Event: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Duck Commander 500
Date: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Saturday, April 11, 2015
Venue: Â Â Â Â Â Â Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, Texas
Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Texas Motor Speedway … In 84 starts at Texas Motor Speedway dating back to 1997, RCR has recorded one win (Jeff Burton, April 2007), eight top-five and 30 top-10 finishes with drivers Burton, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Green, Paul Menard and Ryan Newman. Prior to Texas Motor Speedway’s inaugural season in 1997, Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, earned a pair of top-10 finishes at the now defunct Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas. RCR NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams boast an average starting position of 19.9, an average finishing position of 16.4 and have completed 27,298 of the 28,128 contested laps (97 percent) with 139 laps led at the 1.5-mile Fort Worth-based race track.
RCR in the NSCS … In 2,524 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 46 pole awards,105 wins, 464 top-five finishes and 984 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 15.9. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Sprint 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.
RCR Martinsville Rewind … In the Sprint Cup Series’ sixth race of the season at Martinsville Speedway last weekend, teammates Menard, Newman and Dillon finished 23rd, 27th and 41st, respectively.
Did You Know … Life threatening injury is the No. 1 killer of kids in America. Nearly 10,000 children lose their lives every year from serious injuries, and many more are treated in the emergency room. It can happen anywhere, at any time, to any child. The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma discovers and shares the best ways to prevent and treat severe injuries in children. The Institute funds research, education and advocacy to improve the care and treatment injured kids receive across the U.S. Visit SaveInjuredKids.org or find them on Facebook and Twitter to learn more.
Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages – @RCR3ADillon, @RCR27PMenard, @RCR31RNewman, and driver Twitter pages @austindillon3 and @RyanJNewman. Information about the 15-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/
Catch the Action … The Duck Commander 500 will be televised live Saturday, April 11 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow Chevrolet SS
Race Notes and Quotes:
This Week’s Dow Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 507 in the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. This is a new Chevrolet SS that will be utilized for the first time this weekend.
Dillon at Texas Motor Speedway … Dillon has four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts to his credit at Texas Motor Speedway, finishing 21st in both the April and November 2014 events and earning finishes of 33rd and 22nd in 2013. In five XFINITY Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Dillon has not finished worse than seventh at the 1.5-mile track, acquiring his best finish of third in April 2013. In four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Texas, Dillon has earned two top-five finishes, one pole award and has led 76 laps, acquiring a third-place average starting position and a 14th-place average finish position.
Welcome, Dow … Returning primary sponsor of the No. 3 Chevrolet SS, Dow enters its second season with RCR and driver Austin Dillon. Together, both teams embrace the power of science, technology and safety as RCR tests Dow products under the most strenuous conditions. Dow also drives innovation to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems, bringing a broad range of sustainable products and solutions to customers in nearly 180 countries with more than 6,000 products manufactured across the globe. See our YouTube video “Dawn to Dusk” to see how Dow products touch the lives of everyone…from dawn to dusk (https://www.youtube.com/
RCR Salutes … The No. 3 Dow Chevrolet team pit box sports a patriotic theme this season in homage to the United States military, current service members and the memory of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. On Saturday, the team will honor service members from the 97th Air Mobility Wing stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma at Texas Motor Speedway. The NASCAR Troops to the Track program is a season-long initiative that honors members of the military for their services and treats them to customized experiences at a NASCAR race.
Getting Loopy … According to NASCAR’s Season-to-Date Loop Data Statistics, Dillon ranks fourth in the Closers category, advancing an average of four positions in the last 10 percent of each contested race so far this season.
In the Rear View … Last week at Martinsville Speedway Dillon earned a 41st-place finish after retiring from the 500-lap race 200 laps shy of the advertised distanced with a mechanical issue. He now ranks 25th in the driver point standings leading into the Duck Commander 500.
