Earnhardt in the 1995 Save Mart Supermarkets 300 and with Robby Gordon in the Save Mart 350 in 2003, one pole award (Earnhardt, 1995), 14 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes. The Welcome, North Carolina,-based team has led 140 laps at Sonoma, completed 7,224 of the 7,270 laps contested (99.4 percent) and recorded just one DNF (Did Not Finish) over that stretch (1989-2017). Continue reading RCR Event Preview – Sonoma Raceway

RCR Post Race Report – Iowa 250 presented by Enogen

Matt Tifft Records Seventh Top-10 Finish of the Season at Iowa Speedway in No. 2 Wastebits Chevrolet

“We were all over the field today. We had the challenge of starting from the rear of the field after NASCAR didn’t approve the look of our side skirts. I was able to get up to 15th before the end of Stage 1 with a pretty loose No. 2 Wastebits Camaro. After pitting for four fresh tires and air pressure adjustments, my new left front tire was killed from a lug nut that got stuck in it before we even got off pit road, which forced us to pit for a second time during the stage break for a replacement tire. That shuffled us back in the lineup for the start of Stage 2. From there I was able to battle back up and stay in the top 10 for the majority of the remaining laps. We had great long run speed but just needed a little more out of our car to fire off with. Overall, we were able to get a top-10 finish out of the day, so we’ll take it and learn from it during the off week.”
-Matt Tifft Continue reading RCR Post Race Report – Iowa 250 presented by Enogen

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Iowa Speedway

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Iowa Speedway … In 47 Series starts at the 7/8-mile speedway, RCR has captured one victory with Elliott Sadler in 2012. The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has completed 11,661 laps of the 11,846 (98.4 percent) that they have competed. RCR has accumulated three pole awards, 13 top-five finishes, 26 top-10 finishes, led 530 laps and averages a starting position of 10.6 and finishing position of 11.7.

Michigan Review … Austin Dillon and the No. 3 team brought RCR back to Victory Lane in the Xfinity Series when they won at Michigan International Speedway this past Saturday. Daniel Hemric finished in the runner-up spot, and Matt Tifft rounded out the trio in the 16th spot during the Michigan 250. Continue reading Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Iowa Speedway

Richard Childress Racing–FireKeepers Casino 400

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow Salutes Veterans Camaro ZL1 Team Continue Upward Trend with 14th-Place Finish at Michigan International Speedway

“What a wild race! It was crazy racing in the rain like that. I couldn’t even see out of my windshield because of the rain drops. Overall, we had a solid run in our Dow Salutes Veterans Camaro ZL1. By the end of Stage 2, we had one of the fastest cars on the track. We just lacked the track position. When the rain really started coming down hard, that ended the race. Our Dow Racing team is still trending in the right direction. We just need a little bit more to compete with the next group of cars. I want to thank Dow for honoring US Armed Forces service members on our car this weekend. Without our military, we wouldn’t be able to race and do what we love on the weekends. I’m thankful for their service.”

-Austin Dillon

Rain Shortens Firekeepers Casino 400 Resulting in 22nd-Place Finish for Ryan Newman and the Okuma Team

“Rain certainly played a big role in strategizing for this race. Early on we raced in the top 10, but as rain approached we opted for four fresh tires in hopes of making it to the end of Stage 2 in a better scenario. Instead, we realized our car did not respond well in traffic and dirty air. It pretty much bogged us down and prevented our Okuma Camaro ZL1 from making up the ground we had anticipated gaining. Then the rain finally came to end the race. It has been a tough go for us of late. Here’s hoping the off weekend will allow us to recharge and get this bad luck monkey off our back.”

-Ryan Newman

Richard Childress Racing–Michigan 250

Handling Issues Hamper Matt Tifft and the Nexteer Team’s Run at Michigan International Speedway

“This race didn’t play out quite like we thought it was going to based on how practice went. Our No. 2 Nexteer Chevrolet Camaro was great during practice Friday, and I felt comfortable both in and out of the draft. Unfortunately on Saturday, much of the race was a single line and our race car was way too loose when someone came up behind me. That handling issue made us pit early off-sequence and lose some of the track position we had gained. Track position ended up being everything, and with the rain coming strategies varied. We had a shot at it when we stayed out for stage points and finished Stage 2 in the fourth position. If the rain had come then we would have been in good shape, but it didn’t and we didn’t have enough fuel to stay out. That put us farther back than we wanted, and we just had to gain as many positions as we could until the rain came. Congrats to everyone at RCR for getting back into Victory Lane this weekend. Hopefully, we’ll be in there ourselves soon.”

