Richard Childress Racing at Talladega Superspeedway … Richard Childress began his driving career at Talladega Superspeedway in the inaugural Talladega 500 in 1969. Childress has won 12 NASCAR Cup Series victories as an owner at Talladega. Dale Earnhardt earned nine Talladega wins under the RCR banner, his first coming in 1984. Earnhardt scored his 76th and final Cup win in the 2000 fall race at Talladega which earned the team and a lucky fan each a $1 million bonus from the series sponsor. Other victories by Earnhardt include a sweep of both races in 1990 and 1999 plus 1991 (July), 1993 (July) and 1994 (spring). Clint Bowyer won twice for RCR (fall races in 2010 and 2011) while Kevin Harvick won the 2010 spring event.
RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway … Richard Childress Racing has also found success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one win, 11 top-five, and 20 top-10 finishes at Talladega Superspeedway. Two-time Xfinity Series Champion Tyler Reddick drove his No. 2 Chevrolet to Victory Lane in April 2019. Earlier this year, Jeffrey Earnhardt won the pole position and scored a second-place finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race Talladega.
Introducing the Carolina Cowboys … Driven by the same passion for performance that guides his race team, Richard Childress’ latest endeavor brings Professional Bull Riding to the Carolinas. The Carolina Cowboys represent Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the PBR Team Series, an elite new league featuring the world’s top bull riders in games that began in July 2022. The team is operated by Richard Childress Racing with 2018 Daytona 500 Champion Austin Dillon serving as General Manager.
Catch the Action … The NASCAR Xfinity Series Sparks 300 at Talladega Superspeedway will be televised live on Saturday, October 1, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on USA Network. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Follow Sunday’s Action at Texas … The NASCAR Cup Series Yellawood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will be televised live on Sunday, October 2, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on NBC. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Talladega Superspeedway … Austin Dillion heads to Talladega Superspeedway for this weekend’s YellaWood 500 with momentum on his side, as he finished second at the track in April (2022). Dillion has 18 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 2.66-mile tri-oval with one pole (2019) and five top-10 finishes. The 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion has four Xfinity Series starts at Talladega with one pole (2015) and a career-best finish of third. In two NASCAR Truck Series races at Talladega, Dillion has finished eighth (2010) and seventh (2011).
TRACKER Off Road … Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.
Bass Pro Shops … Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
How much more confidence do you have going into Talladega coming off a strong finish there in the Spring, and a recent win at Daytona International Speedway?
“I always feel like you’ve got something when you win on a certain type of track. Obviously, there’s a lot of luck involved as well, but the important thing is that there are opportunities to make your own luck. We’re going to work hard. We’ve just got to stay focused and see if we can play the same kind of chess match that we did earlier this year. Anything can happen at Talladega Superspeedway, but we’re going to do what we can to use momentum at the very end of the race to take advantage of positions.
This Week’s Realtree Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Talladega Superspeedway … Tyler Reddick will be making his sixth NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. The best finish by the driver of the Realtree Chevrolet is a pair of seventh place finishes (2020 and 2021). Reddick’s best finish on a speedway is second at Daytona International Speedway in August 2022. He also has one NASCAR Xfinity Series victory with Richard Childress Racing at Talladega in 2019. Reddick enters Talladega 13th in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings.
Welcome, Realtree … Realtree is the world’s leading designer of photorealistic camouflage, marketer, and licensor with over 2,000 licensees utilizing the Realtree patterns and brand. Thousands of outdoor and lifestyle products are available in Realtree camouflage patterns. In addition, Realtree is committed to supporting individuals and groups that work to ensure our outdoor heritage, veterans and military affairs, the conservation of natural places, and the wildlife that resides there.
From Pothole Mallards to Rice Field Sprigs to Spring Snow Geese, MAX-7 Will Keep You Hidden While on the X … Realtree will be the primary sponsor for Reddick and the No. 8 team this weekend at Talladega, featuring the company’s MAX-7 waterfowl Pattern. Realtree MAX-7 features imagery of common elements found in open waterfowl habitats and combines them in the foreground of the pattern with a detailed layer of cracked mud and moss in the background. It’s a purpose-built pattern designed to be used in more open areas that duck and geese haunt across the country.
TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
Are you looking forward to this weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway?
“I’m looking forward to this weekend at Talladega. Every year we do a race with Realtree, Tyler Jordan and the crew, and we’re going to have them on the car this weekend with their new Max 7 pattern. I’m really excited to get to Talladega and see those guys. Every time we’ve had Realtree on the car we’ve been really fast but it hasn’t come together but we’re going to find a way to get it done on Sunday.”
What was the most special part of winning at Texas Motor Speedway?
It brought back some memories from the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol in 2019 when we came back to win that crazy race. It was really cool to overcome the amount of problems that we had, the incidents and issues that we had throughout our day. I think we had eight or nine and All year long I’ve been saying we can’t have one single mistake. The thing I loved the most was we fought back from it, stuck to our strategy, and we kept adjusting on the fly as our issues presented themselves. We never gave up and kept fighting all night long. Nothing was going to stop us. We were determined to push through it all and for us as group, that’s what made it so sweet.”
How did this team stay together through all the adversity this year?
“Every spot matters in the NASCAR Playoffs. We just had two tough races. We brought a really fast car at Darlington Raceway. We were leading at Kansas Speedway when we broke and fell out early. It’s tough; I mean, two points. The win at Texas will makes the pain of not making it through a little bit easier. We’re winning races and that’s what we’ll keep trying to do.”
