Catchfence

Richard Childress Racing (RCR)

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

RACE: Quaker State 400

TRACK: Kentucky Speedway

DATE: July 9, 2011

Race Highlights:

• RCR teammates finished 16th (Kevin Harvick), 19th (Jeff Burton), 24th (Paul Menard) and 35th (Clint Bowyer).
• RCR teammates are third (Harvick), 12th (Bowyer), 16th (Menard) and 25th (Burton) in the point standings after this weekend’s race at Kentucky Speedway.
• Harvick’s average running position throughout the 267-lap race was 13.29.
• Harvick is tied for being the sixth-best Closer, picking up six spots in the closing 10 percent of the race.
• Menard maintained an average running position of 15.1 in the Quaker State 400.
• Menard spent 66.7 percent of his 267 contested laps running in the top 15.
• Burton made 105 green-flag passes, ranking him 11th best amongst his competitors.
• Bowyer made 90 green-flag passes during the race according to NASCAR Loop Data Statistics.
• Kyle Busch captured the inaugural race win at Kentucky Speedway, beating David Reutimann, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards to the start/finish line.
• The next NSCS race is the LENOX Industrial Tools at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 17, televised live on TNT beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The 301-lap showdown will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

2011 CC Team Icon 27 NSCS Menards

The No. 27 Sylvania/Menards Chevrolet Team Finishes 24^th at Kentucky

The inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend at Kentucky Speedway was shaping up to be a solid one for the No. 27 Sylvania/Menards team, but an untimely caution during green-flag pit stops and front-end damage during a late restart relegated Paul Menard to a 24^th-place finish. After posting fast lap times during Thursday’s test session and Friday’s rain-delayed Happy Hour, they headed into qualifying with high expectations. A summer shower halted qualifying on Friday afternoon, forcing the starting lineup for the Quaker State 400 to be set by practice speeds, putting the newest addition to the Richard Childress Racing stable of drivers in 10^th position to start the Saturday night event. Menard battled with a loose-in and tight-center condition in the early laps, but never fell below the 12^th spot. A competition caution on lap 30 gave the Slugger Labbe-led crew the opportunity to make air pressure adjustments during their two-tire pit stop. The No. 27 team continued to tweak the car’s handling with additional adjustments during two subsequent green-flag pit stop cycles. As the race approached the halfway point, Menard reported that he still needed a little better front turn, but felt that the track was starting to come to him. As teams cycled through their second set of green-flag pit stops, the caution flag was displayed. The cars that had already visited pit road, including the Sylvania/Menards Chevrolet, were trapped a lap down to the leader. Labbe took the wave around option, returning Menard to the lead lap, but restarting deep in the field in 18^th on lap 209. When one of the lead cars lagged on the restart, it caused the drivers behind to check up. During this chain reaction, the No. 27 Chevrolet made hard contact with the rear bumper of the No. 16 entry, resulting in substantial front-end damage and creating a tight-handling condition. Throughout the remaining laps, Menard fell to as low as 28^th before climbing back to a 24^th-place result.

Start – 10 Finish – 24 Laps Led – 0 Points – 16

PAUL MENARD QUOTE:

“This was not the night we had hoped for. Track position is way too important here and we lost that when the caution fell during the green-flag cycles. This Sylvania/Menards team works hard and never gives up so we’ll just focus on heading to New Hampshire (Motor Speedway) next weekend.”

2011 CC Team Logo NSCS 29 BUD 150 px

Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Team Finish 16^th in Inaugural Race at Kentucky

Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team left Kentucky Speedway with a 16^th-place finish in Saturday night’s Quaker State 400. Harvick started the night out in the 19^th position and battled with the car’s handling for much of the race. When he hit pit road under the competition caution at lap 32, the team made a chassis adjustment, changed right-side tires and got him off pit road in the 10^th position. Harvick remained in the top 10 after cycling through two rounds of green-flag stops before slipping to 11^th at lap 138. The caution flag waved the following lap and he radioed to the crew that he was “sideways in (Turns) 3 and 4 and loose in (Turns) 1 and 2″ as well. The team pitted for right-side tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment under that caution and restarted from the 13^th position at lap 146. The No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet got back inside the top 10 fairly quickly and Harvick was able to hold his ground through the next round of green-flag stops. He came down pit road at lap 189 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. As green-flag stops cycled through, the caution flag waved at lap 199. As some teams had yet to pit, Harvick found himself in the 17^th position, a lap down to the leader. Once those cars hit pit road under caution, Harvick was able to take the wave around to get back on the lead lap and restart 15^th at lap 209. On the subsequent run, Harvick radioed to the team that the car was “plowing coming off and sideways getting in.” He hit pit road under green for the final time at lap 234 and the team changed right-side tires and added fuel. Once again, the caution flag waved before all of the cars had cycled through green-flag stops, catching Harvick down one lap, but again as the leader came down pit road to pit under caution, the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet and a number of other cars were able to take the wave around to get back on the lead lap. Harvick restarted in the 15^th position at lap 259 and got up to 12^th in just two laps before the caution flag waved again at lap 262. He restarted on the outside row for the green-white-checkered restart and lost ground battling a loose-handling race car. The No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet slid back four positions before Harvick took the checkered flag in the 16^th position.