Conservation, Texas Style …On Monday, April 13, 2015, following the Texas Motor Speedway race weekend, Dillon is scheduled to visit Dow Texas Operations in Freeport, Texas to take part in a critical fish collection for the hatchery at the Sea Center Texas. Dillon, who is well known as an outdoorsman and steward of our natural resources, has volunteered to assist staff from Texas Parks and Wildlife and The Dow Chemical Company in catching adult fish from Dow’s salt water intake area within its Freeport manufacturing facility. These fish will quickly be transferred into Sea Center water tanks and taken to the facility to begin their lives producing the eggs that become hatchlings for release along the Texas Gulf Coast. Sea Center Texas is a marine aquarium, fish hatchery and nature center operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Sea Center Texas was established through a partnership with The Dow Chemical Company, the Coastal Conservation Association, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition to a popular educational visitors’ center, Sea Center Texas operates one of the three TPWD marine hatcheries located on the Texas coast that produce juvenile red drum and spotted speckled trout to stock in Texas bays. The hatchery has the capability to produce up to 15 million juvenile fish each year.Dillon will then join the Dow Oil, Gas and Mining team in the “Recharge, Refuel and Refresh” Hospitality suite at the 94th Annual Gas Processing Association Convention (GPA). Each year, the GPA Convention brings together more than 2,000 professionals from around the world, who are involved in natural gas gathering, compression, treating, processing, storage and marketing, and natural gas liquids fractionation, transportation, storage and marketing, all with the common interest of meeting about – and making a difference in – midstream matters.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
How unique is Texas Motor Speedway being the third or fourth-oldest track on the circuit right now?
“Well, Texas Motor Speedway has always had a lot of speed. The character of the track is changing a little bit more with age and acquiring bumps, but I love that. These are the types of tracks that we always seem to run well at. I’ll be running the NASCAR XFINITY Series car at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, too. I think we’ve been overlaying a lot of things with the Cup car, and that’s helped a lot. I’m looking forward to getting to Texas. The next three or four of my best tracks are coming up, and I feel like Texas is definitely one of them.”
Paul Menard, No. 27 Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet SS
Race Notes and Quotes:
This Week’s Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Paul Menard will utilize chassis No. 508 during Saturday night’s 501-mile event at Texas Motor Speedway. This Chevrolet SS is brand new to the Richard Childress Racing stable and will make its first laps of the 2015 season during Friday’s practice session at 11:30 a.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Texas by the Numbers … Menard currently has 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track. He has three starts from the top five as well as one top-five and three top-10 finishes. He has led two laps and completed 96.7 percent of the laps in competition.
About Quaker State … Quaker State® motor oil has a 70-year history as a leader in consumer automotive products and vehicle care. Quaker State is among the industry’s most innovative motor oil brands and offers a full line of products to meet every type of vehicle engine need. Quaker State is one of the first brands to develop high mileage engine motor oil. For more information about the full line of Quaker State products, visit quakerstate.com.
Where Do You Stand … Menard currently sits sixth in the Sprint Cup Series driver point standings after the March 29th event at Martinsville Speedway.
Last Time at Texas Motor Speedway … The Wisconsin native started last year’s November event from the 15th position. Menard fought a tight-handling condition for the duration of the race and the Justin Alexander-led team made several adjustments to remedy the condition. The No. 27 Chevrolet SS was better on longer runs which lacked during the events two green-white-checkered finishes at the end. The RCR driver drove hard and crossed the finish line 17th.
PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
What have you learned from the other 1.5-mile tracks this season that you can take to Texas Motor Speedway?
“We’ve learned where the car needs to be at attitude wise. I feel like our springs and shocks are pretty good but we just need to figure out where the car should be. I think Atlanta, Vegas and Fontana were good tracks and we learned a lot about that.”
Do you prefer the intermediate tracks and mile-and-a-halves?
“Every track is a new challenge. Probably the only one I don’t really like is Martinsville but I do enjoy all the other tracks. Intermediate tracks have been OK for us. We’ve run good and bad. Everyone in the garage has their up days and down days. Intermediates are our bread and butter, it’s where you try and collect the most points you can.”
Ryan Newman, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS
Race Notes and Quotes:
This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet SS at Texas Motor Speedway … Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 504 on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway. This Chevrolet SS was utilized earlier this season at Auto Club Speedway where Newman qualified ninth and finished fifth.
The Newman Two Step … Newman is looking to capture his second-career victory at the 1.5-mile quad-oval when he makes his 24th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at the Fort Worth, Texas venue. His win came in the spring of 2003 making him the youngest Texas winner at 25 years, 3 months and 22 days. The Rocket Man also won the pole for both Sprint Cup Series events in 2005 to complete the sweep. In total, he owns three top-five and five top-10 finishes. The South Bend, Ind., native has an average start of 16.2 and average finish of 18.9.
