Richard Childress Racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway … In 158 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned nine wins and three pole awards, including Kevin Harvick’s emotional victory in 2001. Dale Earnhardt won eight times at the Hampton, Ga., track under the RCR banner (1984-fall, 1986-fall, 1988-spring, 1989-fall, 1990-spring, 1995-fall, 1996-spring, 2000-spring). The Welcome, N.C., based team has 29 top-five and 59 top-10 finishes at Atlanta and has led a total of 3,013 laps at the 1.54-mile oval. Team owner Richard Childress recorded his best finish at Atlanta finish as a driver, a ninth-place effort, in the 1980 Atlanta Journal 500.
RCR In the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway … RCR has recorded four NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway, led by Jeff Burton (2006 and 2007). Kevin Harvick (2013) and Austin Hill (2022) have also claimed victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hill’s win in 2022 was extra special because Hill is a Georgia native and primary sponsor Bennett Transportation and Logistics is based in nearby McDonough. RCR as an organization has racked up 15 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes over a span of 56 starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Catch the Action … The RAPTOR 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, March 18 beginning at 5 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
The Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, March 19 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
This Week’s Andy’s Frozen Custard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Atlanta Motor Speedway … In 12 NASCAR Cup Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Dillon’s best finish is sixth in March 2021. Dillon had a fast RCR Chevrolet at his most recent appearance at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July 2022 but was taken out of the race in an on-track incident after 90 laps. He has earned top-10 finishes in each of his three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track and four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at the track.
Welcome, Andy’s Frozen Custard … Andy’s Frozen Custard is a fun, family friendly destination for desserts and treats, with lightning-fast service at safe drive-thru and walk-up windows. Andy’s uses only the finest ingredients and ensures that the frozen custard is always Made Fresh Hourly™. With a focus on product quality, customer service and community involvement, Andy’s has grown into the nation’s largest frozen custard-only business, with more than 2,000 employees and 131 company-owned and franchised stores across 15 states proudly serving the World’s Finest Frozen Custard. To find the closest Andy’s location near you, visit their website, www.eatandys.com.
Try the Andy’s Frozen Custard Three Crete Concrete … Andy’s Frozen Custard’s partnership with RCR and Dillon inspired a custom treat at Andy’s called the Three Crete Concrete that Dillon personally concocted with his favorite toppings – vanilla frozen custard, fresh banana, peanut butter and cookie dough. The Three Crete Concrete is available at all Andy’s locations.
GM Moves … Dillon made some key moves this week in his role as General Manager of the Carolina Cowboys, North Carolina’s first and only professional bull riding team in the PBR Team Series. Dillon made a blockbuster trade with the Nashville Stampede, trading bull riders Mason Taylor and Ednelio Almeida in exchange for the Stampede’s 2023 No. 1 draft pick. The Carolina Cowboys now join another notable sports franchise – the NFL’s Carolina Panthers – as Carolina-based sports teams heading into their season with their sport’s No. 1 overall draft pick.
Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to make an appearance at the RCR Merchandise Trailer in the Atlanta Motor Speedway fan midway area on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET. The 2018 DAYTONA 500 Champion is scheduled to greet race fans and sign merchandise at the rig (weather dependent).
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on Atlanta Motor Speedway?
“I’m excited to get to Atlanta Motor Speedway in the No. 3 Andy’s Frozen Custard Chevrolet. Atlanta has a little bit more of that superspeedway racing feel and if our RCR Chevrolet handles as it did in the Daytona 500, we will be a threat to win. We don’t have any practice, so we won’t worry so much about handling. It’s more about surviving and being at the right place at the right time. I’m confident my team will bring a fast Camaro this weekend.”
Overall, are you looking forward to Atlanta Motor Speedway? Chevy is off to a strong start to the season.
“I feel really good about Atlanta Motor Speedway. I have a lot of confidence heading into this race because Chevy has been so strong early this season. Atlanta Motor Speedway races like a speedway now and I’ve always loved speedway racing. If we get track position, I think this can be a really good race for us. There’s definitely some good racing going on at Atlanta Motor Speedway. There was some aggressive driving and blocking last year, so it’ll be interesting to see how the race plays out.”
What is your mind set when racing doesn’t go your way? When you don’t get the win, or have a less-than-desirable finish? How do you take it in stride?
“I do a pretty good job of keeping my mindset the same. Consistency over time usually pays off. That’s a big thing with me – being consistent in how I react to things. Last year, the Coca-Cola 600 did hurt because we were so close to a win. I did lose some sleep over that one, but past that, it’s been pretty good. I usually don’t lose much sleep at night.”
This Week’s Lenovo Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Atlanta Motor Speedway … Since making his first Atlanta Motor Speedway NASCAR Cup Series start in 2004, Kyle Busch has won twice at the 1.540-mile speedway (2008 and 2013). He has earned eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in 26 previous starts, and also won the pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2018. Busch ranks third among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led at Atlanta Motor Speedway with 551. He has three victories in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at the track and six victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Get to the Points … Busch is fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 29 points behind the leader. The driver of the Lenovo Chevrolet finished eighth this past weekend at Phoenix Raceway, his second top-10 in four races this season.
