Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history 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 a record 10-consecutive victories with Earnhardt (1990 – 1999). In addition, RCR has earned the Advance Auto Parts Clash win a total of eight times, with drivers Harvick (2009, 2010, 2013) and Earnhardt (1986, ’88, ’91, ’93, and ’95).
RCR in the MENCS … In 2,955 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 50 pole awards,108 wins, 489 top-five finishes and 1,071 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.7 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.
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 – Â http://www.facebook.com/austindillon3 and www.facebook.com/DanielHemric.
Catch the Action … The Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway will be televised live Saturday, July 6, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This Week’s American Ethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Daytona International Speedway … In 12 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, Dillon has earned one win (2018 Daytona 500), two top-five and seven top-10 finishes. The Welcome, North Carolina, driver, who grew up attending races at Daytona International Speedway with his family, has 10 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one win, seven top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He has two starts at the track in the NASCAR Truck Series.
Former Pole Winner … Dillon earned his career-first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole award in the 2014 edition of the Daytona 500, and started on the front row for the July 2015 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. This year, Dillon has earned three pole awards.
American Ethanol Honors Veterans … The American Ethanol industry employs a high percentage of military veterans and is one of the most patriotic industries that you will find in the United States. We are proud to produce homegrown biofuel that lessens our dependence on foreign oil and supports hundreds of thousands of American jobs. Many employees of Growth Energy member companies have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, and it is our honor to host a group of those individuals this July 4 weekend at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 as a thank you for their service for the final race of NASCAR Salutes.
Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to participate in a Q&A Session at the Coca-Cola Display in the fan midway at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, July 5 beginning at 3:15 p.m. ET. On Saturday, July 6 Dillon will be greeting fans at the Costa Boardwalk Club Tiki Hut and Beach in the Daytona International Speedway infield at 1:30 p.m. ET. He is also scheduled to make an appearance at the UNOH FanZone on Saturday at 3:35 p.m. ET and will participate in a Q&A session at the Chevrolet stage in the fan midway at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Are you getting excited to head back to Daytona International Speedway, a track where you’ve had a lot of success in the past?
“Yeah, I’m definitely excited to get back to Daytona International Speedway. I thought Chevrolet did such a good job working together at Talladega Superspeedway that it bodes well for Daytona. We’ll probably take a similar plan going into the Daytona race weekend and see if we can’t be on the winning side of it like Chase Elliott was able to. I really am pumped about how Chevrolet is turning it around when it comes to speedway racing.”
How excited are you to race under the lights at Daytona International Speedway in July?
“Racing at Daytona International Speedway is a lot more fun when the sun goes down. In the middle of the day, practice can be a little bit of a bear, but the night race at Daytona is usually turned into something fun. It’s July 4th weekend, who doesn’t love that?”
Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Cessna Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Chicagoland Speedway … Hemric will be making his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Daytona International Speedway during this weekend’s 400-mile event. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native finished 34th in the Daytona 500 after being involved in one of the event’s large wrecks. Hemric also scored his career-best finish of fifth at Talladega Superspeedway in April with the current rules package that will be run this weekend at Daytona.
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4th of July @DISUpdates Instagram Takeover … Follow @DISUpdates on Instagram on Thursday, July 4 as Hemric takes over the account to give you a behind-the-scenes look at his day practicing the No. 8 Cessna Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Meet the Driver … Hemric is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR merchandise hauler in the Daytona International Speedway fan midway area behind the main grandstands on Saturday, July 6, starting at 3:15 p.m. local time. He is also scheduled to be at the Team Chevy display in the fan midway the same day, starting at 3:45 p.m. local time.
DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
This is going to be the first time racing this package at Daytona International Speedway. What do you expect?
“I think we’ll see some of what we saw at Talladega Superspeedway in April again. I think you’ll see a lot more of the teams and their manufacturers working closer together, especially with Chevrolet. The handling is going to be so much more critical. You need to have handling at Talladega Superspeedway, but nowhere near what you have to have at Daytona International Speedway.”
