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| Austin Dillon tested well at Las Vegas. He's 50/1 at Atlanta. |
RCR in the MENCS … In 2,922 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 488 top-five finishes and 1,067 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 Gander Outdoors 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 its 50th Anniversary in 2019. Follow our social channels season-long as we celebrate five decades in NASCAR.
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, @TylerReddick and @DanielHemric. 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/DanielHemric.
Catch the Action … The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 will be televised live Sunday, Feb. 24 beginning at 2 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This Week’s Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Atlanta Motor Speedway … In six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Dillon’s best finish is 11th in 2016.
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
Meet Dillon … Come meet Dillon and shop track-side at Atlanta Motor Speedway when he makes an appearance to his merchandise trailer in the fan midway on Sunday, February 24 at 10:40 a.m. ET. Purchase from the trailer, receive your wrist band and ensure your place in line at this limited autograph session.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Talk a little bit about the recent test session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Did you like what you felt with the new rules package?
“We had a successful test. I enjoyed being out there and I felt like we had some good speed. I’m looking forward to getting to Atlanta Motor Speedway to see how that race is, and then Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be the next part of the rules package. I’m pumped. I think it’s going to be interesting for sure.”
What type of mentality are you going to have to have that you didn’t have before on these mile-and-a-half and two-mile tracks?
What type of mentality are you going to have to have that you didn’t have before on these mile-and-a-half and two-mile tracks?
“You’re going to have to be really smart at making your moves on the racetrack, because when you make them you better clear people. If you pull out of line at the wrong time, you’re going to lose more than just the spot you tried to gain. You’re going to lose two or three spots. You’re going to have to complete passes and be aggressive when you do. I think that will be key. In a sense, it feels very similar to a race at a place like Daytona International Speedway or Talladega Superspeedway. You have to be very calculated about your moves and learn what the draft is going to be like because this package is different than the package we’ve been running, and the draft works differently so you’ll have to find different places on the track where you can gain momentum and speed.”
How do you make a pass with this package?
“I think when somebody gets side-by-side it really helps the third-place guy. Obviously, being faster is a key part of that. Speed is king so we’ll be trying to work on our cars to get them as fast as we can to be able to pull out and make moves. I think the air works a lot differently than it used to with having the air ducts in the front so learning that is going to be pretty key. I think learning the air is still a work in progress and once we figure that out, we’ll have a better idea of what we can and cannot get away with. I’m really pumped to have Danny Stockman as my crew chief this year. He’s a guy that was really good in the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, and I think finding that balance shift between aero is going to be something he is good at. I’m really excited about it.”
How do you see this package playing out on a worn-out racetrack like Atlanta Motor Speedway?
“You’re still going to have to drive it a lot at Atlanta Motor Speedway. I don’t care, horsepower-wise. Atlanta Motor Speedway eats tires. You’re going to have to be on and off the throttle, keeping up with the track. There’s still going to be a lot of driving and working on your car throughout the race to get it better. You’re going to have to change your lane a lot. The person that can stay in the gas the longest is probably going to win.”
This Week’s Alsco / Red Kap Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Atlanta Motor Speedway … Hemric will be making his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway but has starts in both the NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Truck Series at the 1.5-mile track. He had an average start of 6.0 and an average finish of 10.0 in the Xfinity Series, as well as an average start of 11.5 and an average finish of 10.5 in the Truck Series.
Review Mirror: Daytona 500 … Hemric’s first Daytona 500 start saw the gold-colored No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/Caterpillar Chevrolet race from the back in the 29th starting position to the front of the field but ended when the ‘Big One’ struck in the closing laps of the race. Hemric was the only rookie in the field to lead a lap, however the damage from the wreck and a penalty from NASCAR for moving under red flag conditions resulted in a 34th-place finish.
About Alsco … Alsco is a fourth-generation family owned and operated business, founded in 1889, that was recognized by the prestigious Hohenstein Institute for having invented the linen and uniform rental industry. Celebrating 130 years of business, Alsco provides linen and workwear rental services to customers that include restaurants, healthcare, automotive industry and industrial facilities. With over 180 locations and more than 20,000 employees, Alsco provides world-class service to over 355,000 customers in 14 countries. Learn more at www.alsco.com.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
How do you make a pass with this package?
“I think when somebody gets side-by-side it really helps the third-place guy. Obviously, being faster is a key part of that. Speed is king so we’ll be trying to work on our cars to get them as fast as we can to be able to pull out and make moves. I think the air works a lot differently than it used to with having the air ducts in the front so learning that is going to be pretty key. I think learning the air is still a work in progress and once we figure that out, we’ll have a better idea of what we can and cannot get away with. I’m really pumped to have Danny Stockman as my crew chief this year. He’s a guy that was really good in the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, and I think finding that balance shift between aero is going to be something he is good at. I’m really excited about it.”
How do you see this package playing out on a worn-out racetrack like Atlanta Motor Speedway?
“You’re still going to have to drive it a lot at Atlanta Motor Speedway. I don’t care, horsepower-wise. Atlanta Motor Speedway eats tires. You’re going to have to be on and off the throttle, keeping up with the track. There’s still going to be a lot of driving and working on your car throughout the race to get it better. You’re going to have to change your lane a lot. The person that can stay in the gas the longest is probably going to win.”
This Week’s Alsco / Red Kap Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Atlanta Motor Speedway … Hemric will be making his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway but has starts in both the NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Truck Series at the 1.5-mile track. He had an average start of 6.0 and an average finish of 10.0 in the Xfinity Series, as well as an average start of 11.5 and an average finish of 10.5 in the Truck Series.
Review Mirror: Daytona 500 … Hemric’s first Daytona 500 start saw the gold-colored No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/Caterpillar Chevrolet race from the back in the 29th starting position to the front of the field but ended when the ‘Big One’ struck in the closing laps of the race. Hemric was the only rookie in the field to lead a lap, however the damage from the wreck and a penalty from NASCAR for moving under red flag conditions resulted in a 34th-place finish.
About Alsco … Alsco is a fourth-generation family owned and operated business, founded in 1889, that was recognized by the prestigious Hohenstein Institute for having invented the linen and uniform rental industry. Celebrating 130 years of business, Alsco provides linen and workwear rental services to customers that include restaurants, healthcare, automotive industry and industrial facilities. With over 180 locations and more than 20,000 employees, Alsco provides world-class service to over 355,000 customers in 14 countries. Learn more at www.alsco.com.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
What are your expectations for Atlanta Motor Speedway?
“The new package is a little bit of a moving target, but on the flip side of that I feel like Chevrolet, the people at RCR, and everyone involved in building these cars are putting all their resources into figuring out or eliminating those variables as best as possible. It’s a great thing to have that comradery between all of us to make sure we can do what is necessary so that when we do hit the race track, we are as close to prepared as we can be. I think it’s going to be a constant evolution of what you need. This week isn’t going to be the same as the next week. It’s going to be fun for everybody figuring it out.”
What makes Atlanta Motor Speedway different from other 1.5-mile tracks?
“Without a doubt, the grip level sets Atlanta Motor Speedway apart. Atlanta Motor Speedway has worn-out pavement with swells and bumps. The race track has always had character in how wide it gets. Even with the new package, I expect it to get just as wide as it ever did. Because of that, most drivers like going there. I love racing at a place where you have to be elbows up from lap one to the end of the weekend.”
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