Welcome, Lenovo … Lenovo’s story has always been about shaping computing intelligence to create a better world. With the world’s widest portfolio of technology products, we deliver our vision of Smarter Technology for All through products, solutions, software, and services that individuals, communities, businesses, and entire populations need to fulfill their potential. We serve more than 180 markets, and we own the majority of our facilities, giving us unrivaled scale, efficiency, and control of our supply chain. Our global manufacturing allows tailored offerings to regional markets and includes more than 30 manufacturing facilities, including in-house, joint venture, original design manufacturer, and contract manufacturer sites in Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, Mexico, and USA.
KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
Is racing at the new Atlanta Motor Speedway especially challenging?
“Driving on the new Atlanta Motor speedway configuration is definitely challenging due to the fact that it’s really, really fast and it’s a mile-and-a-half so it seems like the superspeedway speeds that you get at a mile-and-a-half make everything go by really quick. Things happen quick, faster than a superspeedway. That’s definitely the challenging part. Understanding the grip level, the draft and the moves you can make is also pretty challenging. Since everybody is able to hold it wide-open for the most part, it pretty much makes it a plate race and it’s easier for everybody to go faster. Drivers would rather race on the old Atlanta Motor Speedway configuration.”
Does running well at Daytona International Speedway give you confidence entering this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway?
“Yes and no. I would say that we’ve had speed at Daytona International Speedway with the superspeedway cars. We had a pretty good handling primary car and then, unfortunately, we just weren’t quite able to get the handle the way we wanted it to with the second one, although I thought it was good after the practices we had. Going into Atlanta Motor Speedway, it’s just kind of an unknown. We just have to go in there and see what it all feels like and see how the Lenovo Chevy drives compared to what I remember driving there last year.”
Sheldon Creed and the No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Atlanta Motor Speedway… Sheldon Creed has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, both coming behind the wheel of the No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet in 2022. The 25-year-old captured his best finish of ninth place in the spring event at the Georgia speedway. In addition, Creed has three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts on his resume, earning one top-five and three top-15 results.
Strong Finish to West Coast Swing… Last week at Phoenix Raceway, Creed ended the West Coast swing on a high note. The No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet driver started from the fifth position and crossed the finish line in third place. This marks Creed’s best finish of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
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.
Meet Creed… On Saturday, March 18 at 2:45 p.m. ET, Creed is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Trailer located in the Fan Midway at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Stop by to meet the California native and purchase new gear.
SHELDON CREED QUOTE:
What are your expectations for Saturday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway?
“The repave and redesign of Atlanta Motor Speedway was brand new for everyone last season and no one knew what to expect during the first weekend. We came back for the second race with notes to utilize while preparing and it paid off for our Whelen Chevrolet. Our speed was there in both races, and I expect our Camaro to be fast once again. Coming off a third-place finish last week at Phoenix Raceway, I think we are ready to take another step forward with our No. 2 team.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Atlanta Motor Speedway… Austin Hill has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, earning one win and a second-place finish while piloting the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet in 2022. Hill led a total of 73 laps before capturing the checkered flag in July 2022. In addition, Hill has six NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at the Hampton, Georgia facility, posting one pole (2019), two top-five (2020, 2021) and three top-10 results (2019-2021).
Points Leader… After four races, Hill continues to lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver championship point standings. Hill has a 30-point lead over second-place John Hunter Nemechek.
Georgia Boy Returns Home… Hill is a native of Winston, Georgia, sited 60 miles from Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 28-year-old started his motorsports career racing bandolero and legends cars on the frontstretch quarter-mile oval at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hill’s family continues to live in the Peachtree State and will be in attendance for Saturday’s race.
Bennett Home Race… Located a short 15 minutes from Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bennett Transportation and Logistics’ headquarters are based in McDonough, Georgia. On Thursday, March 16, Hill visited the home office and met more than 200 employees and truck drivers. During Saturday’s race, Bennett will have more than 260 employees in the Upper Earnhardt Grandstands and Condo.
About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 14 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Bennett has 4,625 drivers/owner-operators, over 1,000 employees and 600 agents located across the United States. For more information, visit www.bennettig.com.
Meet Hill…On Saturday, March 18 at 1 p.m. ET, Hill is scheduled to take part in a question-and-answer session at the Trackside Live stage located in the Fan Zone at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Directly after at 1:20 p.m. ET, Hill is scheduled to make an appearance at the Bennett Family of Companies display in the Fan Zone at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Stop by both spots to meet the latest Xfinity Series winner at the Hampton, Georgia oval.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:
You are headed to your home track. Does that make the weekend extra special?
“It’s always fun to go back to your home track. I want to do well because I have a lot of family there and with Bennett Family of Companies being right down the road in McDonough, our No. 21 team wants to put on a good showing for them as well. We are really good on superspeedway style tracks, and this is one of those. The opportunity is there to get our third win of the season. It’s probably our race to lose, just because of how successful we have been on superspeedways both last year and to start the season this year. Our Bennett Chevrolets have been very fast and hopefully that carries over to Atlanta and we can do the hometown proud.”
If qualifying gets rained out, does that impact your strategy?
“No, not really. If it rains out qualifying, we should start third which is totally fine. If we are anywhere inside the top-10 to start, it will be great. To possibly start third, I think if you give the right push to the guy in front of you on the initial start, you both can get out and control the race. Track position is huge at Atlanta Motor Speedway with the new configuration, so starting up front and staying up front is crucial to having a good day.”
