RCR Post Race Report — Dover and Kentucky

Race Highlights:

  • RCR teammates finished eighth (Clint Bowyer), 10th (Kevin Harvick), 11th (Jeff Burton) and 16th (Paul Menard).
  • Bowyer’s eight-place finish was his 11th top-10 finish of the 2011 NSCS season.
  • Bowyer earned the 10th-best driver rating in the 43-car field with a 91.1 according to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics
  • Bowyer spent 70 percent (277 laps) of the 400-lap event running in the top 15 according to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics.
  • Bowyer made 82 green-flag passes, 22 while running in the top 15 according to NASCAR Loop Data Statistics.
  • With his 15th top-10 finish of the season, Harvick takes over the lead in the 2011 NSCS Championship point standings.

  • Harvick had a average running position on 9.745, ranking him eighth in that category according to NASCAR Loop Data Statistics.

  • Harvick led the AAA 400 once for a total of 10 laps, spent 94.5 percent (378 laps) of the 400-lap event in the top 15 and had a 98.2 driver ranking according to NASCAR Loop Data Statistics.

  • Burton led the AAA 400 twice for a total of eight laps.
  • Burton climbed from 14th position to 11th position in the final 40 laps, ranking him fourth in the Closer category according to the NASCAR Loop Data Statistics.
  • Burton spent 46.8 percent (187 laps) of the 400-lap event running in the top 15 according to NASCAR Loop Data Statistics.
  • Burton ranked ninth in the NASCAR Loop Data category of Speed in Traffic with a speed of 147.880 mph.
  • Menard gained four positions in the final 40 laps of the AAA 400, ranking him third while Burton gained three positions tying him for fourth in the NASCAR Loop Data category of Closers.
  • Menard’s streak of completing each of his contested NSCS races at the “Monster Mile” continues with a 16th-place finish in his ninth appearance at the one-mile track.
  • The next NSCS race is the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, October 9 and will be televised live on ESPN beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio beginning at 1 p.m. EDT.

2011 CC Team Icon 27 NSCS Menards
Paul Menard and the No. 27 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Team Finish 16th at Dover

Paul Menard and the Pittsburgh Paints/Menards team rallied back to a 16th-place finish in the closing laps of the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway after working to neutralize the handling of the No. 27 Chevrolet Impala throughout the majority of the day at the “Monster Mile.” Menard started the Richard Childress Racing machine from the third position, his best career start at the Dover, Del.-based facility, and remained in the top 10 until the lap-40 competition caution. Despite the air pressure and chassis adjustments that the Slugger Labbe-led crew applied, the car’s balance transitioned from loose to tight and back to loose over the course of the 400 miler. The team raced between 11th and 16th as the race approached the halfway point and Menard reported the handling was much improved after the first 10 laps of a run. With the track conditions shifting, the car’s handling became increasingly loose and Menard slipped to 17th. After a green-flag pit stop on lap 243, the No. 27 Chevrolet cycled back to the 18th position by the time the caution flag was displayed on lap 255. Menard reported the handling was now tight in the center of the turns. Labbe called his driver to pit road for a two-tire stop which moved the Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet back into the top 15. Despite the efforts to tighten the car’s handling, Menard continued to battle a loose condition and fell back to 20th by lap 322. A lap-352 caution gave the team the opportunity to remove a spring rubber from the right rear in an effort to adjust the car’s handling. In the closing laps, Menard was able to climbed back, resulting in a 16th-place finish.

Start – 3 Finish – 16 Laps Led – 0 Points – 23

PAUL MENARD QUOTE:

The car wasn’t extremely loose or extremely tight, we just couldn’t seem to find the balance or the right line to run. The thing that’s great about Dover (International Speedway) is that you can run from the top to the bottom of the track. Today I would get past a car and then while searching for the line that the Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet could run best, the car would be back on our rear bumper. We’re chipping away at getting better at Dover.”

 

 