You’ve run well at Daytona International Speedway in the past. Do you look at this weekend as your chance to get a win?
“I definitely think the opportunity is greater. I think what we did at Talladega and speedway racing in general has never really been a huge strong suit for me, so it’s good to kind of get my feet on the ground.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona International Speedway … In 94 Series starts at the 2.5-mile speedway, RCR has captured six victories with drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2002 and 2010), Kevin Harvick (2007), Clint Bowyer (2009), Tony Stewart (2013) and Austin Dillon (2015). The Welcome, N.C., organization has completed 10,262 laps of the 10,606 (96.8 percent) that they have competed. RCR has accumulated eight pole awards, 33 top-five and 52 top-10 finishes, led 691 laps and averages a starting position of 10.8 and finishing position of 12.8.
Welcome back, Joe Graf Jr. … Joe Graf Jr. will be making one of his select starts for RCR in the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at Daytona.
NASCAR Salutes … This weekend the No. 2 and No. 21 RCR Chevrolet Camaros will have active military units displayed across their windshield headers in place of the drivers’ names, as part of the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ salute to the military.
Chicagoland Review … Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 team finished ninth during last weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.
The Points … Tyler Reddick remains the current Xfinity Series points leader.
Social Media … To keep up with the latest updates from RCR’s Xfinity Series teams, follow @RCRracing and @RCRNXS on Twitter. Updates can also be found via RCR’s Facebook Page and Instagram (@RCRracing).
Catch the Action … Coverage of this week’s Circle K Firecracker 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway will be televised live on Friday, July 5, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on NBCSN. It will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 Gimme Country Camaro at Daytona International Speedway … Tyler Reddick has five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, securing one win and two top-10 finishes. The current points leader also earned the pole award at the superspeedway during this year’s season opening weekend with the No. 2 team, while also making his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut during the DAYTONA 500. Reddick also has three NASCAR Truck Series starts at the 2.5-mile track, with one win coming in 2015, as well as one ARCA Menards Series start and top-five finish.
Welcome, Gimme Country … Founded by digital music veterans from Apple Music, Google Play, Beats Music and Rhapsody, Gimme Country (gimmecountry.com) is the ultimate listening experience for the country music fan. Listeners tune in to Gimme Country to hear world class DJs – like Grammy Award-winning singer Lee Ann Womack, Grammy nominee Brandy Clark, Third Man recording artist Joshua Hedley, Riser House Records artist Dillon Carmichael, and legendary guitar slinger Jesse Dayton – playing music they can’t hear anywhere else…for free. And the best part is that Gimme Country allows country music fans from around the world and the DJs/artists to communicate directly with one another in a live feed, in real time, as the music is being played. Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and start listening today!
Reddick’s DJ Debut … Reddick will be making his debut as a radio DJ this Friday, beginning at 1 p.m. ET as he will host the “RCR 50: Wheels of Country” show on the Gimme Country app. Make sure to download the app and tune in to the show, as well as join the conversation when Reddick logs on to the app’s chat room at 1:30 p.m. ET to talk with fans about the songs and stories in the show.
NASCAR Salutes … This weekend the 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade based out of Fort Bliss, Texas will appear on the No. 2 Gimme Country Chevrolet Camaro’s windshield header, as Reddick and his RCR team will take part in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ salute to active military bases and units at Daytona International Speedway.
Meet Reddick … Fans have the chance to meet Reddick on Friday, July 5 when he heads to the Team Chevy display, located in the track’s fan zone, for a Q&A beginning at 5 p.m. local time.
TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
We return to superspeedway racing this weekend, under the lights this time. Are you excited to get back to this style of racing, considering you won the last one at Talladega Superspeedway?
