RCR Post Race Report – Pocono 400

Austin Dillon Battles Adversity, Grinds Out a 13th-place Finish

“Our No. 3 Dow Chevrolet was decent all day. The balance felt good for most of the race, but would tighten up in Turn 3 every now and then, so I had to really focus on my entry and exit in that corner. One of the biggest challenges was the heat. By lap 28, it felt like my A/C unit overheated or something and from there I had no air conditioning. I was alright during most of the race, but that red flag was just miserable. I was able to make it through and started dumping water on my face when I could, which helped a little bit. But we battled through the challenges; that’s what this team does. We were able to hang on and grab a 13th-place finish.”

 
 Austin Dillon

Paul Menard and the No. 27 Dutch Boy/Menards Chevrolet Finish 20th at Pocono Raceway

“Matt [Borland, crew chief] and the team did a really good job finding the right balance for our No. 27 Dutch Boy/Menards Chevy and the pit crew did a great job on pit road today. We were able to race around the top 15 for a majority of the day and had some really good speed in the final segment. Our fuel strategy worked and by the time the final pit stop came around, we were in position to score a top-10 finish. I’m not really sure what happened on that last restart, but I didn’t get the best restart and messed up shifting gears into Turn 1. It’s a tough way to finish the race, as we had a car much better than a 20-place result.”

 Paul Menard

Ryan Newman and the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Team Toughens It Out For a 14th-Place Finish at Pocono Raceway

“We had a top-10 Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Chevrolet for the entire weekend. Our lap averages showed that. Unfortunately we had overheating issues with trash and then we sustained an exhaust leak that made my driver’s seat extremely hot during the race. It’s a shame. It’s like we never had the chance to show our muscle. We were just tending to issues that kept creeping up, instead of focusing on getting our car better to contend with the front-runners.  I’m thankful for the folks from Kalahari for their support this weekend.” 

 Ryan Newman

RCR PR