-Matt Tifft Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Michigan 250

Richard Childress Racing–Michigan Advance

Richard Childress Racing at Michigan International Speedway … In 167 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, RCR teams have earned three wins, two with Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990) and one with Kevin Harvick (August 2010). Additionally, RCR has claimed 24 top-five and 57 top-10 finishes with 10 different drivers including Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, who recorded top-10 finishes at MIS in June 1978 and August 1979.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,874 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 487 top-five finishes and 1,055 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. Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Michigan Advance

Richard Childress Racing–Pocono 400

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow Camaro ZL1 Team Maximize Tire Strategy to Earn 12th-Place Finish

“Considering the handling issues we fought throughout the weekend, leaving here with a 12th-place finish in the Dow Camaro ZL1 isn’t too bad. Turn 3 was a challenge for us during practice, and continued to be during the race. We decided to use pit strategy to make up track position, which I felt like we needed more than handling adjustments. We stayed out longer in Stage 2 than anyone else and took two tires when we finally came in for our stop. Our Camaro ZL1 handled the best when we took two tires at a time. For the rest of the race, we tried to use that to our advantage, which got us into the top 10 during the final couple of restarts. We just couldn’t hold that spot long enough to make it to the checkered flag. I wish we could have gotten a top-10 finish out of today, but we’ll take 12th and learn what we can before we come back here in July.”
-Austin Dillon Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Pocono 400

Richard Childress Racing–Pocono Green 250 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons

Matt Tifft Earns Top-15 Finish at Pocono Raceway

“This package brought a lot of unknowns to the race weekend, and it was little trickier than expected. We had some work to do with our No. 2 Tunity Chevrolet Camaro after qualifying 21st. We fired off a little too free but balance didn’t seem to be too big of a deal in today’s race. It was more about momentum and track position, which we didn’t have at the start. We tried everything to get better track position and took two tires at the end of Stage 2 to restart towards the front. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t maintain the position like we wanted for the start of Stage 3. We fought hard though to get back up to the 14th spot. We’ll definitely need to study this package a little more.”
-Matt Tifft Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Pocono Green 250 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons

Richard Childress Racing–Pocono 400 Advance

Richard Childress Racing at Pocono Raceway … In 157 starts at Pocono Raceway, RCR team owner Richard Childress has two wins, both with Dale Earnhardt, who won on July 19, 1987 and July 18, 1993. Additionally, RCR has earned one pole award, 16 top-five and 54 top-10 finishes with 610 laps led at the uniquely-shaped three-turn track. Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed two of those top-10 finishes under the RCR banner.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,872 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 487 top-five finishes and 1,055 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. Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Pocono 400 Advance

Richard Childress Racing–Charlotte 600 Post Race

Defending Coca-Cola 600 Winner Austin Dillon’s night hampered by Cut Tire Early at Charlotte Motor Speedway

“I’m a bit mad at myself for racing the No. 3 Coca-Cola Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 so hard, so early in the race. I was battling with the No. 48 car for position and ended up getting loose and hitting the outside wall. That really put a damper on our night. We cut a tire and all of the rubber wrapped around the rear suspension so the hub broke and we had to go to the garage to make repairs. We made it back on the track but we were multiple laps down and really just racing for knowledge at that point. I love Charlotte Motor Speedway and was really looking forward to trying to defend my win here, but it’s on to Pocono Raceway next week.”