Featured Caterpillar Dealer … HOLT CAT and Mustang Cat will be featured on the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
HOLT CAT® sells, rents and services Caterpillar® machines, engines, generator sets and trucks in a 118-county Texas territory spanning from the Red River to the Rio Grande. HOLT offers total machine and engine rebuild capabilities, sells used equipment around the world and fabricates its own line of land clearing equipment and HOLT Spray King® water tankers. HOLT is the dealer for Link-Belt Cranes in the Eastern half of Texas as well as the El Paso area. They are the dealer for AGCO/Challenger and Claas farm equipment for the Eastern half of Texas and portions of Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana. SITECH Tejas, another division of HOLT, is the authorized dealer for Trimble Heavy and Highway construction products and services, as well as AccuGrade grade-control products in the same 118 county territory of Texas. The Holt name has been associated with heavy equipment and Caterpillar for over 100 years. Peter M. Holt, Chief Executive Officer of HOLT CAT, is the great-grandson of Benjamin Holt, who in 1904 developed the first successful track-type tractor which he named the “Caterpillar.” HOLT CAT has come to be synonymous with quality, integrity and commitment to customer service. The HOLT CAT team is committed to providing rock solid stability with superior products and services to heavy equipment and engine users from Brownsville to Texarkana, Texas. For more information, visit holtcat.com.
Mustang Cat is the southeast Texas authorized sales, parts and service dealer for Caterpillar construction equipment and engines. The family of Mustang companies is comprised of: Construction Machinery – Caterpillar construction equipment and a selected group of allied lines, Power Systems – Caterpillar engines as well as the design, engineering and fabrication of state-of-the-art engine packages in a vast range of power ratings, Rental Services – The Cat Rental Store, offering Caterpillar and allied lines of large and small equipment for the building construction industry. For more information, visitmustangcat.com or call 1.888.NEXT.CAT.
About Caterpillar … For nearly 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. 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 product segments – Resource Industries, Construction 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, visitcaterpillar.com/social-media.
Get to the Points … Newman now ranks 26th in the championship point standings entering this weekend’s race event at Texas.
Last Time Around … Newman started the 500-mile race in seventh position and throughout the majority of the event competed within the top 10. On a restart with 18 laps to go, the No. 31 made contact with another car, causing a tire to rub. Fortunately the caution flag waved on lap 320 allowing the 31 team to address the issue. Newman lined up 21st and outlasted two more yellow flags and an overtime to finish 15th.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
What is the key to getting around Texas Motor Speedway?
“It’s all about being fast. It’s a super fast, big circle. The balance into the corners is probably more important than some of the other tracks we go to. Other than that, it’s super fast and it’s all about keeping it wide open.”
What’s the hardest thing to figure out there?
“Some of it is the bumps. The bumps seem to keep creeping back a little bit at a time as the cars become more rigid on suspension. Also pure horsepower is important and you’ve got to bring the right engine package because that’s critical at Texas, too.”
Event: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â O’Reilly Auto Parts 300
Date: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Friday, April 10, 2015
Venue: Â Â Â Â Â Â Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, Texas
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Texas Motor Speedway … In 55 Series starts at the 1.5-mile track, RCR has earned victories with Kevin Harvick in 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2012. The Welcome, N.C, organization has started from the pole position on two separate occasions, with Jeff Green in 2002 and Paul Menard in 2012. RCR has led 812 laps at Texas Motor Speedway, accumulated 17 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes and averages a starting position of 11.1 and finishing position of 11.6.
Recap of Auto Club Speedway … Brendan Gaughan finished second, Brian Scott sixth, Ty Dillon 14th and Austin Dillon 38th, respectively, in the XFINITY Series DRIVE4CLOTS.com 300 at Auto Club Speedway.
The Points … Five races into the XFINITY Series season, Ty Dillon holds a five point lead in the driver point standings, Brendan Gaughan is sixth and Brian Scott gained four places and is 10th. The RCR No. 33 RCR entry is currently fifth in the Series’ owner point standings.
Did You Know … Life threatening injury is the No. 1 killer of kids in America. Nearly 10,000 children lose their lives every year from serious injuries, and many more are treated in the emergency room. It can happen anywhere, at any time, to any child. The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma discovers and shares the best ways to prevent and treat severe injuries in children. The Institute funds research, education and advocacy to improve the care and treatment injured kids receive across the U.S. Visit SaveInjuredKids.org or find them on Facebook and Twitter to learn more.
Social Media … To stay on track with the latest news and information and to view exclusive, behind the scenes content visit RCR’s Twitter account – @RCRracing, RCR’s NASCAR XFINITY Series team Twitter accounts – @RCR2BScott, @RCR3TDillon, @RCR33NXS and @RCR62BGaughan. RCR’s XFINITY Series driver Twitter accounts – @bscottracing, @tydillon, @austindillon3 and @Brendan62. For additional photos, news and video log on torcrracing.com.
