Event: Coke Zero 400 presented by Coca-Cola
Date: Saturday, July 5, 2014
Location: Daytona International Speedway
Richard Childress Racing's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Daytona International Speedway ... Dating back to 1976, Richard Childress Racing has won 11 poles and collected five points-paying victories at the most-storied race track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. RCR owns two Daytona 500 wins (Dale Earnhardt - 1998, Kevin Harvick - 2007), three Coke Zero 400 trophies (Earnhardt - 1990, 1993 and Harvick - 2010) and 14 qualifying races, including 10-consecutive victories with Earnhardt (1990 - 1999). In addition, RCR has earned the Sprint Unlimited a total of eight times, with drivers Harvick (2009, 2010, 2013) and Earnhardt (1986, '88, '91, '93, and '95).
RCR in the NSCS ... In 2,443 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 46 pole awards,105 wins, 453 top-five finishes and 962 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 15.8. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Sprint Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, '87, '90, '91, '93 and '94, six NASCAR Nationwide 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.
The Collective RCR ...Throughout the season's first 17 races, RCR's Sprint Cup Series entries have earned one pole award with Austin Dillon at Daytona International Speedway in February. Collectively, the organization has notched four top-five and 16 top-10 finishes with drivers Dillon, Ryan Newman and Paul Menard. RCR's three full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers rank eighth (Newman), 11th (Menard) and 18th (Dillon) in the driver championship point standings.
RCR Kentucky Rewind ... Last weekend, RCR teammates Newman, Menard and Dillon finished third, 15th and 16th, respectively, in the Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway.
Save Kids' Lives by Joining the Childress Champions ... Help support the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma by selecting your favorite driver when making a bronze level donation of $33 (Austin Dillon), $27 (Paul Menard) or $31 (Ryan Newman) to CIPT. To make a tax deductable donation, visit: https://www.wakehealth.edu/OnlineGift.htm?fid=45. The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma invests resources in research, education and awareness to improve the treatment for critically injured children in the U.S. The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center was established through the generosity of Richard and Judy Childress. For more information, please visit www.InjuredKids.org.
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 www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com along with official driver pages - www.facebook.com/austindillon3 , www.facebook.com/PaulMenard27 and www.facebook.com/RyanNewmanNASCAR.
Catch the Action ... The Coke Zero 400 presented by Coca-Cola will be televised live Saturday, July 5 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ETt on TNT and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Austin Dillon
No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/NRA Museum Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week's Bass Pro Shops/NRA Museum Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway ... Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 468 in the Coke Zero 400 presented by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway. This is a new Chevrolet SS that will be utilized for the first time under race conditions.
Dillon at Daytona International Speedway ... Dillon made his first start in the Great American Race in the 2013 Daytona 500, driving the No. 33 Honey Nut Cheerios Chevrolet to a 31st-place finish after he was involved in a multi-car incident on lap 137 of 200. He also debuted the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet in the 2014 edition of the Daytona 500, leading the 43-car starting field to the green flag after earning his career first Sprint Cup Series pole award before earning a season-to-date best finish of ninth. In four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at the 2.5-mile restrictor-plate track, the Welcome, N.C., driver has three top-five finishes, with a best finish of fourth in July 2012. He also has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the track.
About Bass Pro Shops ... Bass Pro Shops, which specializes in outdoor fun, operates 85 retail stores and Tracker Marine Centers across America and Canada that are visited by more than 116 million people every year. Bass Pro Shops stores, many of which feature restaurants, offer hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor gear while their catalogs and website serve shoppers throughout the world. The company's Tracker Marine Group which has produced the number one selling brand of fishing boats for more than 35 years, manufactures and sells a variety of boats for fishing and cruising. Family fun is on tap at Bass Pro Shops resort Big Cedar Lodge, voted number six by Travel + Leisure Magazine as World's Best Hotels for Families. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com. To request a free catalog, call 1-800-BASS PRO. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bassproshops.
