Race Highlights:
- Richard Childress Racing teammates Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon and Paul Menard finished fifth, 13th and 36th, respectively.
- Newman is tied for second in the Sprint Cup Series championship point standings, while Dillon ranks 19th and Menard ranks 22nd.
- In this upcoming Eliminator Round of competition, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship point standings will now be reset and the top-eight competitors will be even heading into Martinsville.
- Brad Keselowski earned his sixth victory of the 2014 season and was followed to the finish line by Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Landon Cassill and Newman.
- The next Sprint Cup Series race is the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, October 26, which is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time and is scheduled to be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Austin Dillon Finishes 13th in the Dow Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway
Despite incurring damage to the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet during an accident on lap 102 of 194 on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, Austin Dillon and the Gil Martin-led Richard Childress Racing team secured a top-15 finish in the Geico 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Dillon started the race 33rd and played a conservative strategy in the beginning portion of the event, running towards the back of the pack in order to avoid being involved in the “big one,” a multi-car incident characteristic of restrictor-plate racing. Unfortunately, he could not avoid right-front bumper and left-rear quarter panel damage to the No. 3 Chevrolet when he was involved in a multi-car incident on lap 102, bringing out the caution flag. Dillon pitted multiple times so that the RCR team could make repairs to his Chevrolet. He restarted 32nd on lap 108 and quickly drafted his way to 23rd even though he was experiencing handling issues as a result of body damage incurred during the lap-102 incident. Several additional pit stops for repairs helped remedy the issue. Following a pit stop on lap 174, Dillon was issued a penalty for exiting pit road too quickly when he gassed his car to avoid a car spinning on pit road. He made contact with another car in the process and pitted two additional times during an ensuing caution to repair damage, restarting 32nd. Dillon again worked his way through the pack by drafting. He survived two attempts at a green-white-checkered-flag finish to secure a 13th-place result in the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet.
Start -30th Finish – 13th Laps Led – 0 Points – 19th
“I was trying my hardest to brake during that wreck but I just couldn’t stop in time. It’s unfortunate that we had some damage for the rest of the race, but I am so proud of Gil Martin and everyone at RCR for getting the Dow Chevrolet repaired and competitive for the end of the race. We were still in contention right until the end, and that says a lot about the strength of RCR. I’m excited for Ryan Newman and everyone at the shop on making the next round of the Chase.”
Paul Menard finishes 36th at Talladega Superspeedway after Late-Race Accident
Paul Menard drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 27 Moen/Menards Chevrolet SS to a 36th-place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The Eau Claire, Wisc.-native started from the 20th spot and quickly found his way into the top 10. On lap 17, Menard opted to move to the back of the pack to avoid any wrecks that could happen during the opening laps. During green flag pit stops on lap 38, crew chief Justin Alexander called Menard down pit road for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. The Moen/Menards Chevy team remained in the top 20 for the remainder of competition, racing up as high as the second position. During a green-white-checkered-flag restart, Menard was in the 20th position, looking strong to advance through the field but a wreck with two laps remaining collected the RCR driver. This resulted in a 36th-place finish for Menard and the Moen/Menards Chevrolet team. Up next is Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Martinsville Speedway.
Start – 20th Finish – 36th Laps Led – 0 Points – 22nd
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
“We had a fast Moen/Menards Chevy today. The top line just wouldn’t stick but we tried to make it work and were almost successful at one point. After a few adjustments on pit road, Justin (Alexander, crew chief) and the guys had the car working really well. I guess we just ran out of luck there at the end but that’s okay. We’ve got four more to go after a win.”
Ryan Newman Leads Laps at Talladega Superspeedway to Finish Fifth
Ryan Newman drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS to a fifth-place finish in Sunday’s final restrictor-plate event of the season at Talladega Superspeedway. The South Bend, Ind., driver started 11th and used the first half of the 194-lap race to drive conservatively in or around the top 35. Shortly after lap 100, the Caterpillar Chevrolet driver took evasive action when a multi-car crash broke out mid pack. Newman quickly slowed, sustaining flat-spotted tires. After a pit cycle, Newman led the field to the green flag with 10 laps remaining and maintained the top spot when the caution flag waved with just four circuits left. He kept the top spot until the second yellow flag waved to set up a second green-white-checkered-flag finish. The No. 31 team restarted second and contended for the win before finishing fifth. The top-five result is the team’s fourth straight top-10 and transfers the No. 31 team into the Eliminator Round in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. The first of three races in the Eliminator Round is next Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.
Start – 11th Finish – 5th Laps Led – 10 Points – 3rd (Tied for 2nd)
“It ended up being a clean finish from what I saw. We had a good Caterpillar Chevrolet and we caught a break when that caution came out. It gave us the lead and with the way everything lined up, we had a chance to win. I am grateful for the top-five finish. I think winning one of the next three races will be the way to go and best scenario heading into Homestead.”
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