-Austin Dillon

Ryan Newman and Liberty National Team See Top-10 Finish Spoiled By Right-Front Hub Issue

“This team is in desperate need of some good luck. Tonight we had another top-10 finish get away from us due to a right-front hub issue with less than 100 laps to go. It’s frustrating. We had a setback on our first stop with a penalty. It dropped us from fourth to 29th. Then to race back in the top 10 and earn stage points in Stages Two and Three, it’s just so disappointing. Overall, it was a solid weekend for us and an improvement in qualifying with the sixth-place starting spot. Racing in the top 5 and top 10 for a majority of the night shows the progress we are making with this Camaro. We just need to get the finishes.”
-Ryan Newman

Richard Childress Racing–Alsco 300

Matt Tifft Earns Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish in No. 2 KC Motorgroup Chevrolet Camaro at Charlotte Motor Speedway

“That was one of the toughest top-10 finishes of my career. We fought the handling all weekend long, trying everything to get the balance to where we needed it to be for Saturday’s race. Our No. 2 KC Motorgroup Chevrolet Camaro was constantly too heavy in the nose and too loose in the rear. Randall (Burnett, crew chief) had a great call to pit off-cycle to gain some stage points at the end of Stage 2. After that, the cautions fell our way a little bit and we got back on cycle with our pitting and able to get the car to closer to where we needed it to be while maintaining track position. I’m glad NASCAR was able to get the rest of the race in for the fans. We battled hard there those last few laps and were able to come home with a ninth place finish. I can’t thank my guys enough for their determination this weekend. It made the difference for us.”

-Matt Tifft

Ty Dillon Scores Fourth-Place Finish in Nexium 24HR Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway

“Our Nexium 24HR Chevrolet was incredibly fast this weekend. We unloaded with speed on Thursday, and I was able to get a lot out of this thing as we adjusted throughout practice. Our Camaro was loose during the race today, but there was a lot of speed. We just needed to have the perfect balance so that I could be aggressive with it. Nick (Harrison, crew chief) made a few air pressure changes during the race to help, but we didn’t need to make many adjustments. We had an uncontrolled tire penalty in Stage 3 and had to start in the rear, but our car was so fast that we were back in the top 10 in just a few laps. It was risky, but we decided to play with pit strategy at the end so that we would have fresher tires than the rest of the field to finish out the race. We were so fast, but came up three spots short in the end. I can’t thank these RCR guys enough for building such a fast race car. I always like getting in these cars, and I’m looking forward to being back with them in Kentucky.”

-Ty Dillon
Daniel Hemric Leads Laps, Records Seventh Top-10 Finish of 2018 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

7th

17th

4th
“We missed it a little bit in qualifying and that put us back in the 17th spot to start the race and we had to fight really hard. We were able to get decent track position at the start of the race and got up into the top 10 and earned points in Stage 1. We thought we knew what the balance of the car was going to do, but it was magnified when we put on new tires. I fought being too loose the entire second stage. My crew chief Danny Stockman did a great job playing a little bit of strategy by getting tires and getting off sequence from everybody else. That gave us the track position we needed. It was cool to get out front and lead some laps in front of the hometown crowd with the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet. The car was just too tight on that final run. We did a lot of things right today. The finish just doesn’t show it. It’s easy to look at this as a disappointing seventh-place finish, but we did a lot of things right and that is what we will lean on going to Pocono next week.”

-Daniel Hemric

Richard Childress Racing–Coca-Cola 600 Advance

Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Charlotte Motor Speedway … In 160 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 2,870 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 487 top-five finishes and 1,055 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 16.1. 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 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, May 27 beginning at 6 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s Coca-Cola Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Dillon is the defending Coca-Cola 600 Champion, earning his career-first win in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in May 2017. In total, Dillon has eight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with two top-10 finishes. He is a two-time winner at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The Coca-Cola Company … The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest total beverage company, offering over 500 brands to people in more than 200 countries. Of our 21 billion-dollar brands, 19 are available in lower- and no-sugar options to help people everywhere more easily control added sugar. In addition to our namesake Coca-Cola drinks, some of our household names around the world include: AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater, and Zico coconut water. At Coca-Cola, we’re serious about making positive contributions to our world. That starts with reducing sugar in our drinks and bringing new and different drinks to people everywhere. It also means continuously working to reduce our environmental impact, creating rewarding careers for our associates, and bringing economic opportunity wherever we operate. In fact, together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people around the world. For more information, visit our digital magazine Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow The Coca-Cola Company on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn .

Meet Dillon … Fans in the Charlotte area have several chances to meet Dillon this week. On Wednesday, May 23, Dillon will sign autographs at RCR’s Fan Appreciation Day at the RCR Museum in Welcome, N.C. from 10-11 a.m. On Thursday, May 24, Dillon is scheduled to join Ty Dillon, Ryan Newman and Richard Childress at Bass Pro Shops in Concord Mills Mall at 11 a.m. ET. You can also meet Dillon at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, May 25 at Childress Vineyards as part of the Honky Tonk Throwdown Pit Stops for Hope Benefit. Dillon is also scheduled to make an appearance at Coca-Cola Speed Street on Saturday, May 26 at 7 p.m. ET.

Austin Dillon’s Honky Tonk Throwdown Pit Stops for Hope Benefit … It’s a one night two-step with No. 3! Celebrate with Dillon at Childress Vineyards on his win at the 2018 Daytona 500. A portion of the proceeds will benefit local tornado relief through Pit Stops for Hope. Saddle up for a night of bulls, boots, and bottles. Participate in a mechanical bull riding competition, Daisy Duke and vintage t-shirt contests with cash prizes, and much more! The event takes place on Friday, May 25 from 5-10 p.m. at Childress Vineyards (1000 Childress Vineyards Road, Lexington, NC 27295). For tickets, visit https://childressvineyards.ticketleap.com/austinhonkytonk/dates/May-25-2018_at_0500PM

Austin Dillon Quotes:
Big weekend for you going back as the defending race winner and having Coca-Cola on your car for the weekend. How much confidence do you have going back to Charlotte Motor Speedway?
“It is really cool to have a brand like Coca-Cola behind you at the Coke 600. Partnering with Coca-Cola and the USO on the car is really exciting. It’s an awesome looking car. That red paint scheme looks great with the No. 3 there by it. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity.”

Talk about Ryan Owens, who will be the military member on your windshield for the Coca-Cola 600. …
“It is always nice to have the opportunity to give back as we are running those 600 miles of remembrance to a family that has given so much to this country. Last year, we were able to share our whole race and race win with the family of Joshua Harris and this year with Ryan Owens on the car, hopefully we can do the same thing.”

This Week’s Liberty National Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman will make his 597th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start when he competes in the longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night. In total 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 9.5 and average finish of 17.7. When calculating points earned in the last 10 events at Charlotte, Newman ranks seventh in most points accumulated.

600 Miles of Remembrance … The No. 31 team will be honoring U.S. Navy HM1 Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman Ryan Lohrey. Lohrey, like Newman, was a native of Indiana and entered basic training in 2007. He deployed with 2d Reconnaissance Battalion and later with the 2d Raider Battalion and served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. Lohrey lost his life on July 10, 2017, along with his Marine Raider teammates in a place crash in Mississippi.

Liberty National … Ryan Newman, a Liberty National Life Insurance Company policyholder, will be behind the wheel of a Memorial Day themed Liberty National Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Liberty National has been in the insurance industry since 1900 and offers affordable life and supplemental health insurance to middle-income Americans through in-home and workplace sales. With local offices throughout the United States, Liberty National’s Agency Owners will be featured on the hood of the No. 31 car in each of its primary races. Liberty National, Ryan Newman, and Richard Childress Racing share an admiration and appreciation for veterans who have served to protect our country. Liberty National hires former military and is proud to have many veterans call Liberty National their career homes today. Visit LNLCareers.com/Atlanta to learn more about career opportunities with Liberty National.

Pole to Pole … Want to go fishing with Newman and then watch him compete Labor Day weekend? Register for your chance to win a fishing trip with the Cat® Racing driver along with a VIP experience in Darlington, S.C. Enter the Pole to Pole with Ryan Newman Sweepstakes: http://bit.ly/2GliiVw.

Meet Newman … On Wednesday, May 23, Dillon will sign autographs at RCR’s Fan Appreciation Day at the RCR Museum in Welcome, N.C. at 11.a.m. with crew chief Luke Lambert. Thursday Newman is scheduled to sign autographs along with Austin and Ty Dillon and Richard Childress at Bass Pro Shops at 11 a.m. Bass Pro Shops is located at the Concord Mills Mall by the Speedway Blvd. exit off Interstate 85. If you are at the track on Sunday, Newman is scheduled to participate in a question and answer session on behalf of Coca-Cola Racing at the Pit Party Stage starting at 2:20 p.m. inside Turn 1. Fans will need to upgrade their race ticket to receive a Pit Party pass to attend. To upgrade, visit: http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets/coca-cola-600/. At 2:45 p.m., he’ll stop by the Chevy Stage to greet fans as well.