Catch the Action … XFINITY Series coverage from Texas Motor Speedway will begin on Friday, April 10 with qualifying being televised live on FOX Sports 1 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Coverage of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports1 and broadcasted live on PRN and SiriusXM channel 90.
Brian Scott, No. 2 Albertsons / Reser’s Chevrolet Camaro
Race Notes and Quotes:
This Week’s Albertsons / Reser’s Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Brian Scott will pilot chassis No. 156 in Friday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300. This prepared chassis from the Richard Childress Racing stable was brand new to the fleet at Atlanta Motor Speedway where Scott qualified second and finished seventh. At Auto Club Speedway, Scott qualified second and finished sixth with this chassis.
Texas History … Scott will be making his 11th career XFINITY Series start this weekend in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300. In Scott’s last visit to the Fort Worth, Texas track, he qualified fourth and finished sixth; his career best showing. In 10 previous starts, Scott has captured three top-10 finishes with an average start of 11.7 and an average finish of 16.5. Scott has completed 1855 of 2005 laps (92.5 percent), with two laps led at the 1.5-mile speedway.
Albertsons on Board  … This weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, the No. 2 XFINITY Series team welcomes back their partner, Albertsons. Albertsons and the Safeway family of stores, the second-largest supermarket chain in North America, has partnered with RCR, Scott and the No. 2 XFINITY Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team in 2015. RCR also welcomes Albertsons’ supporting partners Reser’s Fine Foods and Sanderson Farms. Albertsons Safeway stores operate under store banners Albertsons, ACME, Shaw’s, Star Markets, United Supermarkets, Market Street, Amigos, Jewel-Osco, Tom Thumb, Randalls, VONS, Pavilions, Carrs and Safeway. With more than 2,200 stores, 250,000 employees and 27 distribution centers across 34 states, Albertsons rich legacy in the grocery business synchronizes with the roots of NASCAR and RCR. Additional information on “Your favorite local supermarketâ„¢” and Brian Scott can be found online.
Race Rewind … At Auto Club Speedway, Scott and the No. 2 Vons/Reser’s Chevrolet team qualified second for the third time in five races this season. As the 150-lap DRIVE4CLOTS.com 300 began, the Mike Hillman Jr.-led team worked on adjusting the No. 2 Camaro to help with tight-handling conditions on the high line. Scott was scored as high as second, but made contact with the wall coming out of Turn 4 on multiple accounts. The Vons/Resers Camaro crossed the finish line in the sixth position.
Last Time at Texas Motor Speedway … Scott and the No. 2 Country Bob’s Chevrolet Camaro team collected their 28th top-10 qualifying position of the season at Texas Motor Speedway by starting fourth for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge. The team fought tight conditions for the majority of the 200-lap event, but continued to maintain a position inside the top-10. Scott brought the Country Bob’s Chevrolet home in sixth place, collecting the teams 10th consecutive top-10 finish and 21st of the 2014 season.
Meet Brian Scott … Scott is scheduled to sign autographs at Albertsons Grocery Store on North Beach Street in Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Central Time.
To The Points … Scott is currently 10th in the XFINITY Series driver point standings after the fifth of 33 races.
BRIAN SCOTT QUOTES:
People say that every 1.5-mile track is cookie cutter. Do you think so?
“No. Every 1.5-mile track is different. I’m looking forward to the 1.5-mile tracks this year. Last year, I feel like we just kind of stumbled out of the gates. We tripped a little bit and our performance wasn’t there until about halfway through the season. So when you look at some of these rundowns on the 1.5-mile tracks and the tracks that are coming up. Our second time there has been better. And that’s because we picked our program up. This year I am looking forward to going back there the first time and having increased performance from there.
How is Texas Motor Speedway weathering in?
“Texas and Atlanta I would say are the only tracks that are similar in weathering out. There are differences between Texas and Atlanta but they do become handling-race tracks. Sometimes with all these repaves, the 1.5-mile tracks are more about trim and speed. I think drivers like the handling race tracks like Texas, California and Atlanta.
Managing tires at those types of tracks, is that something you have to learn the hard way?
“Managing tires is interesting because everyone has their own theory on how to do it. There are theories about going hard at the beginning of a run and whether that hurts you at the end of a run; or if you give up too much by doing that. There are a lot of theories. There is definitely an art to it. It’s something that I work on a lot each time we go to those places.”