29 Rheem - pink

Harvick Notches Top-10 Finish at Dover to Take Over Points Lead

Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Rheem “Chasing the Cure” Chevrolet team picked up a 10th-place finish in Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway and, in the process, inherited the lead in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings. The black and pink Chevrolet was fast early in Sunday’s 400-mile race as Harvick quickly made forward progress from the 22nd starting spot, moving into the top 10 within the first 30 laps of the race. The handling on the No. 29 racer was so good at the beginning of the race that crew chief Gil Martin elected to not make any changes during their first pit stop at a lap-40 competition caution. Martin continued to keep the No. 29 Chevrolet “as is” through most of the first half of the race, not making their first adjustment until the fifth caution of the event at lap 174 during which time they made a slight air pressure adjustment and fresh right side tires in an effort to provide Harvick with more grip. The call paid off as Harvick moved into second place for the restart at lap 179. The Bakersfield, Calif., native worked his way around the race leader on lap 185 to take over the top spot. He maintained the point for the next 10 laps until he relinquished the lead on lap 195. While two-tire pit stops helped the team secure track position, it created a loose-handling condition later in the run for the Rheem ‘Chasing the Cure’ Chevrolet and as a result, dropped Harvick back to sixth place by lap 204. During their next four tire pit stop on lap 244, Martin called for a track bar adjustment in an effort to tighten up the racer. Harvick was running in the 10th position when the eighth caution of the race waved at lap 299 as he was still battling a loose-handling condition. This time around, Martin called for chassis and air pressure adjustments, four tires and fuel during the stop and the Rheem team sent Harvick back out on the track in 14th place for the restart. The 18-time Sprint Cup Series race winner climbed to the 11th position when the ninth caution was displayed at lap 351, then joined the majority of the lead lap cars for a visit down pit road. Many two-tire stops took place up and down pit road including that of the No. 29 Rheem ‘Chasing the Cure’ team, lining up Harvick in fifth place for the restart. Green-flag racing resumed at lap 358, but the loose-handling condition resurfaced on the No. 29 Chevrolet as the laps wound down and ultimately dropped Harvick to 10th position by the time the checkered flag waved.

Start – 22 Finish – 10 Laps Led – 10 Points – 1

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:

Obviously we circled this race (Dover) as a place to overcome some things, and the Rheem ‘Chasing the Cure’ team did a good job today. We were just so loose on two tires, which is kind of backwards from what it should be, but we had to put two tires on there at the end to protect the track position side of it. So all in all it was okay.”

 

 

2011 CC Team Logo NSCS 31 CAT

Burton, Cat Team Rally for 11th-Place Finish at the Monster Mile

The Caterpillar Racing team bounced back from an unfortunately-timed caution at the halfway point of the AAA 400 to record an 11th-place finish at the “Monster Mile.” Jeff Burton’s qualifying effort Saturday was the 13th-quickest of the 44 drivers attempting to compete in Sunday’s 400-lap event at Dover International Speedway. A tight-handling race car and multiple cautions in the first 110 laps on the high-banked one-mile concrete oval found Burton running 17th when he came down pit lane for a green-flag pit stop on lap 110. The afternoon’s fourth caution waved at lap 137 and, due to different pit strategies, Burton stayed out and assumed the lead when racing resumed. A misstep in the pits on lap 175 dropped the team to 22nd but, because of the different strategy, Burton reclaimed the top spot by lap 253 when he stayed out late before making a second green-flag stop. Unfortunately, another caution flag slowed the field just two laps later, putting the Cat Chevy one lap down to the leaders. The good news was that he was given the Lucky Dog pass and, though in 21st on the restart, Burton was again on the lead lap. A two-tire pit stop on lap 302 got the No. 31 out in the 11th spot for the restart. Burton ran as high as fifth and as low as 13th over the final 94 laps to earn an 11th-place finish.

Start – 13 Finish – 11 Laps Led – 8              Points – 24

JEFF BURTON QUOTE:

“Unfortunately, we didn’t do ourselves too many favors in the pits today but the Caterpillar Racing team rallied when we needed to and got a decent finish. We were tight off the corners early on but were actually a little loose at the end of the race.”

 

2011 CC Team Logo NSCS 33 Cheerios 150 px

Bowyer Posts 11th Top-10 Finish of 2011 at Dover

Clint Bowyer and the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet team ran strong for 400 laps and capped off the day with a top-10 finish in the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. Starting from the 27th position, the Richard Childress Racing driver was happy with the balanced setup on his No. 33 Chevrolet and worked his way into the 20th position before a competition caution was displayed on lap 40. After taking four fresh Goodyear tires and Sunoco E15 fuel, the Emporia, Kan. native continued his ascent through the 43-car field, entering the top 15 by lap 125 and the top 10 by the halfway point of the race. Rain showers around the Dover, Del.-based facility continued to threaten the outcome of the race, but with the exception of a few brief caution flags for light rain throughout the day, weather was never a major issue. Working his way into the top five after a blistering four-tire green-flag pit stop by the “Helping Hands” pit crew, the four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner began to fight a tight-handling condition on his racer in the beginning of long runs. After around 25-30 laps under green-flag conditions, the handling Improved on the red and yellow machine and Bowyer was able to race competitively in the top 10 for the remainder of the 400-mile event. The “Helping Hands” pit crew, once again, reeled off another strong four-tire pit stop late in the race with under 50 laps remaining before the final caution flag of the day waved at lap 363. The 32-year-old driver restarted eighth with 35 laps to go and climbed to as high as sixth with 30 laps to go before crossing the checkered flag in the eighth position for his 11th top-10 finish of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. With the strong finish, Bowyer remains 13th in NSCS driver championship point standings.