Rescue Ranch Founder’s Dinner … Tickets are available now for the Rescue Ranch Founder’s Dinner. Join Krissie on June 7th for a fun evening highlighting the importance of agriculture in Iredell County and featuring fresh local food. To purchase tickets, visit: http://bit.ly/2KKbjc7.

RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
What is the most important thing to get right for a chance to win the Coca-Cola 600?
“A lot about this race is speed and durability. It’s the longest race of the year, and everyone knows that. The track typically goes through a lot of changes over the course of the night. Keeping yourself in the game is really what it is all about. The last thing you want is a bad pit stop under green. Things like that that will put you a lap down and pretty much out of the race. It’s really similar to how you race the Daytona 500. It’s all about keeping all the simple things in check, but you also must have a fast race car to be there in the end.”

What is the most challenging aspect of this race?
“The challenge for the Coca-Cola 600 is predicting how the track well change, how the temperature fluctuations, how will the grip move around. It’s a crap shoot so-to-speak on predicting what changes are going to happen throughout the night and the team that’s able to anticipate and stay ahead of the curve best will be tough to beat.”

How hard is it to stay focused for 600 miles?
“The stages definitely help break things up. It’s a long race both physically and mentally. It’s the toughest race we have. Physically you must be hydrated properly because if it is hot out, it tough to have that much fluid to be that warm for that long. When your physical parts start to fail, your mental well-being shortly follows because you start worrying about things and losing focus is not what you want to happen when you are going 200 miles-per-hour.”

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway … In 92 Series starts at the 1.5-mile 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 17,534 laps of the 18,407 (95.3 percent) that they have competed. RCR has accumulated eight pole awards, 24 top-five and 50 top-10 finishes, led 745 laps and averages a starting position of 10.8 and finishing position of 12.4.

Dover Review … Daniel Hemric was the highest RCR finisher in third, with Matt Tifft and Jeb Burton finishing eighth and 12th, respectively, in the OneMain Financial 200 at Dover International Speedway.

The Points … Daniel Hemric and Matt Tifft currently sit fifth and 10th, respectively, in the Xfinity Series driver point standings. The No. 3 RCR team is currently 14th in the series owner point standings.

Catch the Action … Coverage of this week’s Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, May 26, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on FOX Sports 1. It will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.

This Week’s KCMG Chevrolet Camaro at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Matt Tifft has three previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, in which he collected two top-10 finishes. His best result of eighth came in October 2016.Tifft 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. He has completed 100 percent of all laps he has attempted at the speedway.

About KCMG … KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) is an international motorsport services group established in 2007 by Dr. Paul Ip. The group, with its headquarters located in Hong Kong, has operations reaching across Europe and the Asia Pacific region. KCMG operates closely with many partner companies and racing organizations around the world to provide unrivalled Motorsport Services, Equipment, Team Management and quality distributorship in the Automotive Industry. 2013 saw KCMG become the first Chinese outfit ever to race at the world famous Le Mans 24 Hours in its 90-year history and participate in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Hong Kong-based team later on took an historic LMP2 victory at Le Mans and was Vice Champion in FIA WEC in 2015. With years in the motorsport industry, KCMG has been involved in a wide range of Formula, GT and Le Mans prototype endurance racing series across the globe. For more information please visit www.kcmg.com.hk or email info@kcmg.hk.

Little 600 … Tifft competed in Go Pro Motorplex’s fifth annual Little 600 on Tuesday, May 22. Fans are invited to come out to the motorplex to watch as some of NASCAR’s top drivers battle bumper-to-bumper in go-karts to help kick off the Coca-Cola 600 weekend. Gates open at 5 p.m. local time. Visit gopromotorplex.com for more details.

RCR Fan Appreciation Day … Fans have the opportunity to meet Tifft when he appears along side his RCR Xfinity Series teammates for an autograph session at 2 p.m. local time during RCR’s Fan Appreciation Day on Wednesday, May 23. 150 wristbands will be passed out for this session at the RCR Museum and Team Store located at 236 Industrial Drive, Lexington, NC 27295. Visit store.rcrracing.comto learn more.

