RCR Race Preview: Phoenix Raceway

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway… In 133 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has scored six victories, led by Kevin Harvick with four wins (a sweep of both races in 2006 plus the fall races in 2012 and 2013). Ryan Newman was victorious in the 2017 Spring event. Dale Earnhardt won in 1990 to claim his ninth victory of the season enroute to his fourth of seven Cup Series championships.

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Phoenix Raceway… RCR has three NASCAR Xfinity Series wins by three different drivers at Phoenix Raceway: Elliott Sadler (2012), Clint Bowyer (2007) and Kevin Harvick (2006). The victory by Sadler ended a 91-race winless streak, while Bowyer led the most laps (120 of 200) on the way to the Winner’s Circle. The win by Harvick was one of nine victories he claimed on the way to his second Xfinity Series title with RCR.   

Three For Three! Richard Childress Racing enters Phoenix Raceway with three victories in each of the first three weekends of the 2023 NASCAR season:

·        Austin Hill – NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona International Speedway

·        Kyle Busch – NASCAR Cup Series at Auto Club Speedway

·        Austin Hill – NASCAR Xfinity Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 

Follow Sunday’s Action at Phoenix… The NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway will be televised live on Sunday, March 12, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. 

Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 200 at Phoenix Raceway will be televised live on Saturday, March 11, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. 

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BetMGM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Phoenix Raceway… Dillon has 18 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway to his credit, earning two top-10 finishes. He earned his best finish of eighth in November 2018. Dillon, the 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion, has 11 starts at the 1.0-mile oval in the Xfinity Series, with a career-best finish of second in November 2016. Dillon has three top-10 finishes and one top-five finish in three starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Phoenix Raceway.

About BetMGM… BetMGM is a market-leading sports betting and gaming entertainment company, pioneering the online gaming industry. Born out of a partnership between MGM Resorts International and Entain Group, BetMGM has exclusive access to all of MGM’s U.S. land-based and online sports betting, major tournament poker, and online gaming businesses. Utilizing Entain’s U.S.-licensed, state-of-the-art technology, BetMGM offers sports betting and online gaming via market-leading brands, including BetMGM, Borgata Casino, Party Casino, and Party Poker. Founded in 2018, BetMGM is headquartered in New Jersey.

Always Bet Responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

March Matchups with BetMGM… This weekend at Phoenix Raceway, the No. 3 BetMGM Chevrolet driven by Austin Dillon features BetMGM’s $10 Million Perfect Bracket Challenge. To enter, register for a BetMGM account (or sign in to an existing account) and submit your bracket before tipoff of the round of 64. One bracket submission is allowed per person. Take your shot at $10 Millon in the BetMGM $10 Million Perfect Bracket Challenge. Even if your bracket gets busted, you’ll have a shot at the $100,000 guaranteed prize for the most overall picks. Register for an account with BetMGM sports and take your shot! And find out more about BetMGM’s other sports betting promotions by following us on Twitter.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

What are your thoughts on Phoenix Raceway?

“Phoenix Raceway is a tough short track and one of those places where you hit it, or you don’t. This track is challenging. I’m looking forward to it though because it’s such a fun track for drivers. It could be a good place for the No. 3 BetMGM team. I feel like we have some redeeming to do after Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”

How do you feel about the whole West Coast swing?

“I like the West Coast swing. The first race can be pretty tough. My family and I stay out between Las Vegas and Phoenix. It’s a fun trip for us. We get some good racing in to start the season. You can really see and evaluate where you are at compared to the competition. We get to race on three different types of tracks. Auto Club Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway are all quite different. It’s a good start to the season on the West Coast.”

Phoenix Raceway can bore a lot of fruit for the end of the season since that is where the Championship race is held. How important is Phoenix Raceway’s Spring race for the end of the season?

“Our goal is to get to the Championship, so Phoenix Raceway should be a very important race for us. I want to go out there and perform. Phoenix Raceway hasn’t been a great place for us recently, so we’ve got to get our cars better for that type of track.”

This Week’s Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1… Kyle Busch made his first Phoenix Raceway NASCAR Cup Series start in 2005, scoring a respectable eighth-place finish in his Chevrolet. Busch has three victories at the Avondale, Ariz.-based track (2005, 2018 and 2019). Busch owns four poles in Cup Series competition at Phoenix Raceway, the most all-time. He enters the United Rentals Work United 500 eighth in the Cup Series driver standings, 37 points behind the leader.   

Historic Victory at Auto Club Speedway… Kyle Busch’s victory at Auto Club Speedway set numerous records. He became the first driver in NASCAR history to win a race in 19 consecutive seasons, surpassing Richard Petty’s previous mark of 18 seasons with a victory. Kyle and brother Kurt are now the all-time winningest brother combination in NASCAR history with 95 Cup victories, moving past Bobby and Donnie Allison. Busch also moved into sole possession of ninth-place on NASCAR’s all-time wins list with 61 victories, breaking a tie with Kevin Harvick. 

About Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen… Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is the homestyle casual dining restaurant where guests always Get a lot. For not a lot™. The restaurant offers a variety of scratch-made meals and generous portions served up in a warm, welcoming atmosphere – all at an unbelievable price. After being welcomed with a signature Honey Butter Croissant on the house, guests can enjoy signature entrées like hand-breaded Chicken Tenders, homemade Chicken Pot Pie and Fall-off-the-Plate Baby Back Ribs. Cheddar’s operates more than 170 restaurants in 28 states and employs more than 15,000 friendly and passionate team members. For more information or to locate the nearest restaurant, visit Cheddars.com. Fans can like or follow Cheddar’s on Facebook, Twitter , and Instagram.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

How critical are managing the restarts at Phoenix?

“Restarts at Phoenix Raceway are fun. They’re challenging, but fun. You know you have that big, wide front straightaway where the dogleg is that you can go all the way to the flat down on the apron and be five, six, seven-wide or whatever, and then you have to funnel down into a two-wide turn. That gets a little dicey but you know it’s cool when you can run different lines, be out of the crowd a little bit, make some passes during restarts and gain track position on that. I’ve been fortunate to be fast on restarts in the past. That helps me get some spots right off the bat on a restart, and then settle in line and go racing from there.” 

Is it easy to get a speeding penalty on pit road at Phoenix Raceway?

“I don’t think speeding on pit road is easier or much different at Phoenix Raceway versus Bristol Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway or Richmond Raceway. The timing lines are all pretty well written out and you have an idea of what you’re supposed to do when you roll through the corners. However, it’s a little dicey with having to lower and raise your speed for the different sections of pit road. I think that’s where the good guys really excel and I feel like I’m one of those good guys.”

Sheldon Creed and the No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Phoenix Raceway… Sheldon Creed has three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix Raceway, capturing his best finish of sixth last fall behind the wheel of the No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet. Creed has four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts on his resume at the track, earning one win, two top-five and three top-10 results. In 2020, the Alpine, California native led 27 laps on the way to claiming the race victory and the Truck Series championship.

Red Whelen Lights Ready… Prior to the start of the 2023 season, NASCAR announced the implementation of a newly-designed oval wet weather package that would be available at certain one mile and under tracks, in addition to road course circuits. If wet weather was to damper the on-track activities at Phoenix Raceway, NASCAR would have the option to allow teams to implement the oval wet weather package, including red Whelen lights. Each vehicle is equipped with Model M4 Series lights for inside the rear window and Model ION T-Series lights for under the rear bumper.

About Whelen Engineering… Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.

SHELDON CREED QUOTE:

What are your thoughts heading to Phoenix Raceway?

“I’m excited to get to Phoenix Raceway and see how our Whelen Engineering Chevrolet drives. Our team has been working hard to bring fast Camaros to the track each week and it was nice to get a top-10 finish in Vegas. I was successful at Phoenix in the Truck Series and hopefully that continues to translate to the Xfinity Series. We had a strong car last fall, so we should have a good starting point for practice.” 

Austin Hill and the No. 21 United Rentals Chevrolet Camaro SS at Phoenix Raceway… Austin Hill has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix Raceway, earning a best finish of ninth last fall while piloting the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. In addition, Hill has five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at the Arizona speedway, notching one pole (2019) and one top-10 result (2021).

Two for Three… Hill has had a strong start to the 2023 Xfinity Series season, claiming his second victory last Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro made the final pass approaching the white flag and held off the competition to cross the finish line first.

Top of the Standings… After three races, Hill currently leads the driver championship point standings. The Winston, Ga. native has a 21 point lead over second-place Justin Allgaier. 

About United Rentals… United Rentals, Inc. is the largest equipment rental company in the world. The company has an integrated network of 1,449 rental locations in North America, 13 in Europe, 27 in Australia and 19 in New Zealand. In North America, the company operates in 49 states and every Canadian province. The company’s approximately 24,700 employees serve construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners, and others. The company offers approximately 4,700 classes of equipment for rent with a total original cost of $19.3 billion. United Rentals is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, the Barron’s 400 Index and the Russell 3000 Index® and is headquartered in Stamford, Conn. Additional information about United Rentals is available at unitedrentals.com.

Turns for Troops… Through their Turns for Troops program, United Rentals will donate $50 for each lap that Hill completes in his United Rentals Chevrolet Camaro during the Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway. Funds from the Turns for Troops program, support Operation Homefront – an organization that has a mission to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive, not simply struggle to get by, in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:

You’ve captured two wins in three races to start this season. What is the difference compared to last year?

“I know we are only three races in, but even at Fontana, we worked on getting long run speed. Even if we struggle on the short run, we need to be good 50 laps into a run – which is what worked in our favor last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. We didn’t worry how off the car was for the first 10-20 laps, but instead focused on how good it was 30, 40, 50 laps into a run. Last season, I struggled a lot with falling off at the end. We would be strong on short run speed and then lose a couple of spots. Our No. 21 team has shifted that focus and I think that will pay off as we continue on throughout the season.”