Start – 27 Finish – 8 Laps Led – 0 Points – 13

CLINT BOWYER QUOTE:

“It was a really strong run today for the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper team, especially starting deep in the field. Shane (Wilson, crew chief) called a good race and the pit crew was awesome today. I think we gained positions on every pit stop. I just couldn’t get by those guys in the end.”

 

 

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

RACE: Kentucky 225

TRACK: Kentucky Speedway

DATE: October 1, 2011

Race Highlights:

  • RCR teammates finished second (Austin Dillon), 13th (Joey Coulter) and 18th (Ty Dillon).
  • A. Dillon won the pole award with a track record lap of 30.022 seconds/179.868 mph, his fifth pole of 2011 and second at Kentucky Speedway.
  • A. Dillon’s average running position was 3.493, ranked second among all drivers according to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics.
  • A. Dillon led the Closers category, moving up four positions in the last 10 percent of the race, and was ranked first in NASCAR’s Loop Data categories of Fastest Early in a Run, Fastest Late in a Run, Speed in Traffic, Quality Passes, Green-Flag Speed and Fastest Laps Run.
  • A. Dillon was the only driver to spend 100 percent of the laps in the top 15, while teammates Coulter and T. Dillon spent 97 laps and 95 laps, respectively, in the top 15.
  • Coulter made 54 green-flag passes during the 150-lap event, ranking him third.
  • Coulter made 38 Quality Passes, ranking him fifth in that category according to NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics.
  • T. Dillon was the third fastest driver late in a run.
  • The younger Dillon made 51 green-flag passes during the 150-lap event.
  • T. Dillon ran as high as third and was the seventh-fastest driver on green flag runs.
  • Coulter leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings.
  • A. Dillon leads the NCWTS standings by three points over James Buescher with five races remaining in 2011.
  • Coulter moved up one position, to sixth, in the standings, 28 markers out of fifth and 70 markers out of the top spot.
  • Ron Hornaday earned his 50th career NCWTS victory and was followed to the line by A. Dillon, Buescher, Nelson Piquet and Brian Ickler.
  • The next NCWTS race is the Smith’s 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 15 and will be televised live on SPEED beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and  broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio beginning at 3 p.m.

2011 CC Team Logos NCWTS 3 BPS 150 px

 

Austin Dillon and RCR’s No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Team Earn Solid, Second-Place Finish at Kentucky Speedway

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team earned their second consecutive runner-up finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in Saturday’s Kentucky 225 at Kentucky Speedway. Dillon started the 150-lap race from the pole position after breaking the track record with a 30.022-second (179.868 mph) lap around the 1.5-mile track on Saturday afternoon. The 36-truck starting field was aggressive from the start of the race and Dillon engaged in a three-wide battle for the lead at the drop of the green flag before settling into the third position. He was running second on lap 20 when the caution flag was displayed and crew chief Danny Stockman called Dillon down pit road for a fuel-only pit stop designed to improve the handling of the black No. 3, which developed a tight-handling condition during the initial run. Restarting sixth on lap 25, Dillon spent the remainder of the race running in the top 10, making routine pit stops for tires and fuel. He inherited the race lead on lap 89 by staying out on the track while other teams pitted under caution. Dillon pulled away from his competitors once he was in the point position, leading by more than six seconds. Unfortunately, a piece of debris stuck to the grille of his Chevrolet Silverado and caused the truck’s temperature gauges to climb. Spotter Andy Houston advised the driver to place the nose of his truck as close as possible to the rear bumper of a lapped truck in an attempt to loosen the debris. The method worked but shortened his race lead by the narrowest of margins as the front runners hit pit road under green-flag conditions on lap 120. The Bass Pro Shops team serviced the RCR entry with four Goodyear Tires, Sunoco E15 fuel and removed the debris from the grille during the pit stop. Following the pit stop, Stockman advised the championship contending driver to “dig hard” as his competitors changed just two tires during the green-flag stop and therefore beat him off pit road. Dillon spent the last 30 laps of the race working his way around lapped traffic before closing in on the leader. He made several attempts at passing for the lead but settled for second, 0.438 seconds behind race winner Ron Hornaday.

 

Start – 1             Finish – 2            Laps Led – 32           Points – 1

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE: “We gave them hell at the end, but the old man (Ron Hornaday) whipped my tail. I gave it everything I had on those last laps but the truck was really tight. We took four tires during the green-flag pit stop at the end of the race and both Ron Hornaday and James Buescher took two tires. There’s something about two tires in this Truck Series. Three or four races this year have been won on two-tire pit strategies. It was the case today and it happened last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway as well.”