Meet Tifft … Tifft will be appearing at the Team Chevy Stage for a Q&A session beginning at 3 p.m. local time on Thursday, May 24. Fans can find the stage located in Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Fan Zone.

MATT TIFFT QUOTES:
This weekend Cup drivers are back in the field after not being in the four Dash 4 Cash races. What has it been like for you not having them in the field, and what do you expect this weekend with them in the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
“I think not having the Cup drivers in the field was a nice preview for the rest of the season since they won’t be in any of the playoff races. I think those races had some of the best racing so far in the Xfinity Series this season, so that’s a positive to look forward to. I think even with the Cup guys back in the field, the same cars that were fast the past couple of weeks will still be fast. The best teams always rise to the top, and everyone else is still trying to close that gap. I think this week is an opportunity to prove that we’ve grown as a team since the April Texas race, which was the last time we raced against the Cup guys. It will be cool to see where we stack up against them now that a little time has passed.”

Is racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway extra special seeing as it is a lot of teams’ home track?
“Yeah I think it is. In one view, it’s another 1.5-mile track, which we have a lot of in the playoffs, so it’s another chance for us to gain some knowledge on those types of tracks. We have the Roval the next time we’re at Charlotte, but there are still things we can learn this weekend to help us in the fall. Getting the idea of a hot, slick intermediate track is still very important since that also makes up a huge chunk of the summer. This weekend is a good test to see where our car is at with those handling characteristics. The first few races we’ve had this year have been freezing with overcast temperatures, so we haven’t had much of a chance to learn as we normally do on these types of tracks. But for sure when you’re this close to home, you definitely want that win. It’s fun for the crew guys to be able to come and bring their families out to the track to see what we do every weekend, so you definitely have a pressure to perform well.”

This Week’s Nexium® 24HR Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Ty Dillon has eight previous starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway, earning four top-10 finishes. His highest finish of sixth place came in the fall of 2015. Dillon also has two previous starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at the 1.5-mile track, and he scored his best finish of 21st place in the fall of 2017. He has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Charlotte. He won the pole award in 2012 and followed that up with a second-place starting position in 2013. Dillon earned top-10 finishes in both races, earning his best finish of fifth place in 2013.

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Meet Dillon … Fans will have multiple opportunities to meet Dillon throughout the weekend in Charlotte, NC. On Wednesday afternoon, he will appear at RCR Fan Appreciation day to meet fans and sign autographs from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET. The following day, he will join Richard Childress, Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman at Bass Pro Shops on Thursday morning at 11:00 a.m. ET. Autograph wristbands will be given out to the first 150 people in line at 10:00 a.m. ET prior to the appearance. Dillon will also be around town on Friday afternoon, appearing at the Walmart Supercenter on Thunder Road in Concord, NC, with Nexium® 24HR to sign autographs beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET. He will then head to Speed Street where he will visit the GEICO display from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET to meet fans.

TY DILLON QUOTE:
What are your thoughts as you climb back into a Xfinity Series car for the first time since Texas at the beginning of April?
“I will definitely have to get back into the swing of Xfinity racing this weekend, but I’ve had so much experience in these cars that it will be like riding a bike when I get into our Nexium® 24HR Chevrolet. I’ve raced so many times at Charlotte that I’ve gotten a handle of how to work with the car as the track changes with the temperature and weather. It’s such a sensitive racetrack, but our team knows that we need to be ready for anything and adjust accordingly. I, of course, like having the extra seat time. It doesn’t always translate as much to the Cup car in preparing for Sunday, but this track in particular is such a challenge that it’s fun to do both races. It certainly keeps you on your toes and prepares you for Sunday in that sense.”

This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Kannapolis, North Carolina, native Daniel Hemric has two previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hemric has an average start of 6.0 and an average finish of 10.0. He has also completed 100 percent of the laps attempted in his two starts. He also has three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the 1.5-mile track and has won numerous U.S. Legends Car events on the facility’s quarter-mile track, including the inaugural Legends Car Million.