“I’m looking forward to getting back to superspeedway racing this weekend. We obviously have had success with this style, winning the pole at Daytona earlier this year and then the race at Talladega Superspeedway just a couple months ago. We had a really good Chevrolet Camaro at Daytona earlier this year. It was just ridiculously fast, and it was the same way at Talladega. Luckily, the damage at Talladega wasn’t too bad and we were able to repair it, so we’re bringing that car back to the track this weekend. My crew chief, Randall Burnett, and the guys worked really hard on it, and they think they even made it a little bit faster than before. I’m excited to get behind the wheel of the No. 2 Gimme Country Chevrolet and hopefully put on a good show for everyone.”
Did the kind of racing we had at Daytona in the spring, where it was mostly just a single line, surprise you? Do you expect that again this weekend?
“Yes, it was very surprising. It was a shame. Too many drivers got in their mind that they needed to run the top around Daytona, but you really don’t need to with how well the cars drive. I was bummed when Brad Keselowski fell out of the race since I felt like he was one of the few that would try the bottom and try to work with me there. Chase Elliott and I were able to make the bottom work at times, but no one would stick together with us long enough to make a lot of headway. I hope that everyone saw that at Talladega when enough of us went down to the bottom and worked together, we were able to make good runs at the lead.”
Joe Graf Jr. and the No. 21 EAT SLEEP RACE Chevrolet Camaro at Daytona International Speedway … Joe Graf Jr. will be making his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Daytona International Speedway this weekend in the No. 21 EAT SLEEP RACE Camaro. Graf Jr. has one previous ARCA Menards Series start at the superspeedway from earlier this year.
About EAT SLEEP RACE … EAT SLEEP RACE (eatsleeprace.com) is a racing lifestyle apparel company based out of New Jersey. Since 2001 the brand has offered a full product line including accessories and apparel for men and ladies. As one of the pioneers of motorsports apparel, the brand has deep roots in the racing industry and was created to offer fresh designs for all racing enthusiasts. The company has expanded to now offer a dedicated children’s product line of apparel and accessories branded as the Fast Kids Club with its hot selling ABC book for future race car drivers.
Meet RCR’s Latest Intern … In addition to driving for Richard Childress Racing, Graf Jr. is interning with the team’s marketing and communications staff this summer to learn the business side of the sport. The dual role will help the New York University freshman grow as a driver on both the competition and front office ends of racing.
NASCAR Salutes … Graf Jr. and his No. 21 EAT SLEEP RACE team will take place in the NASCAR Salutes program to honor active military unites during the Daytona race weekend. Special Troops Battalion, 1st Armored Sustainment Brigade based out of Fort Bliss, Texas will be displayed on the windshield header of Graf’s No. 21 Camaro all weekend long.
Meet Graf … Fans can meet Graf Jr. when he stops by the Chevy stage in the fan midway for a Q&A session on Friday, July 5, beginning at 1:35 p.m. local time. Graf Jr. will also take part in the Xfinity Series autograph session taking place at the track’s infield fan zone later that day, beginning at 4:45 p.m. local time.
JOE GRAF JR. QUOTES:
You ran at Daytona International Speedway in the ARCA Menards Series earlier this year. Do you think that experience will help you prepare for next weekend?
“Absolutely. I’ve been a part of several superspeedway races in ARCA, and I think I can definitely apply that experience to the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend. I feel like you’re always learning when it comes to superspeedway racing though, and I’m sure I’ll learn a lot in Friday night’s race. It’s not necessarily a physical race but a mental race. I’ve done a lot of preparation for this race, and I know my RCR team is bringing me a really fast No. 21 EAT SLEEP RACE Chevrolet and I look forward to showcasing that during the race.”
How will your experience at Iowa Speedway a couple of weeks ago with the No. 21 team help you coming into Daytona?
“Momentum. Start-to-finish, I think our performance was solid. I feel like I learned a lot about the Xfinity Series cars at Iowa and the communication between myself and  my crew chief, Justin Alexander, was very strong. I’m looking forward to going to Daytona this week and capitalizing on the opportunity to race for Richard Childress Racing and representing EAT SLEEP RACE.”