Ty Dillon, No. 3 Bulwark / Wayne Workwear Chevrolet Camaro
Race Notes and Quotes:
This Week’s Bulwark / Wayne Workwear Chevrolet Camaro at Texas Motor Speedway… NASCAR XFINITY Series points leader Ty Dillon will pilot chassis No. 159 this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro debuted at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last month where Dillon finished eighth.
Dillon at Texas Motor Speedway… In three XFINITY Series starts, Dillon has recorded one top-10 finish at the 1.5-mile speedway. In two starts at Texas Motor Speedway last season Dillon finished ninth in the spring race and 15th in the fall race. Dillon won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on November 1, 2013 with the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet Silverado. Overall in the NCWTS Series at Texas Motor Speedway Dillon has four top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes in five starts.
Danny Stockman at TMS … Crew chief Danny Stockman, in his sixth season at RCR, has been a top the pit box for six XFINITY Series races, earning five top-10 finishes and three top-five finishes at Texas Motor Speedway. The 32-year-old crew chief will be crew chief for his 104th XFINITY Series race this weekend at the 1.5-mile speedway.
VF Imagewear partners with No. 3 team … VF Imagewear, Inc., a leading manufacturer of workwear apparel and a division of VF Corporation, the world’s largest apparel company, returns for the second consecutive season as primary sponsor for Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 XFINITY Series program and driver Ty Dillon. VF Imagewear’s brands, including Red Kap, Bulwark, Horace Small and Wrangler Workwear, will be featured as primary sponsors for select XFINITY Series races in 2015.
About Bulwark … Bulwark, the world’s No. 1 Flame Resistant (FR) brand, will be featured on the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Bulwark has a relentless drive to design, develop and distribute the best, most forward-thinking FR garments the world has ever seen. For more information log on to bulwark.com.
About Wayne Workwear … Wayne Enterprises, Inc. has supplied uniforms, PPE, incentive programs and promotional products to the Petroleum Industry for over 30 years. Wayne Enterprises, Inc. has remained a family owned and operated business since opening its doors in 1982. With corporate offices and warehouses located in Houston, Texas, and our Permian Basin facility in Midland, Texas, Wayne Enterprises, Inc. has over 105,000 square feet of operations. For more information visit wayne-ent.com.
Lager Jogger … Best of luck to all of the participants in the third annual Yuengling Lager Jogger in Pottsville, Pa., this Saturday morning. The 5k race starts and finishes at America’s Oldest Brewery on Mahantongo Street in Pottsville. Participants are greeted with a cold Yuengling Lager at the conclusion of the race. More than 3,000 participants ran or walked in the event last year. Yuengling, a primary sponsor on the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro, is scheduled to be on the hood next weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Points Leader … Dillon holds a five point lead over second place in the XFINITY Series driver point standings. Assisted by consecutive podium finishes to begin the season (Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway), Dillon has two top-five finishes and four top-10 finishes. Overall, Dillon leads all drivers with an average finishing position of 6.8.
Last time out at Auto Club Speedway… Dillon qualified 16th, raced in and around the top 10 and ultimately finished 14th. The 23-year-old driver retained the XFINITY Series points lead after five races.
Meet Ty Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to participate in a question-and-answer session on Friday, April 10 beginning at 2:45 p.m. Central Time at the Team Chevy Stage in the Texas Motor Speedway Midway.
TY DILLON QUOTE:
What will it take to get back to Victory Lane in Texas?
“I really enjoy racing at this track, mainly because it’s fast. You can really carry a lot of speed off the corners and make passes almost anywhere on the race track. We’ve brought great race cars here in the past that have raced up front and I expect that this weekend. I think for our team, we’ll need to unload well for the practice sessions on Thursday and get us a good starting spot for the race. I know Danny (Stockman, crew chief) is pretty familiar with Texas Motor Speedway and will bring a lot of good knowledge for the race on Friday night.”
Austin Dillon, No. 33 Ruud Chevrolet Camaro
Race Notes and Quotes:
Lone Star State Stats … The Welcome, N.C., native driver has made five starts at the 1.5-mile track, collecting three top-five and five top-10 finishes. Dillon holds an average starting position of 3.8 and an average finishing position of 5.2 with 16 laps led. According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Dillon ranks second in quality passes (177), maintains the fourth-fastest green flag speed and is the fifth-fastest driver late in a run.