Rearview Mirror: Dover … Hemric’s strong start to the 2018 Xfinity Series season continued at the ‘Monster Mile,’ where the driver of the No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro recorded his third third-place finish in five races. Starting from the fifth position, Hemric earned points in both stages and really came to life in Stage 3. With less than 50 laps to go, Hemric was chasing down race leader Justin Allgaier when the caution flew and bunched the field up for a restart with 27 laps to go. Lined up on the bottom groove, Hemric dropped to third on the restart and was catching the leaders when the checkered flag flew. The third-place finish was Hemric’s fourth top-five and sixth top-10 finish in 10 races.

This Week at the South Point Hotel & Casino … Fans visiting the South Point Hotel & Casino this week have the opportunity to see stand-up comedian Louie Anderson at The Showroom on May 25 – May 27. Tickets are available at southpointcasino.com.

Meet the Driver … Fans have the opportunity to meet Hemric at the 600 Festival’s Speed Street event in Uptown Charlotte on Friday, May 25, starting at 6 p.m. local time. The autograph session will take place on the corner of Third Street and Tryon Street.

Meet the Press … Hemric is schedule to meet with the NASCAR media at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 24, starting at 2 p.m. local time. Fans can watch the media availability session on NASCAR.com/presspass.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
You recently had an open test at Charlotte Motor Speedway. What did you learn there that you can apply to this weekend’s Alsco 300?
“We just need to have a solid run at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is our first race back on a mile-and-a-half in a little while, but we had a solid test session a few weeks ago and learned some things that will hopefully pay off this weekend. We’ll just look to build our program. That’s what this is all about. If you get complacent in this sport, you get behind quickly. I’ll raise my hand and say that is easy to do and it has happened in the past, but our goal at RCR is to get ahead of that and ahead of the game. I feel like we’ve taken so many strides to do just that and Charlotte will be a big test for us. This No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino team has been really strong as of late and we believe that will continue during this weekend’s Alsco 300.”

The Xfinity Series is welcoming back the Cup Series drivers this weekend after four straight races with Xfinity regulars only. What are your thoughts on having them return to the series at Charlotte?
“I’m excited to have the Cup drivers back in the Xfinity Series. I’m a fan of the Xfinity Series regulars only races, but I’m also a fan of the Cup drivers coming back to race with us. When it is just Xfinity Series regulars, we know that every single position is impacting our season. That is not necessarily always the case with the Cup drivers. During those four Xfinity regulars only races, we’ve all found another level of aggression to race with each other. Hopefully we continue that aggressive racing no matter who is in the field and we continue to give the fans the good show they deserve. Having the Cup drivers in the field allows us to push ourselves to that much greater of a level. It will be good to get that push again this weekend.”

Richard Childress Racing–All-Star Race

Austin Dillon and the Dow Racing Team Earn 12th-Place Finish in All-Star Race

“What a race! I had a blast out there tonight, and I hope it was as fun to watch as it was to drive. Throughout the race, we made quite a few adjustments to the Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. With limited practice and this being the first time we have raced this package, we were a little off on the setup. We got it pretty close, though. At the end, we opted to pit. Looking back, it’s a toss up on whether that was the right call or not. But I’m excited to return next weekend and defend our Coca-Cola 600 win.”

-Austin Dillon Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–All-Star Race

Richard Childress Racing–All-Star Race Advance

Four All-Star Wins for RCR … Richard Childress Racing has won four Monster Energy All-Star races, most recently in 2007 with Kevin Harvick. Dale Earnhardt won the event in 1987, which included the legendary “Pass in the Grass.” Earnhardt also went on to claim the checkered flag in
1990 and 1993.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,870 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 487 top-five finishes and 1,055 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 16.1. 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 Monster Energy All Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live Saturday, May 19 beginning at 8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Dillon is scheduled to make his first appearance in the Monster Energy NASCAR All Star race this weekend after racing in the Monster Energy Open the previous four years.

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Questions, Please … As the defending Coca-Cola 600 Champion, Dillon is available to the media in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Infield Media Center at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, May 18.