This Week’s Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Talladega Superspeedway … Sheldon Creed heads to Talladega Superspeedway for the second time this season and the second time of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career. Creed’s debut at the Alabama superspeedway earlier this season didn’t end the way he wanted after he was involved in a crash that took him out on Lap 113. However, Creed did start from fourth and had positive momentum going if it weren’t for the wreck. He made three starts at the track during his time in the NASCAR Truck Series, with a best finish of ninth in 2019. Coming off a solid finish last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Creed is looking to continue his top-10 streak.
Texas Rewind … In a chaotic race at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend, Creed and the No. 2 Whelen team salvaged a respectable seventh-place finish. In 27 starts so far this season, Creed has led 135 laps and has tallied three top-five finishes, 11 top 10’s, an average start of 10.6 and an average finish of 18.0. Although he’s not competing in the Playoffs, Creed is sitting in 14th in the driver standings.
Whelen Celebrates 70 Years … From a small garage workshop in Connecticut in 1952 to a worldwide leader in emergency warning equipment today, Whelen Engineering continues to push the boundaries of innovation. As we mark our 70th anniversary, we’re proud to continue our founder’s mission of making it safer for those who serve and protect.Whelen has been manufacturing in America for 70 years—we never left, and we’re here to stay.
About Whelen … 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 QUOTE:
You earned a solid seventh-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend and now we head to Talladega Superspeedway. How are you feeling?
“Yeah, finishing seventh last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway was definitely nice after we were eliminated from the NASCAR Playoffs the weekend before at Bristol. I guess it makes that sting a little less, but we still have one thing on our mind and that’s winning. These guys on my team and back at the shop deserve better and a top-10 finish at Texas is hopefully just the start of a positive trend for me and my team. Talladega Superspeedway is always a beast of its own so I’m doing my homework to prepare. Our team has been solid on superspeedways, my teammate Austin Hill has been really strong at the superspeedways. He won at Daytona International Speedway and we’re in the same equipment so I’m ready to get out there, make smart decisions, and get this team to Victory Lane. I know what this team and myself are capable of and that’s where my head is at right now. Winning.”
This Week’s Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Talladega Superspeedway … Austin Hill will make his third NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend and his second of the 2022 season. Hill, the 2022 Sunoco Rookie of the Year, hasn’t had the best results at the Alabama superspeedway in the Xfinity Series but looks to rebound this weekend for the second race of the Xfinity Series Playoffs. Earlier this season, Hill fell victim to a crash at the track and completed only 110 laps of 124. However, the No. 21 team and all of Richard Childress Racing have been extremely strong on superspeedways this season if it weren’t for bad luck. Hill made five NASCAR Truck Series starts in his career with a best finish of sixth in 2019.
Texas Rewind … Last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Hill made it through a handful of wrecks and chaos on the track and finished runner-up to Noah Gragson. Hill gained two spots in the standings and is now fourth, 30 points above the cutline.
Sunoco Rookie of the Year … Austin Hill has officially clinched NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Hill joins a long list of prestigious winners including drivers Kevin Harvick (2000) and Austin Dillon (2012), who also won the award under the RCR banner.
Women Drive Bennett … Bennett Transportation & Logistics is proud to have the “Women in the Driver’s Seat” (WIDS) paint scheme on Austin Hill’s No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro SS at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday. Bennett has been a woman-owned company since 1974. Founder and CEO, Marcia G. Taylor, has established her role as a champion for women in the male-dominated transportation industry. She started the WIDS program to advance women in trucking and logistics careers with four pillars: Be Resilient, Be Steadfast, Be Courageous, Be Fierce. There are currently 679 female truck owner operators, contractors and drivers within the Bennett Family of Companies. Bennett offers expansive driving opportunities for women. Visit womendrivebennett.com to apply today.
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 12 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. The company will use race experiences to recruit and retain hundreds of truck drivers for their organization in 2022. For more information, visit www.Drive4Bennett.com.
Come Hangout with Austin Hill and the Bennett Crew … On Saturday, before the start of the Xfinity Series race at Talladega, come out and visit the Bennett Recruitment Van in the FanZone. Hill will be at the display signing autographs from 12:15 p.m. CT to 12:30 p.m. CT. Bennett will have No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics swag for fans!
AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
You had a strong runner-up finish at Texas Motor Speedway to kick off the Playoffs and now the series heads to a superspeedway. Where’s your head at after the last week as you get ready to race on a track like Talladega Superspeedway?
“It definitely stung to finish second at Texas Motor Speedway because I felt like if we had more laps, I could have caught up to Noah Gragson. We just ran out of laps at the end. Our car was fast, and my pit crew and team were absolutely on it all day. It was definitely nice to start off the NASCAR Playoffs with a second-place finish, especially with us heading to Talladega this weekend. Anything can happen there so a points cushion is nice but definitely not enough when it comes to that track. It was certainly the momentum our team needed to kick things off. Our superspeedway program has been really good all season long. I mean, RCR as a whole has been great on superspeedways, so I’m looking forward to Talladega. I’ve been doing work in the simulator and I’m going to do exactly what I’ve done at all the superspeedway races this season and hopefully we park it in Victory Lane, just like we did in Daytona. I know I’ve got to be smart and stay out of the craziness so I can be right up there at the end. I have a good feeling about it and I know my guys are ready.”