Start – 19 Finish – 16 Laps Led – 0 Points – 3

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:

“We were just too loose at the end of the race. I knew we were in trouble restarting on the outside on that final restart and we ended up falling back a few spots.”

2011 CC Team Logo NSCS 31 CAT

Burton, Cat Racing Team Post Top-20 Finish in Kentucky

Jeff Burton headed to Kentucky Speedway hoping to add to his list of inaugural event victories, having claimed a win in the maiden NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in 1997. Instead, the No. 31 Caterpillar team battled with the car’s handling throughout much of the Quaker State 400, was caught with an untimely caution during green-flag pit stops, and finally settled for a 19th-place finish at the Sparta, Ky. -based facility. With rain forcing NASCAR officials to cancel qualifying on Friday evening, the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet started 22^nd for Saturday night’s 267-lap event at the 1.5-mile track. Immediately, Burton realized the difference in the handling of the No. 31 Chevrolet under the lights than what they had faced throughout the practice session which was held during the day, falling back to the 29^th position by the competition caution on lap 30. The Todd Berrier-led team made various adjustments to assist Burton with the lack of grip he was facing on the black and yellow machine. The modifications worked as the No. 31 Chevy began its ascend on the board and, with the assistance of additional adjustments during the next two pit stops, Burton climbed up to the 12^th position by lap 180. While maintaining position in the top 15, Burton and Company were trapped a lap down to the leader when the caution came out following their green-flag stop on lap 190. Though they elected to take the wave around to return to the lead lap, they had their work cut out for them to maintain position on older tires. Berrier called for a two-tire stop during the No. 31 team’s final visit to pit road on lap 241 to try to regain some lost track position, but Burton struggled on the restart and came across the stripe in the 19^th position.

Start – 22 Finish – 19 Laps Led – 0 Points – 25

JEFF BURTON QUOTE:

“It’s a disappointing finish to our night at Kentucky. We hit on something around halfway and the Caterpillar Chevrolet was one of the fastest cars on the track at that point. The caution flag hurt us and we did what we could to battle back from there. We’ll move on to New Hampshire next week.”

2011 CC Team Logo NSCS 33 Cheerios 150 px

Cut Tire Leads to 35^th-Place Finish for No. 33 Team in Kentucky

Clint Bowyer and the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Chevrolet team finished 35^th Saturday night after cutting a tire and hitting the wall in the waning laps of the inaugural Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. After persistent rain forced NASCAR officials to cancel qualifying on Friday and base the starting lineup on earlier practice speeds, the Emporia, Kan., native started 20^th for the 267-lap event at the 1.5-mile Sparta, Ky.-based facility. Immediately after the green flag dropped, Bowyer reported to crew chief Shane Wilson that his red-and-yellow Chevrolet was very loose and needed major changes. On the first caution of the day at lap 30, Wilson directed the “Helping Hands” pit crew to make wholesale changes to the car’s setup. Bowyer dropped back to 29^th after the extended pit stop where he would remain for most of the race, eventually going a lap down the leaders. Wilson and the team continued to make major adjustments to the Impala’s setup throughout the course of the event, but nothing seemed to balance out the handling on the No. 33 Chevrolet. After taking two right-side tires on the final pit stop of the evening, Bowyer cut a left-rear tire and made hard contact with the outer retaining wall with only four laps remaining, causing significant damage to his Chevrolet and relegating him to a disappointing 35^th-place finish. The four-time Sprint Cup Series race winner now sits 12^th in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings, 15 markers out of the top 10.

Start – 20 Finish – 35 Laps Led – 0 Points – 12

CLINT BOWYER QUOTE:

“It was a tough night for the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet. We were just off all night on the setup and our night ended when we cut a tire with six laps to go. I’ll be happy to get to New Hampshire next week where we have had prior success.”