About the NRA Museum ... Bass Pro Shops, the primary sponsor of Richard Childress Racing's No. 3 Chevrolet SS driven by Austin Dillon in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will pay tribute to the National Rifle Association's members and the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum with a special paint scheme for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 5. The NRA National Sporting Arms Museum houses an important collection of more than a thousand firearms and other artifacts and dioramas that trace the evolution of hunting, conservation and freedom from the 1600s to modern day. The museum, which is located at Bass Pro Shops' flagship store in Springfield, Missouri, is open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and admission is free. For more information about the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum, visit http://www.basspro.com/nramuseum or http://nramuseum.com/.
Get to the Points ... Dillon ranks 18th in the championship point standings entering this weekend's race event at Daytona International Speedway.
Bass Pro Shops Twitter Takeover ... On Thursday at 2 p.m. ET @austindillon3 is scheduled to take over the @Bass_Pro_Shops Twitter account. Follow both accounts for an inside glimpse at the @Bass_Pro_Shops driver's life leading into the Daytona International Speedway race weekend.
Meet Dillon ... Dillon is scheduled to participate in the Coca-Cola Racing Family Track Walk at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, July 4. The event is open to anyone with a ticket to the same-day NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Gates open at 8:30 a.m. and the walk starts at 9 a.m.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
You've had some success at Daytona International Speedway with a pole and a top-10 finish in February. I bet you're licking your chops to get back there?
"Daytona International Speedway in July is always fun. It will be hot. It will be slicker and I think your handling will come a little bit more into play. I'm looking forward to it. I've learned a lot drafting the last couple of races. We're getting better at it, I have a great spotter and we'll work hard to do what we can to get to the front."
How much do you feel a track like Daytona International Speedway is in your control, or is it all about circumstances?
"A little bit is in my control. I feel like most of it is. With that place, putting yourself in position is a big part of it and not having the cars around you that likely will wreck. You can look and see the cars that are out of control and on the edge of it most of the time. It's a fine line between those two."
Paul Menard
No. 27 SPLASH/Menards Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week's SPLASH / Menards Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway ... This weekend in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, Paul Menard and the No. 27 SPLASH / Menards Chevrolet SS team will race chassis No. 447. This Chevrolet SS was previously raced at this year's Daytona 500, where Menard led 29 laps of competition. The team's great run was ended short when Menard was collected in an on-track incident and had to take the No. 27 Chevrolet to the garage for repairs.
Menard at Daytona ... In 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, Menard has an average starting position of 20.1 and an average finish of 20.2. Menard has completed 93.3 percent of the laps around the 2.5-mile track. The Eau Claire, Wis., native also has three top-10 finishes in Daytona. In addition, Menard has eight NASCAR Nationwide Series starts.
About SPLASH ... SPLASH Products Inc., a national provider of seasonal safety products based in Eagan, Minn., manufactures and distributes a comprehensive assortment of windshield washer fluids, RV and marine antifreeze, gas line antifreeze and winter deicers. With distribution in almost every type of retail channel, SPLASH is conveniently available throughout the Unites States. For more information on SPLASH, please visit www.splashwash.com.
Season-to-date ... Through the first 17 Sprint Cup Series races of the 2014 season, Menard has completed 4,969 of 5,094 laps contested (97.5 percent), led 45 laps and is currently 11th in the driver point standings.
Test, Test ... Menard, along with his Richard Childress Racing teammates Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon, is scheduled to test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 1 - 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time.
What's Your Point ... After finishing 15th at Kentucky Speedway, Menard moved up in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings to 11th, only 20 markers out of 10th heading into Daytona this weekend.
Looking Back ... Menard qualified sixth for last year's Coke Zero 400 and raced in the top three before mechanical issues ended his night early and relegated the team to a 43rd-place finish.
PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on racing in Daytona at night and with the restrictor plate? "You just have to survive. You know, Daytona and Talladega we've always had really fast Chevrolets. We can qualify up front, it's just a matter of getting through the race and to the end in one piece so you can go race the last 20 laps. Restrictor-plate racing the last couple of years has been harder to pass, so you have to make your move earlier than you used to. You have to position yourself with 20 to 30 laps to go to be in that lead pack and make a move. A lot of it is just biding your time, trying to make decisions so you can be there at the end."
How much of a confident feeling do you have knowing RCR has a good ECR Engine package at Daytona?
