RCR Race Preview: Michigan International Speedway

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway…In 181 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 2-mile speedway, Richard Childress Racing has recorded three wins with drivers Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990) and Kevin Harvick (2010), plus 25 top-five and 59 top-10 finishes. Earnhardt scored a dominating victory in 1987, leading 152 of 200 laps and earned a thrilling victory in 1990, edging Ernie Irvan by just .22 seconds (about two car lengths). Harvick’s 2010 victory was the driver’s first in the Irish Hills.

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Michigan International Speedway… Richard Childress Racing has four victories in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Michigan: Kevin Harvick (2003), Paul Menard (2014), Austin Dillon (2018) and most recently Tyler Reddick (2019). The Welcome, N.C., team has claimed 14 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes in 52 starts at Michigan.

Catch Saturday’s Action in the Irish Hills…The Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, August 5 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The event will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Follow Sunday’s Action in Michigan…The Michigan 400 will be televised live on Sunday, August 6, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow MobilityScience^TM Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway…Austin Dillon has 19 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, posting five top-10 finishes and a career-best finish of fourth in August 2018. In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, Dillon has earned two poles (2012, 2013) and one win (2018) at the 2-mile speedway.

Welcome, Dow MobilityScience^TM…Dow’s MobilityScience™platform is designed to enhance the customer experience by tailoring technologies, products, and services from across Dow businesses to the transportation industry. The platform is pursuing accelerated growth by addressing Mobility mega-trends – where lighter weight, longer range, greater comfort, enhanced safety, and lower carbon footprint are the ultimate objectives. That is where Dow science, innovation, and people step in – working closely with customers to create the materials that bring the possibilities to life.

Notable Dow product brands used in transportation featured on the No. 3 Dow MobilityScience™ Chevrolet this weekend include VORATRON™, SILASTIC™, DOWSIL™ and ENEGAGE™.

Dow Brings a Science and Engineering Crew who is Driven by Limitless Curiosity to the RCR Team…Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership have expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by recreating in the lab one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack. After 10 years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer, and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments atwww.dow.com/sportsand follow us on Twitter@DowSports.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

Auto Club Speedway looks like Michigan International Speedway. How are they different?

“My opinion is that when it comes to the grip level and the smoothness of Michigan International Speedway, there is no comparison between the two. Racing at Michigan is like driving on glass compared to Auto Club Speedway. It’s one of the roughest tracks we race on. Michigan’s grip level is high. The sizes of both tracks are similar, that’s about the only thing that is different between them. Michigan is a place everyone wants to win. The automobile manufacturers are in Detroit, and our partner Dow will be at the race representing well. Michigan is so fast, I like the big arches you make entering the corner. It’s one of the fastest tracks we race at, and I enjoy racing there.”

You’ve been training hard in the gym and the simulator. What does that do for your mentality in a high-pressure situation?

“All the training and simulator time this year has made me more comfortable and excited when we get to the track and unload to try new things during practice. Sometimes you don’t always see the benefit but it’s underlying and there and the results will come. There are so many hours that everyone on my No. 3 Dow Chevrolet puts in, and I want to be at the top of my game every single week to give Richard Childress Racing 110% every single week.”

Michigan International Speedway is a fast, two-mile track. What is it about Michigan that you like?

“As soon as I started going to Michigan, I knew it was the kind of track that would click with me. I like the wide-open spaces the track provides to race on. There are so many lane choices during races that you can make, and as a driver that’s what you want to see. Michigan is a big fast 2-mile oval. Handling is key there, and working in the draft will be interesting. ECR’s engine package is very good, you always see ECR engines race very well. We have to perform in Dow’s backyard, and I feel like we have a serious shot at winning.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Kwik Trip/Kwik Star Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Michigan International Speedway… Kyle Busch will make his 35th NASCAR Cup Series start at Michigan International Speedway this weekend. Busch enters Sunday’s Michigan 400 with nine top-five and 15 top-10 finishes – including nine top-10 finishes in the last 10 Cup Series events – at the 2-mile oval. The driver of the Kwik Trip/Kwik Star Chevrolet won the 2011 event, edging seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in overtime. In 11 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, Busch has two wins and 10 top-10 finishes. In addition, Busch earned one victory in 10 NASCAR Truck Series events.

The Richmond Streak Continues… Last week, Busch scored a third-place finish at Richmond Raceway, his eighth top-five result and best finish on a short track in 2023. He claimed his 19th top-five in 36 starts at the .75-mile Virginia speedway and has completed all but one lap (14,428 of a possible 14,429) in those races.

The Points Chase…Busch moved up one position in the Cup Series driver championship point standings after Richmond. The Las Vegas native currently holds the fifth position, 96 points behind the leader. If the Playoffs started today, Busch would reset as the fourth seed.

About Kwik Trip… Founded in 1965 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Kwik Trip, Inc. is one of the largest independently held convenience store chains in the United States. Today, Kwik Trip owns and operates over 850 stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan and employs over 37,000 people. For more information please visit www.kwiktrip.com.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

What makes the Cup Series races so difficult to win at Michigan International Speedway?