RACE: UNOH 225

TRACK: Kentucky Speedway

DATE: July 7, 2011

Race Highlights:

• RCR teammates finished seventh (Joey Coulter) and 14th (Austin Dillon).
• Dillon is third in the NCWTS driver point standings, while Coulter is ninth.
• Both RCR entries led laps during the 152-lap event.
• Dillon and Coulter ranked second and third, respectively, in average running position with Dillon running an average place of 6.197 and Coulter holding a 6.204 average running place.
• Kyle Busch earned his 29th career NCWTS victory and was followed to the finish line by Parker Kligerman, Brendan Gaughan, Todd Bodine and Jason White.
• The next NCWTS race is the Coca-Cola 200 presented by Hy-Vee at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 16, televised live on SPEED beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio beginning at 7:45 p.m. EDT.

2011 CC Team Logos NCWTS 3 BPS 150 px

Unwanted “Hood Ornament” Ruins Austin Dillon’s Chances of Finding Victory Lane at Kentucky

Austin Dillon was running second and making significant ground on the race leader in Thursday night’s UNOH 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway, but with just 15 laps remaining, the hood of the No. 3 NRA/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet flipped across the windshield of his Silverado, causing the team to make an unscheduled green-flag pit stop that resulted in a 14^th-place finish. Dillon started the race from the second position in front of an estimated crowd of 30,000 people and spent the opening laps battling among the top three, slipping back to as far as eighth in the field following a lagging restart on lap 12. Dillon worked his way up to sixth by lap 22 and took the lead briefly as green-flag pit stops began to cycle through. Before Dillon could pit, the caution flag was displayed, allowing Dillon to pit under caution for four tires and fuel. Unfortunately, the air hose was caught underneath the right-rear tire, delaying the left-rear tire change and creating a slow pit stop. The 21-year-old High Point University student restarted the race seventh, and was running fourth when he made a green-flag pit stop on lap 121 for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment to provide relief to a loose-handling Chevrolet. Dillon gained significant speed following the pit stop. He was running second and gaining ground on race leader Kyle Busch when the brackets holding the hood pins on the front of the truck broke with less than 15 laps remaining, causing the hood to flip up onto the windshield and eliminating Dillon’s visibility. Dillon was guided down pit road by spotter Andy Houston for an unscheduled green-flag stop so that the Bass Pro Shops team could remove the hood from the truck. Unfortunately, he fell one lap down to the race leader and developed a tight-handling condition without a hood to his truck, but was able to salvage a 14^th-place finish.

Start – 2 Finish – 14 Points Position – 3 Laps Led – 4

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:

“It’s unbelievable. I thought we had a win coming in our last race, at Texas, and then again at Kentucky, so the way I see it the Bass Pro Shops team has lost two races now that we should have won. The truck was really tight at the end of the race with no hood. It was disappointing but it just makes me want to win at Iowa that much more. We have a great team and we’ve done it before, so I know we can do it again.”

2011 CC Team Logos NCWTS 22 RCR 150 px

Rookie Joey Coulter Leads Laps, Scores Top-10 Finish at Kentucky

In his first-career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Kentucky Speedway, rookie Joey Coulter powered his way to a top-10 result by bringing the No. 22 RCR Chevrolet home to a seventh-place finish in the Thursday night’s UNOH 225. After qualifying sixth earlier in the day, the Miami Springs, Fla., native started the 150-lap event with a strong Silverado, telling crew chief Harold Holly that his Chevrolet was loose going in the corners, but great everywhere else. The 21-year-old rookie ran the first 57 laps in the top five before leading a lap and making a green-flag pit stop for fresh Goodyear tires and Sunoco Green E15 fuel. As Coulter left pit road, the caution flag was displayed, leaving Coulter a lap down to the leaders. He was awarded the “wave around” pass from NASCAR officials and restarted 19^th on lap 62. Over the next 50 laps, Coulter would bring his truck through the field, picking off competitors on the track while also coming down pit road for fuel on lap 72 under yellow-flag conditions. After Coulter worked his back into the top five with 35 laps to go, Holly decided to wait later than the rest of the field to make their final pit stop. In the process, Coulter led laps 124-129 before coming down to the attention of the No. 22 pit crew on lap 130. Two right-side tires and six seconds of fuel later, Coulter was back on track ready for a final charge to the checkered flag. He worked his way into second place with 15 laps to go before the final caution flag was displayed with three laps remaining, setting up Coulter on the outside of the front row with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Kyle Busch for a green-white-checkered finish. However, on the ensuing restart, Coulter missed a shift and dropped back through the field, eventually crossing the finish line in seventh and maintaining his ninth-place position in NCWTS driver championship point standings.

