Richard Childress Racing Event Preview Fact Sheet
Race: Auto Club 500 – February 21, 2010
Location: Auto Club Speedway – Fontana, Calif.
Series: Sprint Cup Series
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Notes:
· RCR in SoCal … In 55 overall NCS starts at Auto Club Speedway, RCR Chevrolets have earned one pole (Mike Skinner – April 2000), five top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. RCR boasts a 21.3 average start, a 17.7 average finish and have completed 13,607 of the 13,765 laps (98.9 percent) contested at the moderately-banked D-shaped race track.
· Four to Go … RCR has earned a Sprint Cup Series victory at 18 of the 22 tracks on the 2009 schedule. The only tracks on the current schedule where RCR hasn’t earned wins are Auto Club Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Additionally, RCR has Sprint Cup Series wins at 21 tracks overall, including North Wilkesboro (N.C.), Riverside (Calif.) and Rockingham (N.C.) which are no longer on the schedule.
· RCR Daytona 500 Rewind … In last Sunday’s Daytona 500, RCR drivers Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick led a combined 78 laps, more than any other organization. Additionally, the three RCR-prepared Chevrolets of Bowyer, Jeff Burton and Harvick posted a 7.7 average finish, ranking only second amongst all race teams. The two Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing’s Chevrolets of Jaime McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya earned a fifth-place average finish.
· ECR Daytona Tally … Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines captured its first Daytona 500 victory when Jamie McMurray took the checkered flag. The other ECR Engines placed in the top 11: Bowyer (fourth), Harvick (seventh), Juan Pablo Montoya (10th) and Burton (11th). The triumph closed out an already impressive Speedweeks in Daytona after Kevin Harvick Incorporated’s No. 4 Chevrolet Impala that Tony Stewart took to victory the day before in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Harvick kicked things off for ECR Engines the previous Saturday when he and RCR’s No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet team earned its second consecutive victory in the Budweiser Shootout.
· Former California Driver … Director of Competition Scott Miller is a former driver in NASCAR’s regional series. The Bardstown, Ky., native was behind the wheel on six occasions at the now-defunct Riverside International Raceway from 1981-1984, with a top finish of 14th at the nine-turn road course in Southern California. Miller raced in the NASCAR Winston West Series from 1983-1986 accumulating two poles, one win and six top-five finishes.
· RCR on Twitter … To keep up-to-date with the latest news and information and to view exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page - @RCRracing – along with the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages - @RCR29KHarvick, @RCR31JeffBurton and @RCR33CBowyer.
· Catch the Action … The Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, Feb. 21 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on FOX. The race will also be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the second of 36 points-paying races on the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour begins Friday, Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m. EST and will broadcast live on SPEED.
Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes:
MEDIA CONTACT:Lisa Cox
Director of Partnership Marketing/Communications
Mobile: 336.682.8422
· This Week’s Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 288 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet first raced at Auto Club Speedway last season, posting its first top-10 finish. Harvick piloted this No. 29 Chevy in three other races last fall finishing 18th at Charlotte Motor Speedway, fifth at Texas Motor Speedway and third in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
· Career Stats …The Auto Club 500 marks Harvick’s 324th career start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
o In 15 starts at the two-mile oval, Harvick has claimed one top-five and five top-10 finishes. In addition, the Shell-Pennzoil driver has completed 98.1 percent (3,684 of 3,755) total laps and has led for a total of 32 laps.
· Homecoming … Harvick is one of five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers competing in this weekend’s Sprint Cup Series race that hail from the state of California (Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Scott Speed). Harvick’s hometown of Bakersfield, Calif., is less than a three hour drive to Auto Club Speedway.
· Kevin’s Krew … As part of a continued outreach program with Shell Oil Company, Harvick will visit with a group of at-risk children called “Kevin’s Krew” just before Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway. The children will take part in various activities including meeting their favorite driver near the Victory Lane area prior to driver introductions and before watching the Auto Club 500 from the stands. This is the third year that Shell, Harvick and RCR have been involved with the effort that was born in the vicinity of Auto Club Speedway and spearheaded by local police officer Todd Smith of the Colton County Police Department. Since 2008, Officer Smith, Shell, Harvick and RCR have hosted hundreds of kids as part of the program that grew from one event at Auto Club Speedway to seven events around the nation last year. In 2010, there will be eight “Kevin’s Krew” events during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season - including two stops at Auto Club Speedway.