"The Daytona 500 was pure speed, single-car qualifying and RCR had the front row there. Then in Talladega, we had five of the top-six spots powered by ECR Engines, so that was a good qualifying effort. We will try to be smart about it and qualify up front again. Obviously it's what we try to do every week, but you can kind of manipulate it more there by having a plan and sticking to it. The track is wearing out a little bit too, so you're not wide open the entire fuel run so handling comes back in to play especially in July at Daytona."
Ryan Newman
No. 31 WIX Filters Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week's WIX Filters Chevrolet SS at Daytona International Speedway ... Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 436 in Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet SS competed earlier this season in the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway and the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Newman at Daytona ... Newman is the proud owner of a Harley J. Earl trophy by winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in 2008. In total, the South Bend, Ind., native has 25 starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, as well as four top-five and six top-10 finishes. His average start and average finish is 20th. He's led 101 laps in competition.
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 www.wixfilters.com.
Point of Interest ... Newman ranks eighth in the Sprint Cup Series championship point standings, trailing the current leader by 104 points, entering the 18th event on the schedule - the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola.
Where's Ryan? ... On Friday morning, Newman is scheduled to participate in the Coca-Cola Family Track Walk at DIS starting at 9 a.m. Eastern Time.
Race Rewind ... Last season, Newman managed a top-10 finish in the Coke Zero 400, despite getting collected in a crash coming to the start/finish line.
Team Test ... On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, all three Richard Childress Racing Sprint Cup teams are testing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Plus, Newman and Dillon are scheduled to stop by the NHMS media center today at 12:30 p.m. RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
What is the key to finishing up front at Daytona?
"Daytona is just so much different than it used to be, which is how I liked it when you could slip and slide around. But you have to have a fast race car and you have to put yourself in position for that last little section. And you have to have a good enough car to not get shucked out of line. It all depends. It could end up being a fuel mileage race. It could end up being a multiple green-white-checkered race. You just never know there." The No. 31 team is currently ranked second out of the six teams without a victory in the Chase hunt. How would you rate your season so far with your new RCR team?
"This is probably the best/worst season I've had as far as just not having the ultimate numbers. Our average is good, which is still a part of getting yourself into the Chase if there are not 16 winners. So, we have to win. We want to win. If you're going to win the championship, you're probably going to have to win something. I don't see that the winner of the championship doesn't have a race victory under his belt. But we've been working hard at it. The guys at RCR, as well as ECR Engines, have been working really hard at it and I think we have some things in the works that are going to make us better. But I know that everybody else does, too.
"We're sitting eighth in points, which is probably twice as good as I was at this time last year, if I remember correctly. So, that part of it is better. That's why I said it's the best/worst year I've had with a top-five and a couple of top 10's; and yet consistency-wise, we're still eighth in points."
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Nationwide Series Newvs and Notes
Race: Subway Firecracker 250 powered by Coca-Cola
Date: Friday, July 4, 2014
Location: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Richard Childress Racing at Daytona ... RCR currently has 58 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at the World Center of Racing. Since 2000, the Welcome, N.C. organization has visited winner's circles five times and accumulated 26 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes. RCR averages a 10.8-place start and averages a 10.3-place finish, with 475 laps led and 6,442 of 6,505 laps (99 percent) completed.
The Season So Far ... After the first 15 Nationwide Series races in the 2014 season, RCR has made 53 starts with drivers, Brian Scott, Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan, Cale Conley, Paul Menard and Matt Crafton. The team has earned two victories, on each at Michigan International Speedway and Road America, two pole awards, done at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway, and accumulated six top-five and 24 top-10 finishes. The RCR-stable has led a total of 107 laps and has an average starting position of 10.8 and average finishing position of 12.7.
Recap of Kentucky ... Paul Menard, Brendan Gaughan, Ty Dillon and Brian Scott posted fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth-place finishes, respectively, at Kentucky Speedway's John R. Elliott Hero Campaign 300 last Friday evening.
Getting to the Points ... All three full-time RCR drivers remain in the top-10 of the Nationwide Series driver point standings. Ty Dillon is fourth, Brian Scott fifth, and Brendan Gaughan is seventh as the Series heads back to Daytona International Speedway.