Start – 6^th Finish – 7^th Laps Led – 8 Points – 9^th

JOEY COULTER QUOTE:

“We had such a good RCR Chevrolet Silverado today. I really think we had the best truck in the field. If that caution didn’t come out at the end, I am sure we would have ended up in Victory Lane. I just had a transmission issue on the last restart. The No. 22 RCR Chevrolet team is really starting to come together and it is showing with strong runs like this. I can’t thank everyone at RCR enough.”

RACE: Hantz Group 200

TRACK: Berlin Raceway

DATE: July 9, 2011

Race Highlights:

• RCR teammates finished second (Tim George Jr.) and 11^th (Ty Dillon).
• George’s second-place result marks his fifth top-five finish in the last seven 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards races this season.
• Dillon remains the ARCA Racing Series point leader with a 230point lead over Frank Kimmel.
• George is tied for sixth in the ARCA Racing Series point standings with driver Matt Merrell.
• Dillon started 14^th and ran as high as 10^th in the Hantz Group 200.
• Matt Merrell won the race and was followed to the start/finish by George, Grant Enfinger, Patrick Sheltra and Chad Hachenbracht.
• The next ARCA Racing Series race on the 2011 schedule is the Prairie Meadow 200 at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 16 with coverage being televised on SPEED starting at 5:15 p.m. local time. Also, tune into ARCARacing.com for living timing and scoring of the 200-lap event.

2011 CC Team Logos ARS 31 RCR

Tim George Jr. Earns Career-Best Short Track Finish at Berlin Raceway

Tim George Jr., and the No. 31 Applebee’s/Potomac Family Dining Group team raced their way to a second-place finish in Saturday night’s Hantz Group 200 at Berlin Raceway after taking the lead on lap 122 and distancing himself from the rest of the field until the final caution was waved. The Welcome, N.C.,-based team qualified their Chevrolet fourth for the start of the 200-lap event and ran there until George. moved into the third spot on lap 60. He continued gaining ground on the leader and advanced himself another position, to second, by lap 73. The New York, N.Y., native inched his way closer to the lead when the second caution of the night was displayed on lap 117. He radioed to crew chief Gere Kennon that the car was handling well and no changes were needed. George brought his black and white Applebee’s Chevrolet to pit road for four fresh Hoosier tires and fuel. Quick work by the No. 31 pit crew gave George the lead for the lap-122 restart and with 25 laps remaining in the 200-lap affair, the RCR driver had a 4.757-second lead over the second-place car. George continued to break away from the field when the third caution flag was waved on lap 189, ending his six-second lead. As the green flag was displayed on lap 193, George slipped to second and held that position through two more restarts to finish in the runner-up position for his fifth top-five finish of the 2011 season.

Start -4 Finish -11 Laps Led – 73 Points – 6

TIM GEORGE JR QUOTE:

“We had a really fast Applebee’s/Potomac Family Dining Group Chevrolet and it showed during practice. We did a lot better here this year than we did last year. We really improved over the past few races. Once we had that big lead, we starting saving our stuff in case we had a few restarts at the end, but I spun the tires and (Matt) Merrell got around me. It was a fun race and a great finish for the fans. That’s what it’s all about.”

2011 CC Team Logos ARS 41 RCR 150 px

Ty Dillon Leaves Berlin Raceway with a Disappointing 11^th- Place Finish

Ty Dillon and the No. 41 Richard Childress Racing team held on for an 11^th-place result after he was forced to the rear of the field during the first lap of the Hantz Group 200 when he had to stop for tangled cars on the backstretch. Dillon spent a majority of the night working his way back to the front of the field. Under the night’s second caution, which was displayed on lap 117, the Scott Naset-led team was called to pit road for four fresh Hoosier tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment to remedy a loose-handling Chevrolet. The Lexington, N.C., native restarted on lap 122 from the 10^th position, one lap down to the leaders, and continued his pursuit to a top-five finish before being forced another lap down when Dillon made contact with another competitor, bringing out the third caution in the 200-lap event. Having not sustained any serious damage, the 19-year-old ARCA rookie brought his red and black RCR entry to pit for four tires and fuel. Fast work by the No. 41 RCR team put the young driver back on track in 11^th where he would cross the finish line in the Hantz Group 200.

Start -14 Finish -11 Laps Led -0 Points – 1(leads by 230 points)

TY DILLON QUOTE:

“This is our first bad night that we’ve had all season and we only lost a few points. Overall, I’m still happy. I think we had a top-five car, but after that first restart we couldn’t get caught back up with the leaders. We’re looking forward to racing at Iowa next week and getting our No. 41 RCR Chevrolet back up front.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release