RCR Post Race Report – FanShield 500

Strong Run for Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team Spoiled by Cut Tire at Phoenix Raceway
 

36th
 

 

 30th
   20th
“We started pretty far back in the field today at Phoenix Raceway but Justin Alexander and everyone on the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet ZL1 1LE team did a great job of putting a solid plan together to get us up front. We started off the race with a loose-handling Chevrolet but adjustments on pit road definitely helped and combined with strategy, we raced our way into the top 10. We had to make an unscheduled pit stop for tires after leaving a lug nut loose, which put us a lap down but we were running really fast and I knew that we would be able to get back on the lead lap. Unfortunately, we cut a tire and ended up in the wall, ending our day well before we wanted it to end. It’s a disappointing finish, but I’m really proud of the speed that Richard Childress Racing has had so far this year and I know we will rebound.”

-Austin Dillon 

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet Team Show Top-Five Speed Before Tire Issue Ends Day Early at Phoenix Raceway
 

33rd
 

 

 29th
   25th
“It’s still a little too early to tell, but it felt like a tire cut on me and pushed me up into the wall, which ended our day. It’s a bummer. Our team had a fast No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet ZL1 1LE and were having a great race running inside the top-five for a majority of it. The traction compound did what we all hoped and opened up another groove on the track, which worked really well with our Chevrolet’s handling. I would fire off loose and build tight as the runs went on, but my crew chief, Randall Burnett, and the team did a good job adjusting for that. Unfortunately, we lost some track position in the third stage when I tried to give some room while running three-wide on the restart, but we were able to start fighting back once we took four tires again. I don’t know if we picked up something on the race track since debris can get stuck on the traction compound really easily, or what happened when the tire went down after that restart. It’s really hard to say if that’s exactly what happened, but regardless, we had a fast I Am Second Chevrolet. I wish we could have finished out the race, but at least we got some good stage points out of today.”
-Tyler Reddick

RCR PR