Social Media ... To stay on track with the latest news and information and to view exclusive, behind the scenes content visit RCR's Twitter page - @RCRracing, RCR's NASCAR Nationwide Series team Twitter pages - @RCR2BScott, @RCR3TDillon and @RCR62BGaughan. RCR's Nationwide Series driver twitter pages - @bscottracing, @tydillon and @Brendan62. For additional photos, news and video log on to rcrracing.com.
Daytona Coverage... Coverage of this weekend's race in Daytona will be televised live on Friday, July 4, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. It will also be broadcasted live on MRN and SiriusXM channel 90.
Brian Scott
No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week's Shore Lodge Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway ... Brian Scott and the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro will race brand new Richard Childress Racing chassis No. 139 at Daytona International Speedway this week in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Subway Firecracker 250 powered by Coca-Cola. This chassis will make its first laps on track during first practice on Thursday at the 2.5-mile speedway.
Scott at Daytona ... In nine Nationwide Series starts at the world center of racing, Scott has an average starting position of 18.8 and an average finish of 22.7. He is also credited with six laps led and one top-10 finish. In addition to his Nationwide Series starts, Scott has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts with one top-10 finish, four laps led and 100 percent of the laps completed. Scott also made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in the Great American Race in February.
15 Down, 18 Races to go ... The 2014 season for Brian Scott and his No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro team has been an impressive one. Scott leads the Nationwide Series regular's with a 6.9 average starting position. He also is the top Nationwide Series regular in most laps spent inside the top-15 (2,547, 95 percent) and average running position (7.7). Scott has finished 17th or better in 14 of the 15 races this season and trails the championship points lead by 47 points as he sits fifth in the standings.
Golf at Whitetail Course ... The Fourth of July marks the middle of summer, which means you are still working on getting in your golf games. What better place to visit than one of Golf Digest's 'Top 100' championship golf courses designed by two-time U.S. Open winner, Andy North and Roger Packard, at Whitetail. The 18-hole, par 71-72 course has a course rating of 71.4. To make your reservations, visit www.ShoreLodge.com .
What are your points? ... Brian Scott and his No. 2 RCR Chevrolet Camaro team enter Daytona International Speedway Speedway fifth in the Nationwide Series driver point standings.
Where to Meet Scott ... Scott is scheduled to attend the Nationwide Series autograph session at the Sprint FANZONE on Friday, July 4 from 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Rearview Mirror ...Brian Scott and the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro team started the John R. Elliott Hero Campaign 300 presented by Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over in the fifth position at Kentucky Speedway. The team battled a tight Camaro for the 200-lap race and crossed the finish line eighth. This finish marked the seventh top-10 finish for the Shore Lodge team and puts Scott fifth in the driver point standings.
BRIAN SCOTT QUOTES:
Are you ready to get back to restrictor-plate racing Friday night?
"Restrictor plates and road courses have been the biggest gamble. It's a role of the dice at either of those tracks. So far, the dice has not worked out for this Shore Lodge Chevrolet team. We are due, we are due for a good run. At Talladega our Camaro was really fast, we led for 10 laps and were up front battling all day. An unfortunate situation getting hit from behind and nothing we could do. I know our ECR Engines are powerful and our bodies our good. This team is capable of great things on superspeedway's, we just need the breaks to go the right way."
What have you been able to take away from those races that will help this weekend at Daytona?
"Even though we are where we are in points, I feel really great about this year. We have had really good speed, we've qualified well and we've been running really well. Sometimes our finishes haven't showed that and, like I mentioned before, through some of the wild card races, we've lost points. If you take those out of the equation, I think we would be right in the mix of the championship point battle. With the speed and competition that we've been showing everywhere, we are going to claw our way back into this championship fight because we are scoring points and making them up. We just have to keep diggin'."
Ty Dillon
No. 3 Yuengling America's Oldest Brewery Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week's Yuengling America's Oldest Brewery Chevrolet at DIS ... Dillon will pilot Richard Childress Racing chassis No. 128, which has seen action in both superspeedway races this season. He finished seventh at Daytona International Speedway in February and 15th at Talladega Superspeedway. Additionally, chassis No. 128 was raced last July in Daytona by driver Austin Dillon, where he finished fifth.