· IROC and Roll … Harvick visited Victory Lane at Auto Club Speedway in 2002 in the International Race of Champions (IROC) en route to claiming the series point championship that season.
· Meet the Press … Harvick will be available inside the infield press conference room, located in G2, to field questions from the gathered media on Friday, Feb. 19 at 10:15 a.m.
· Double Down in Cali … In addition to his driving duties with the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, Harvick, a 34-time race winner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will drive Kevin Harvick Incorporated’s No. 33 Chevrolet in the Feb. 20 Stater Bros. 300. The race will air live on ESPN2 beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The race will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
The Shell-Pennzoil team had a good run going at Auto Club Speedway last February but the results didn’t reflect it. What happened?
“The oil filter fell off. That was definitely the best car we had in our fleet, and that had been our money maker car from the year before. We ran in the latter part of the top 10 all day and we had a good car. I drove into turn one and the oil filter fell off, and we destroyed it. But, it’s been a good race track for us and our cars have been pretty solid there. You just can’t control all of the circumstances. It’s the only time in my career that has ever happened.”
You’ve been good in the Nationwide Series at Auto Club Speedway but in the Cup series it’s been kind of tough, why is that?
“Well, the year we won the 500 (Daytona), we were going to win the race, and had a flat tire under the red flag, so its been a good race track for us, but we just don’t have the results on paper that we should. Its just one of those places, like Atlanta, where it’s been good for us, performance-wise, but just haven’t had the finishes.”
With a lot of 1.5 mile tracks, will California be an early indication of just how strong RCR is as a team, overall?
“I think that we’re going to be okay at the first four or five races. I think it’s just a matter of how we adapt to the spoiler, and the engineering department and the aero department are going to be under a lot of pressure to make sure that the cars are balanced like they need to be. And, that’s where you’re really going to be able to tell, probably seven or eight races in, you know, with three or four races of them running with the spoiler. It throws a new kink in that we’re not used to. So, you have a plan for the first few races, and you have a plan for the rest of the races.”
What are your thoughts on “Kevin’s Krew,” the group of special needs students who will be attending the race?
“I think it’s a really cool thing Shell has put together. We’ve done this same thing for a few years at Auto Club Speedway, and the excitement I see on the kids’ faces is priceless. A lot of these students may never have watched a race on TV, much less seen one from the grandstands or down in the infield. They seem pretty overwhelmed, in a good way, when you meet them. It just reminds you that we’re very blessed to be in the position we’re in, and to be able to race for a living. I always enjoy meeting the groups, and I hope we can give these students something to cheer about this time around.”
Jeff Burton, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes:
MEDIA CONTACT: Christine Brownlow
Senior Manager of Communications
Mobile: 336.425.3058
· This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala SS at Auto Club Speedway … Jeff Burton will pilot chassis No. 291 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala that will be put through its first paces this weekend.
· The California Report … In 19 Sprint Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway, Burton owns one pole, five top-five and six top-10 efforts, posting a career-best finish of second in May 1999. Additionally, the 21-time Sprint Cup Series winner has led 81 laps of competition and has completed 99.5 percent (4,731 of 4,755) of the total laps.
· Burton Loopy in Fontana … According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Burton is the sport’s fourth-best Green Flag Passer. Over the past 10 races at the two-mile oval, the South Boston, Va., native has made 776 passes under green-flag conditions and is 62 passes shy of leader Robby Gordon’s tally. Of those 776 passes, 454 were made while racing in the top 15.
· Racing to Read … Burton is scheduled to participate in Auto Club Speedway’s Racing to Read program the morning of the Auto Club 500. The veteran driver will read “Where the Wild Things Are” to kids in the Fanzone area, located on the outside of the race track. The storybook reading time will take place from 9 – 9:15 a.m.
· Meet the Press … Burton will be available inside the infield press conference room, located in G2, to field questions from the gathered media on Friday, Feb. 19 at 10:45 a.m.
