Richard Childress Racing has record 12 wins at Talladega

Austin Dillon is spring of 2016 at Talladega.

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

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,938 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 488 top-five finishes and 1,069 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 16.2. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR Xfinity Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Menards Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.

#RCR50 … Richard Childress Racing celebrates it’s 50th Anniversary in 2019. Follow our social channels season-long to join in the celebration.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTE:

Is there anything you and the team learned in the February test at Daytona International Speedway that can be applied to this weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway?

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