Dillon at Daytona International Speedway ... In two NASCAR Nationwide Series starts, Dillon has one top-10 finish, which came earlier this season in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro. Dillon finished inside the top-10 twice in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at DIS.
America's Oldest Brewery on board ... D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., an American Owned and Family Operated brewery based in Pottsville, Pa., has partnered with Richard Childress Racing's No. 3 Nationwide Series team this season. This week's special red, white and blue patriotic paint scheme will be featured in Friday's Fourth of July night race at Daytona International Speedway.
Thank a service member ... Yuengling will be giving away 25 patriotic t-shirts for fans that thank their favorite Armed Services member. Between July 1 and July 6, follow @Yuengling_Beer and use #YuenglingThanks to enter for a chance to win.
Cheers to 185 years ... It's been 185 years since the first brew was sold, which calls for a celebration. D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. will be celebrating its 185th Anniversary on July 4, the 185th day of the year. Still Family Owned and Operated today, Yuengling has been in business since 1829.
Kentucky Speedway race rewind ... Dillon qualified eighth and raced inside the top-five for the first 41 laps. The 22-year-old driver floated back to 15th-place, twice, but managed to battle back inside the top-10 and finished seventh. Dillon was the first rookie to cross the finish line and recorded the team's 11th top-10 finish of the season.
Points update ... Dillon remains fourth in the driver point standings trailing the leader by only 29 points. In the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award standings, Dillon is second.
TY DILLON QUOTES:
You finished seventh in Daytona a few months ago; what do you need to do to build on that?
"It was definitely a learning experience, and we got some good information from the first race of the season. Learning the draft, making sure we keep our car clean for the end of the race, and to just be smart. We have the best motors in the sport with ECR Engines, so we should be very competitive for a win this Friday.
Have you figured out a strategy for qualifying yet?
"I think so. It's important to be on the same page as our teammates (Brian Scott and Brendan Gaughan), be smart and find the right time to go out on the track. It's been very exciting this season so far, but we just want to make sure we don't wreck anything before the green-flag."
Brendan Gaughan
No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week's South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Daytona ... Brendan Gaughan will pilot chassis No. 123 at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Subway Firecracker 250 powered by Coca-Cola. This No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino chassis visited victory lane at Daytona in February 2013 with Tony Stewart and was also driven by Ty Dillon at Talladega Superspeedway in May 2013 and Daytona in July 2013.
Gaughan's Stats at Daytona ... Gaughan is making his sixth start this weekend at the 2.5-mile tri-oval. Gaughan earned his first top-10 at Daytona International Speedway this February when he finished sixth in the season opener. He has completed 536 of 565 laps, 94.9 percent. The 38-year-old RCR driver also has nine starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the historic superspeedway, leading 17 laps and earning one top-10 finish.
Milestone Weekend ... Gaughan is scheduled to make his 100th Nationwide Series start this weekend when the Series returns to the Sunshine State. Since 2001, the 38-year-old driver has earned 10 top-fives and 25 top-10 finishes, one pole award in 2009 at Bristol Motor Speedway and one win this season at Road America.
Red, White & Blue ... The No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro will don a new look this weekend at Daytona International Speedway in honor of Independence Day. The Richard Childress Racing team will celebrate America's birthday with a stars and stripes gracing the paint scheme.
In the Rearview Mirror: Kentucky ... Gaughan qualified 12th for Friday night's Nationwide Series race at Kentucky Speedway. The No. 62 RCR team battled both a loose and tight handling car throughout the race, but was able to rebound to a sixth-place finish.
To the Points ... The Las Vegas-native is currently seventh in the driver point standings as the Series heads back to Daytona International Speedway.
Where to Meet Gaughan ... Gaughan is scheduled to attend the Nationwide Series autograph session at the Sprint FANZONE on Friday, July 4 beginning at 5 p.m.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on returning to Daytona?
"The race in July is always much different than the one in February, but we are excited to return. In February, the team was really strong and we were able to race to a sixth-place finish. One thing is for sure, it should definitely be an exciting race for everyone."
Do you like restrictor plate racing?
"I do and I don't. I think everyone has a part of them that doesn't, just because there are so many things that can happen, but one of the good things is that anyone can win. A restrictor plate race is similar to a game of chess, you have to be smart and make the right moves to survive."