Austin Dillon Quotes:
You are already locked into the All Star Race.
“Oh yeah, I’m looking forward to the All-Star race. I have never gotten to be in it and we fought hard in the Open for a couple of years, but that pressure is probably the biggest pressure of the year, truthfully, not being in it sometimes. So, now I’m locked in it for the next two years, and I would like to lock myself in for life by winning it. So that is the plan when we go there. Charlotte is one of my best tracks. I definitely think we will be very competitive for the All-Star race.”

How do you approach the All Star race format?
“You’ve got to go get it. You will be after it, on the gas the entire time. There will be some strategy played I’m sure at the end. The way it is with the true real strategy is going to be based on how these cars drive. It’s a totally different package with a lot more spoiler. We are going to be running about wide-open around there, so it should be very interesting for our fans.”

How do you balance the urgency of the All Star Race versus the big picture of a championship?
“Well, you let everything go on All Star night and as far as the big picture, the Coke 600 is a grueling 600-mile race, but it’s my favorite race of the year, especially with the military men and women that are out there. I feel like there is no other pre-race ceremony that is more patriotic than that one. I would love to go back-to-back and win the Coke 600 again.”

This Week’s Grainger/Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman is eligible to race in the sport’s $1 million exhibition event thanks to his victory at Phoenix Raceway in 2017. He also won the 2002 All-Star Race during his rookie season, a feat only accomplished by one other rookie driver. Saturday’s event marks his 17th-straight appearance in the non-points race.

New Format … This year, the All-Star race is 10 laps longer than 2017 and is made up of four stages consisting of 30-20-20-10 laps. Plus, there will be no mandated pit stops, no choice of different tire compounds, no eliminations and no inversions of the running order.

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Season 26 in NASCAR … Richard Childress Racing is amid its 10th season with Caterpillar on board the No. 31 Camaro ZL1 and Cat Racing’s 26th in NASCAR. For more than 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets. With 2017 sales and revenues of $45.462 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company principally operates through its three primary segments – Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation – and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.

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Meet Newman … On Friday from 4:30 to 5 p.m. ET, Newman is scheduled to sign autographs for fans at the MENCS stage located in the Charlotte Motor Speedway midway.

Rescue Ranch Founder’s Dinner … Tickets are available now for the Rescue Ranch Founder’s Dinner. Join Krissie on June 7th for a fun evening highlighting the importance of agriculture in Iredell County and featuring fresh local food. To purchase tickets, visit: http://bit.ly/2KKbjc7.

RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE:
What was it like for you to win the All-Star Race in 2002 as a rookie?
“For me, winning the All-Star Race in 2002 was totally unexpected because we weren’t even in the race. We had to race our way in. I made the cut. We got the inversion on either the first or second segment when they were eliminating cars and then got the inversion again and I was able to stay up front. We stayed out on old tires, which was crazy for Charlotte. Somehow, we were able to hold them off. It was an amazing team victory for us and unexpected.”

Richard Childress Racing–KC Masterpiece 400

Austin Dillon and SYMBICORT® (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate)Team Leave Kansas Speedway With Top-20 Finish

“We had a challenging night at Kansas Speedway as we battled a lack of grip and handling issues, but I am proud of this Richard Childress Racing team because they never give up. We hit a snag in the race during a green flag pit stop. Our car was gurgling in the middle of three and four and I panicked. I came down pit road too abruptly and earned us a commitment line violation. We could have made it another lap and we ended up multiple laps down. We kept digging and we were able to earn back one of our laps when the caution came out with 30 laps remaining but didn’t have enough laps left in the race to get back on the lead lap. It wasn’t the race we wanted but we’ll take this 17th-place finish. This team doesn’t give up. I want to thank AstraZeneca, and their SYMBICORT® (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) brand for sticking with us.”
-Austin Dillon

Ryan Newman Collected in Late-Race Accident Costing Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Team a Top-10 Finish at Kansas Speedway

“We definitely rebounded from last week and for that, I am proud of this Bass Pro Shops / Cabela’s team. We were competitive and made it into the top five. Our strategy of not pitting was a good call. I think we could have come home with at least a top-10 finish. We were just an innocent bystander when they crashed underneath me, in front of me and just got all wadded up. I had no place to go. It’s just unfortunate. To get 14 laps from the end and tear up a bunch of cars like that just kind of stinks.”
-Ryan Newman