Welcome Aboard Ruud … Like RCR, Ruud is a pioneer in reliable performance. In 1889, Edwin Ruud invented the first automatic gas water heater and since then, the Ruud brand has grown into one of North America’s largest and most respected makers of quality heating, cooling and water heating products for residential and light commercial use. The Ruud reputation for engineering excellence, reliability, strength and top performance has been consistently recognized by leading consumer publications as a brand that can be trusted to deliver efficient, reliable performance day in and day out. Today, the proud performance histories of Ruud and RCR come together to serve as the cornerstones of future championship performance of two great brands, Austin Dillon and the No. 33 RCR-Ruud NASCAR XFINITY Series team.
Cowboy Ready … Dillon heads to Texas with his cowboy boots and hat ready for the weekend. As a tradition, the 24-year-old driver wears Justin Boots before each race weekend accompanied by his signature Stetson cowboy hat.
Looking Ahead … So far this season, Dillon has been entered in four XFINITY Series events, collecting one victory, three top-five finishes and two pole awards. The 2013 Series champion is scheduled to compete in the next four consecutive races for RCR in the No. 33 Chevrolet.
Double Duty … In addition to Friday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, watch Dillon in the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Duck Commander 500, which airs live on FOX Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Are there things you can take away from racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this year and bring it over to Texas Motor Speedway?
“I think you can definitely take things from Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) to Texas (Motor Speedway). The two tracks have a lot of similarities. Turns 3 and 4 at Las Vegas remind me a lot of same things at Texas. Hopefully we can take some of the same set ups we used at Las Vegas and use them at Texas. We were really fast and led a lot of laps and Las Vegas last month, and I think we can do that again this weekend.”
Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 WIX Filters Chevrolet Camaro
Race Notes and Quotes:
This Week’s WIX Filters Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will pilot chassis No. 158 this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro was previously utilized this NASCAR XFINITY Series season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, qualifying fifth and finishing sixth.
Lone Star State Stats … In six XFINITY Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Gaughan has completed 1,178 laps of the 1,205 (97.8 percent) that he has competed. The Las Vegas native averages a starting position of 15.8 and a finishing position of 19.7 at the 1.5-mile speedway. Gaughan has been successful at the Fort Worth, Texas track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, collecting his first Series victory in June 2002. The 39-year-old driver and crew chief Shane Wilson also hold a two-year streak of four consecutive Camping World Truck Series victories in 2002 and 2003, the first driver in Camping World Truck Series history to win four consecutive times at the same track.
Return of the #WIXtyTwo … WIX Filters returns as primary sponsor on the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend in the XFINITY Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. WIX Filters was last onboard the No. 62 at Auto Club Speedway in 2014.
About WIX Filters … Since 1939, WIX® Filters has been an innovator in filtration products. WIX designs, manufactures and distributes products for automotive, diesel, agricultural, industrial and specialty filter markets. Its product line includes oil, air, cabin interior, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks, off-road equipment and manufacturing applications. For more information, visit wixfilters.com.
Double Duty … Along with Friday night’s XFINITY Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, Gaughan is scheduled to race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Duck Commander 500 on Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time in the No. 62 Premium Motorsports entry.
Did You Know … Gaughan currently averages a 6.4 starting position, highest this season of all XFINITY Series regulars.
Last year April in Texas … No. 62 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet qualified in the 12th position and battled loose-handling conditions throughout the race. At the halfway point of the race, the handling went the opposite direction. Gaughan and the No. 62 team fought tight-handling conditions for the remainder of the race and finished 16th.
In the Rearview Mirror: Auto Club …. Gaughan took the green flag for the DRIVE4CLOTS.com 300 in the eighth position, his fifth top-10 qualifying effort of the season. The No. 62 RCR team battled tight-handling conditions in the 150-lap event. The Shane Wilson-led team made adjustments to improve the handling and put Gaughan in the position to race his way to a second-place finish, the team’s third consecutive top-10 and first top-five finish of the season.
To the Points … After the first five XFINITY Series races, Gaughan is currently sixth in the driver point standings.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on the Series making its first visit to Texas Motor Speedway of the season?
“Everyone knows that Texas Motor Speedway is one of my favorite places of my career. Shane and I have had a few glory days there and we have been working hard to get back to that. We have learned a lot in these first few races and had some pretty solid finishes. We are coming off some great momentum from the West Coast swing with three top-10 finishes. We have notes of what we want to unload with and come with guns loaded and ready to race.”
