Catchfence

Austin Dillon

Event: Lucas Oil 200 – September 5, 2009

Venue: Iowa Speedway – Newton, Iowa

· This Week’s RCR 40th Anniversary Chevrolet Impala SS at Iowa Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 021 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series stable in this weekend’s Lucas Oil 200. This Chevrolet Silverado was purchased from Kevin Harvick Inc. earlier this season. Last year, this former No. 2 KHI entry ran in five NCTWS races, earning one pole, two top-10 and four top-20 finishes. This chassis currently holds the Martinsville Speedway track qualifying record, set by Jack Sprague with a fast lap of 19.65 seconds last March.

· Truck Series Debut … Dillon will attempt to qualify for his first-career NCWTS start. He’ll be piloting the No. 3 RCR 40th Anniversary Chevrolet at Iowa Speedway, commemorating the Welcome, N.C., -based organization’s 40th year of NASCAR racing.

· ‘3’ Elements

o History of the No. 3 Truck … The 19-year-old driver will become the third driver to compete in RCR’s No. 3 entry, joining Mike Skinner, who drove the GM Goodwrench-sponsored entry from1995 to 1996, and Jay Sauter, who took the reigns in 1997 and drove the No. 3 truck until Childress ended his involvement in the series in 1999 to pursue racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

o Family Values … Austin Dillon is a third-generation NASCAR driver. His grandfather, Richard Childress, made 285 Sprint Cup Series starts between 1969 and 1981, earning six top-five and 76 top-10 finishes. Austin’s father, Mike Dillon, drove from 1995 to 2001 in each of NASCAR’s top-three series, including three starts in the NCWTS from 1997 to 1998.

o Last Time Around … Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was the last person to drive the No. 3 in one of NASCAR’s top-three divisions, running two Nationwide Series races for RCR in 2002. That year, Earnhardt won the NNS season opener at Daytona International Speedway in February and finished 36th, after being involved in a mid-race accident, in May at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

· Dillon Familiar with the No. 3 … Over the past two seasons, Dillon has raced the No. 3 Chevrolet in 15 NASCAR Camping World Series East starts, earning one win, seven top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. Additionally, Dillon has driven Team Dillon Racing’s No. 3 Asphalt and Dirt Late Models since 2005.

· All Over It in Iowa … The 2008 NCWSE Rookie of the Year has competed at Iowa on four different occasions. In 2008, Dillon captured the pole position and finished sixth in the Camping World Series East/West Challenge. This past May, he finished 19th in the NCWS East/West Challenge after starting seventh. In July, Dillon drove RCR’s No. 31 ARCA RE/MAX Series entry to a runner-up finish after starting from the rear of the field. Most recently, he finished 28th after being involved in a mid-race accident during the NNS race in August. All told, the 19-year-old driver has earned one pole, one-top five and two top-10 finishes at the seven-eighths-mile oval.

· RCR’s 130th Career Truck Series Start … In 129 previous NCWTS starts, RCR-prepared trucks have earned 20 wins, including the inaugural race with Skinner at Phoenix International Raceway in 1995. Along with Skinner, drivers including Mike Dillon, Bill Cooper, Dave Marcis, Jay Sauter and Jim Sauter have recorded 59 top-five and 85 top-10 finishes for the inaugural 1995 NCWTS championship organization.

· Local Bass Pro Shops on Board … The Altoona, Iowa Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, located approximately 26 miles west of Iowa Speedway, will be an associate sponsor on RCR’s No. 3 Silverado. The Bass Pro Shops decal will be located on both rear-quarter panels this weekend. The local outdoor sporting goods store celebrated its grand opening last Wednesday.

· Meet the Drivers … Dillon will be available for autographs on Saturday, September 5 underneath Iowa Speedway’s main grandstands from 4 to 5 p.m. local time. Autographs will take place on a first come, first serve basis due to time constraints.

· Meet the Press … Dillon will answer questions from the gathered media on Saturday, September 5 inside Iowa Speedway’s infield media center. The time has yet to be determined, but check inside the media center for details over the course of the weekend.

· Race Broadcast Information … The Lucas Oil 200 will be televised live on Saturday, September 5 on SPEED beginning at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying will begin the same day at 6:45 p.m. EDT.

· Mark Your Calendars … In honor of its 40th anniversary, RCR will host a Fan Day at the Welcome, N.C. complex on Thursday, October 22 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Activities include driver and pit crew autograph sessions, self-guided tours of RCR’s Sprint Cup and Nationwide shops as well as ECR’s engine shop, radio remotes, musical entertainment, pit crew competition, viewing of the DALE movie, question-and-answer session with team owner Richard Childress and much more. General admission to RCR’s Fan Day is just $5, which will benefit the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma.

· Online With the Times … To keep up with the latest news and information about Richard Childress Racing and to view exclusive online content, visit the team’s official website at www.RCRRacing.com. For qualifying and race results, check us out at www.twitter.com/RCRRacing.

AUSTIN DILLON Quotes:

What is it like for you to race the No. 3 in this weekend’s Truck Series race?

“This will be a special weekend for my family. Being able to drive the No. 3 is really amazing. This number carries a lot of history with it and I know how much it means to my grandfather and all the NASCAR fans. I’m hoping to go out there and perform well.”

You’re making your Truck Series debut at Iowa, but it’s not your first time there. What are your goals for the weekend?

“I couldn’t have picked a better race track to make my truck debut than Iowa. I feel confident heading back and enjoy racing there. The fans pack that place and the atmosphere there is electric. We think we can be competitive once I get a feel for how the truck handles during practice. Our goals are to learn as much as we can during the race, earn a solid finish and, more importantly, have fun.”

DAN DEERINGHOFF (crew chief) Quote:

What are you plans heading into this weekend at Iowa?

“There is a lot of practice time on Friday, which will give Austin the chance to learn how the truck handles at Iowa. We tested at Rockingham last week in order to get Austin seat time in the truck before we unloaded it for race weekend. The test went well and he’s starting to get a feel for how to drive it. There are multiple practice sessions on Friday, which will give Austin more time to become comfortable with the truck. Our goal for the race is to be consistent on the speed charts and have a solid top-20 finish.”

- Richard Childress Racing Press Release