Monday
Ty Dillon Earns 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Championship
Press Release
The start of the Federated Car Care 200 was pushed back by two and a half hours due to rain. When track officials displayed the green flag just after 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Sunday, they also displayed the yellow flag, indicating to the starting field to maintain a cautious pace as the track was still wet. Green-flag only racing commenced on lap 42 and Dillon drove to the inside of the race leader to take the point position. He remained in the lead until lap 63, when the inside line was slowed by a lapped car, allowing several competitors to slip by on the outside. The High Point University freshman attempted to regain the race lead on lap 196 of 200, but the race leader got loose in the middle of turns one and two and spun in the process, prompting ARCA officials to display the yellow flag. The caution extended the race past its advertised distance and set the stage for a two-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Dillon restarted the race second on lap 199 but was unable to gain any additional positions, finishing second in the No. 41 Bass Pro Shops/Hemelgarn Enterprises Chevrolet. The young driver is the first rookie to win the ARCA championship since 1995.
“I am so proud of the entire team and how hard everyone worked this season to claim this championship,” said Dillon. “Over the course of the season, we’ve become a family and we’re all sharing in this moment right now. I can’t thank my family and grandfather enough for this unbelievable opportunity. It is such an honor to bring home a championship for RCR. This is a moment I will never forget.”
Dillon and Co. stormed into their rookie season earning seven wins, seven poles, 13 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 19 starts. The Lexington, N.C., native claimed his first Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell at the season opener at Daytona International Speedway and in the following race, made his first trip of the season to Victory Lane at Talladega Superspeedway.
“It’s been a great season. I’m really proud of Ty and all of these guys,” said Scott Naset, crew chief on the No. 41 team. “As a rookie driver, crew chief and team, we came together and worked really hard to accomplish everything that we have this season.”
Richard Childress Racing has won 12 NASCAR championships but Dillon’s accomplishment marks the first non-NASCAR championship for the Welcome, N.C.-based organization. The last championship RCR earned was the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series with driver Clint Bowyer.
“It’s just unbelievable,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “I’m so happy for him and this whole racing team. To win the championship is just huge.”
At 19 years old, Dillon is the 29th champion and the youngest champion in the history of the ARCA Racing Series. The RCR driver joins a long list of competitors who have earned the title of ARCA Champion since the series’ inception in 1953, including Frank Kimmel, Benny Parsons and Iggy Katona, to name a few.
The 2011 ARCA Racing Series Championship Awards Banquet is scheduled for December 10 in Covington, Ky.
About Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 12 NASCAR championships, including six in the Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its 2011 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet). Its Camping World Truck Series program includes 2010 Rookie of the Year Austin Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Joey Coulter, Jr. (No. 22 RCR Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. (No 31 Applebee’s / Potomac Family Dining Group Chevrolet) and Ty Dillon (No. 41 RCR Chevrolet) will compete in the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.
- Richard Childress Racing Press Release
Article Tags: ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, Austin Dillon, Benny Parsons, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Federated Car Care 200, Frank Kimmel, Iggy Katona, Jeff Burton, Joey Coulter, Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, No. 22 Richard Childress Racing Development Chevrolet Silverado, No. 27 Menards Chevrolet Impala SS, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet Impala, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Silverado, No. 31 Applebee's / Potomac Family Dining Group Chevrolet, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala, No. 33 Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet Impala, No. 41 Bass Pro Shops / Hemelgarn Enterprises Chevrolet, NSCS, Paul Menard, RCR, Richard Childress Racing, Scott Naset, Tim George Jr, Toledo Speedway, Ty Dillon
Awesome race. Very exciting from start to finish. Poole raced Dillon dirty for the lead, shoving him up the track at least three times. Now we can refer to him as “Dirty Poole”, yeah? Glad to see Dillon give him much deserved payback, even if it did cost Ty the race. Loved his post- race interview when he declared he wasn’t gonna be pushed around on the track by anyone. Kid has some huge gonads for his age. Bass Pro looked spectacular on the car today. Can’t wait to follow his pogress next year as he has clearly outgrown the competition in ARCA very very quickly. Him and Austin are gonna have a great future at RCR. Childress really has his ducks in a row now. His two grandsons are poised for the big time in the next year or two and could make RCR the class of Nascar..