“Michigan is always a difficult track just because it’s so fast. You’re going through the corners at such a fast speed that you’re sustaining high speeds all the way around. I’ve won at Michigan once years ago but that was on the old asphalt and now it’s finally getting to where the current racetrack asphalt is aging and leading itself to wider grooves that you can kind of maneuver around the racetrack a little bit better. Hopefully that’s the case this time around when we go back to Michigan.”

Is there any track on the schedule that you can compare to Michigan International Speedway? Auto Club Speedway is similar.

“Fontana is the closest just because it’s a two-mile racetrack, but the asphalt, grip level, and banking level is entirely different at each of those tracks. I would say Kansas, maybe, is the most similar. Kansas has really aged well and has progressive banking from the bottom to the top so you can run all over the racetrack. You can run to the top, right up against the wall for the majority of the day at Kansas. Michigan is not quite there yet. I’m not really sure anywhere compares entirely to Michigan.”

Is there a fine line on how far to trim the car out at Michigan International Speedway between practice/qualifying and the race?

“Michigan, for practice, qualifying and the race, you’ve got to put it in race trim. There’s not enough time between practice, qualifying and the race and not enough allowed adjustments to give yourself a slick, low-drag car for qualifying and then a high-downforce car for being in traffic for the race. You just put as much downforce in it as you can because you know you’re going to be out of the throttle at some point during the race. You just need as much grip as you possibly can get to keep your car going on the long run.”

Sheldon Creed and the No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Michigan International Speedway… Sheldon Creed has one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Michigan International Speedway, capturing an 11th-place finish last season behind the wheel of the No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet. The Alpine, Cali. native has two NASCAR Truck Series starts on his resume, earning a best finish of second in 2019. In addition, Creed has competed in three ARCA Menards Series events at the 2-mile oval, claiming the checkered flag in 2018.

Points Check… With six races remaining in the Xfinity Series regular season, Creed currently holds the final playoff spot in the driver championship point standings. Creed has a 22-point lead over 13th-place Parker Kligerman.

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 QUOTES:

What are your thoughts on Michigan International Speedway?

“Michigan is where I got my first ARCA Menards Series win, so I’ve always liked the track. The track itself is big, fast, and has a ton of momentum. Keeping your momentum up is a big key to having a successful race. To me, it’s a fun race as a driver because of the drafting element.”

As the regular season winds down, what is the biggest objective for the No. 2 team to make the playoffs?

“It’s a little close for comfort to be honest. The 22-point lead we currently have is not a lot of cushion. We need to gain as many stage points as we can throughout the race. Obviously if we can win, that’s great and the main goal every week, but if we can earn stage points consistently and end with a solid finish, we should be in the playoffs by the cut off.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 United Rentals Chevrolet Camaro SS at Michigan International Speedway… Austin Hill has one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Michigan International Speedway, earning a fifth-place result last season while piloting the No. 21 United Rentals Chevrolet. The Winston, Ga. native made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2022, driving the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to a respectable 18th-place finish. In addition, Hill has three NASCAR Truck Series starts at the 2-mile speedway, capturing one victory in 2019.

Top of the Standings… With only six races remaining in the Xfinity Series regular season, Hill has regained the lead in the driver championship point standings. The 29-year-old driver has a 14-point lead over second-place John Hunter Nemechek.

Double Duty… Returning to the site of his inaugural Cup Series debut, Hill will make his fourth career start in the premier series as he pilots the No. 62 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet for Beard Motorsports on Sunday. The pair is also slated to run in three additional Cup Series events in 2023 – Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

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 atunitedrentals.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 Michigan International Speedway. 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 QUOTES:

What are your thoughts about racing at Michigan International Speedway?

“I’ve won at Michigan in the Truck Series, so that gives me a little extra confidence going back. Probably should have a won a second race there in the Truck Series but got wrecked while running second in a green-white-checkered finish. I’ve always seemed to run well there though. Last season in the Xfinity Series car, we ran decent. The biggest thing about racing at Michigan is keeping your momentum up. It’s not a superspeedway by any means, but the draft does come into effect on restarts. Having the right lane choices, knowing when to run the bottom or run the top, knowing when to make passes and or push your lane are all keys as a driver to having a good finish. A lot of the superspeedway type feel comes into play until the field gets strung out. Once you get strung out, it’s a normal mile-and-a half style of race.”

What are the keys to having a successful race in the Irish Hills?

“It’s all about momentum and reminds me of when I would race in the Truck Series. If you drive in too deep, you have to lift too much and then you get on throttle too late, which slows lap time down. You are better off to roll out early and get back wide open sooner, to carry the momentum down the long straightaways. It will be interesting to see how the race plays out with the resin. From what I’ve heard, they are putting resin down. If that gets activated, you will start to move up throughout the race. Whoever has a car to run out of the resin and still make lap time will be the one that’s hard to beat. We need to have a car that is very versatile, that can go in and out of the juice that gets laid down.”