 

NCWTS 21No. 29 Realtree/Bad Boy Buggies logo

 

Ty Dillon Finishes 18th in His NCWTS Debut at Kentucky Speedway

Fuel system issues plagued Ty Dillon and the No. 21 Realtree Outfitters/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Silverado team in the Kentucky 225 at Kentucky Speedway resulting in an 18-place finish in the 19-year-old’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut. Dillon took the green flag from the 15th position Saturday night before slipping back to the 18th position as he battled a loose-handling Chevrolet in traffic. The first caution flag of the night was displayed on lap five and, on the ensuing restart, Dillon found some grip, moving into the 15th position four laps later. The second caution flag of the night waved on lap 22 allowing crew chief Scott Naset to call his young driver pit road for fuel and a chassis adjustment. Dillon restarted 13th on lap 25 and two laps later was scored in the 10th position. The 19-year-old driver maintained his 10th-place position until the third caution slowed the field on lap 42, prompting the No. 21 team to make another pit stop for four fresh Goodyear tires, Sunoco fuel and a chassis adjustment but as he was exiting the pit stall, the truck stalled costing Dillon several spots forcing him to restart 22nd when green-flag racing resumed on lap 46. The High Point University freshman radioed to his crew that the adjustments made were positive during the ensuing caution on lap 51. He restarted in the 15th position and began making his way toward the top 10 as another caution flag was displayed to the field. Naset elected to keep Dillon on the racing surface granting the young driver with the second-place position for the lap-70 restart. The Lexington, N.C., native ran in the top five for the next 10 laps before pitting for fuel only during a caution period on lap 80. He restarted 14th and, once again, began working his way into the top half of the field. The No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado was scored in the 10th position at lap 85, seventh at lap 95 and fourth at the race’s halfway mark. As the younger Dillon was settling into rhythm, he radioed to his crew that the truck was losing fuel pressure, which ultimately forced him to surrender his track position on lap 105 to pit for fuel. Dillon rejoined competition two laps later in the 21st position and climbed his way to the 11th spot before the loss of fuel pressure plagued the Realtree/Bad Boy Buggies team again. Dillon made his final trip to pit road with eight laps remaining in the 150-lap affair for additional fuel before crossing the finish line in the 18th position in his first NCWTS event.

Start – 15 Finish – 18 Laps Led – 0 Points – N/A

TY DILLON QUOTE:

“It was awesome running out there tonight. I had a lot of fun and learned so much from racing with championship contenders. It’s frustrating we had fuel issues because we were running so well, but we didn’t have anything to lose tonight. We came here to gain experience and learn things for next year. I’m really proud of Flash (crew chief Scott Naset) and the guys. I want to thank everyone at RCR, Realtree Outfitters and Bad Boy Buggies for giving me the opportunity to be out there tonight. It was great!”

2011 CC Team Logos NCWTS 22 RCR 150 px

Coulter Fights Back from Pit Road Collision to Finish 13th at Kentucky

After contending for the victory in his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Kentucky Speedway earlier in the season, Richard Childress Racing’s rookie driver Joey Coulter was hoping to pick up where he left off during his return trip to the Bluegrass state. Instead, a collision on pit road as the halfway point of the Kentucky 225 approached left the 21-year-old driver with a disappointing 13th-place finish. Though Coulter jumped out to strong start by picking off positions in the opening laps of the 150-lap race, a rash of cautions in the early portion of Saturday night’s event created various pit strategies throughout the 36-truck field, dropping the No. 22 RCR Graphics Chevrolet Silverado to the 15th position when the fourth caution flag of night flew on lap 50. Coulter went to work on the restart, climbing into the top 10 just before the fifth caution was displayed on lap 67. While exiting his pit stall on lap 68, Coulter’s truck collided with another competitor as they cut down in front of the No. 22 Chevrolet Silverado while attempting to enter their pit stall. The damage to the nose of the black and red machine required multiple return trips to pit road, costing Coulter valuable laps on the track. Never giving up, crew chief Harold Holly and the No. 22 team continued their efforts throughout the remainder of the 150-lap affair to assist the Miami Springs, Fla. native with the repairs, along with the handling issues that the pit road incident had created on the Chevrolet Silverado. Though not able to return to the lead lap, Coulter persevered and crossed the finish line in the 13th position, marking his 14th top-15 finish of the 2011 season.

Start – 9 Finish – 13 Laps Led – 0 Points – 6

JOEY COULTER QUOTE:

“We had a really fast truck and an unfortunate incident on pit road took us out of contention far too early. Harold and everyone on the 22 team did a great job making the repairs and getting everything we could out of the race. It’s not what we were hoping for at Kentucky but I appreciate everyone’s efforts to fight back for a top-15 finish.”