JEFF BURTON QUOTES:
You finished 32nd in the spring race and 30th in the fall race last season at Fontana. Can you improve on those results?
“I would certainly like to forget those races. Fontana was not a good race track for us last year. The Cat Racing team participated in the tire test there in the off season and we were very competitive. The car drove great so I’m looking forward to turning the tide on our performances out there. In some ways I’d like to forget about last year’s results but those bad days make you stronger and it’s a challenge for us to do a lot better.”
Why is it so important to run well at Auto Club Speedway?
“Leaving California knowing you can run well there is very important because it kind of shapes your year. It lays the groundwork for the mile-and-a-half and two-mile racetracks – where you are in the scheme of things. It’s real important to get off to a good start because if you don’t then you start wondering ‘how are we going to fix this.’ It’s difficult to turn the ship around when things are not going so well. It’s important to go to California and compete at a high level because it builds confidence in the equipment that you have.”
What are your thoughts on the tire test that the No. 31 team participated in and how will that affect the racing?
“California’s race track is very hard to drive which is why there’s been a lot of talk about the racing not being very good. The cars slid around a lot and had very low traction. It created a situation where you couldn’t drive the cars as hard as you want to. This year, Goodyear has brought a completely different tire with different stagger and compound and I think the racing will be a lot better. The racing hasn’t been what it needs to be out there but I think this race will be completely different.”
Clint Bowyer, No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes:
MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Heaney
Senior Manager of Communications
Mobile: 336.655.1866
· This Weekend’s Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet Impala at Auto Club Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis No. 257 from Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Bowyer piloted this No. 33 Chevy twice last season, finishing sixth at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October and seventh at Texas Motor Speedway in November. In July 2008, this former No. 07 racer made its debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where Bowyer finished 19th.
· Fontana Stats … In eight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway, Bowyer has earned one top-five and four top-10 finishes and has never finished outside the top-20. His best finish at the two-mile oval came in September 2006 when he finished third. The Emporia, Kan., native has a 16th-place average start and a 12.5 average finish at ACS.
· Ending Strong … Bowyer is the second-best Closer in the NSCS races he has competed in at Fontana, picking up an average of three positions in the last ten percent of the races. Additionally, he has completed all but two of the 2,001 laps contested.
· Last Time in Cali … The two-time NSCS race winner started eighth and finished ninth when the circuit last visited the moderately-banked D-shaped race track in October 2010. Bowyer ran inside the top-15 for most of the 500-mile event and narrowly escaped a late-race accident to pick up the top-10 finish.
· Rearview Mirror … Last weekend, Bowyer and the Shane Wilson-led team finished fourth in the 52nd running of the Daytona 500. The 2008 Nationwide Series champion was a mainstay in the top 15 for 199 of the 208 laps contested and led eight times for a total of 37 laps.
· Meet the Press … Bowyer will be available inside the Auto Club Speedway driver’s meeting room, G2, to field questions from the gathered media on Friday, Feb. 19 at 2:45 p.m.
· Meet the Helping Hands Pit Crew … Several members of the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper over-the-wall pit crew will be at the Chevrolet Display area to sign autograph for fans on Sunday, Feb. 21 beginning at 9 a.m.
· Trackside Live … Fans can see Bowyer on Friday, Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. when he makes an appearance on this week’s installment of “Trackside Live.” The show will take place on the SPEED Stage, located behind the frontstretch grandstands, and will air live on SPEED at 8:30 p.m. Easter Standard Time.
· Homecoming … Engineer John Dullam is the only California native on the Cheerios/Hamburger Helper team. Dullam grew up in San Diego, roughly 110 miles south of the Fontana area.
CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:
You’ve had some good runs at Auto Club Speedway, but not great ones. Why is that?
“We’ve had bad luck. I’ve been caught up in two wrecks coming off of turn four, there have been crazy things happen in front of me and we had a wheel get loose once on pit road. Again, we’ve just had bad luck there. You make a lot of your own luck, but nonetheless, Fontana hasn’t been good to us.”
From the outside perspective, it seems like Fontana is easy to drive. Is it tougher than it looks?
“It does look easy to drive, but I’m telling you, we’re swatting flies in there (behind the wheel). For whatever reason, the cars don’t handle very well. You have to get up on the wheel, slide that thing around the corner and make things happen. It is a difficult race track.”
Auto Club Speedway is a unique track. What do you like about it?
“I like how the outside line gets worked in the longer we run. It’s fun. When you’re running on the bottom and somebody goes on the outside of you, they go out of your vision because they’re out there so far. Then, all of a sudden, you come back off the corner and there they are, door-to-door with you again. It’s pretty cool.”
Richard Childress Racing Event Preview Fact Sheet
Race: Stater Bros 300 – February 20, 2010
Location: Auto Club Speedway – Fontana, Calif.
Series: Nationwide Series
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Nationwide Series Race Notes:
· RCR in SoCal … In 33 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Auto Club Speedway, RCR boasts three poles (Kevin Harvick – Apr. 2003, Clint Bowyer – Sept. 2005 and Sept. 2006), one win (Jeff Burton – Sept. 2007), 13 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. RCR-prepared Chevrolets have an 11.5 average start, a 10.9 average finish, led 252 laps and have completed 97.7 percent (4,890 of 4,952) of the laps contested at the moderately-banked D-shaped race track.
· Twitter Info … For behind-the-scenes information and live in-race updates each week, check out John Wes Townley’s No. 21 Zaxby’s team twitter page at www.twitter.com/RCR21JWTownley.
· Catch the Action … The Stater Bros 300 at Auto Club Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, Feb. 20 beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on ESPN 2. The race will also be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the second of 36 points-paying races on the 2010 NNS tour will air live the same day beginning at 12:30 p.m. EST on ESPN2.
John Wes Townley, No. 21 Zaxby’s Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes:
MEDIA CONTACT: Lisa Cox
Director of Partnership Marketing/Communications
Mobile: 336.682.8422
· This Weekend’s Zaxby’s Chevrolet Impala at Auto Club Speedway … John Wes Townley will pilot Chassis No. 066 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable. Last season, Clint Bowyer drove this former No. 29 racer to Victory Lane at Dover International Speedway last September, while Jeff Burton finished third in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Casey Mears finished second at Texas Motor Speedway in November. Stephen Leicht also raced this Impala five times in 2009, finishing sixth and 11th in both Nashville Superspeedway events, eighth at The Milwaukee Mile, sixth at Gateway International Raceway and 10th at Iowa Speedway. In 2008, Bowyer drove this Chevy to a ninth-place finish at Kentucky Speedway and a seventh-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway, while Stephen Leicht drove it to an 18th-place finish at Texas in October.
· Fontana Stats … In two NNS start at ACS, Townley boasts an 18.5 average start and a 19.5 average finish. The last time NASCAR’s junior circuit visited the two-mile Southern California race track, Townley finished 17th, his second-best career finish in NNS competition.
· Finishing Strong … The Watkinsville, Ga., native has completed all but two laps contested (99.3 percent) at Fontana and has never finished outside the top 25.
· Rearview Mirror … Townley and the Dan Deeringhoff-led team started fifth and finished 23rd in the season opener last weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Townley was a mainstay in the top 15 in the beginning of the 300-mile event, but fell two laps down after a pit road violation and involvement in a multi-car accident.
JOHN WES TOWNLEY QUOTES:
Do you enjoy coming to California and racing on this style of race track?
“The layout of the track is very similar to Michigan with the exception that it’s not banked quite as much. Although, it’s not quite as fast. You can’t roll as much corner speed, but California is a lot of fun. You can run multiple lines on the track. I’m excited about this race, especially going into it this year. I know we have great equipment, a great team and great experience to apply there, so I’m real excited about it.”
What is the corner speed like going into turn one, especially if you are on fresh tires or on a qualifying run?
“Oh, it’s quite exhilarating. The one that I’ve learned about this particular track is that you actually have to make yourself stay off of the wall. You don’t really look into the corner for the apex until you actually have to look at the wall and make sure you stay off of the wall. If you’re not careful, it’s real easy to turn off early into that corner because the apex is actually further around the corner than you think it is. You have to make yourself stay off of the wall while being wide open, and that’s very exhilarating and a lot of fun.”
