RCR Race Preview: Richmond Raceway

Richard Childress Racing at Richmond Raceway… In 184 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Richmond Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has scored nine wins, led by Dale Earnhardt’s five victories (1985 – spring, both races in 1987, 1990 – fall, and 1991 – spring). Kevin Harvick won three times (2006 – fall, 2011 – fall, and 2013 – spring), while Clint Bowyer scored his first short track victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond (2008 – spring). The team owns 38 top-five and 74 top-10 finishes in NASCAR Cup Series competition at Richmond.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Richmond Raceway… RCR has seven victories in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Richmond Raceway led by Kevin Harvick’s five victories. RCR has racked up 32 top-five and 58 top-10 finishes at Richmond entering Saturday afternoon’s race.    

Catch Saturday’s Action… The Richmond 250 at Richmond Raceway will be televised live on Saturday, April 1 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. 

Follow Sunday’s Action in Richmond… The Richmond 400 will be televised live on Sunday, April 2 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Richmond Raceway… In 17 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Richmond Raceway, Dillon’s best finish is fourth (fall 2020). His five top-10 finishes at the track include a pair of consecutive sixth place finishes (April 2019 and September 2018). Most recently, Dillon finished 10th at the track in April 2022 and 16th in August 2022. He has 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Richmond Raceway, acquiring two top-five finishes, seven top-10 finishes and one pole award.

BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Sponsors the No. 3 at Richmond Raceway… BREZTRI is an AstraZeneca product and the sponsor of the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Richmond Raceway with Austin Dillon. You can learn more at breztri.com. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.

Fun Fact… Dillon’s career-first Xfinity Series start came at Richmond Raceway in 2008 driving the No. 21 Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma Chevrolet for RCR with crew chief Shane Wilson calling the shots. Dillon, who finished 26th in the race, went on to earn an Xfinity Series championship for RCR in 2012.

Meet Dillon… Dillon is scheduled to visit the Richard Childress Racing Merchandise Hauler in the fan midway at Richmond Raceway on Sunday at 12 Noon ET to sign fan gear and meet race fans.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:

What are your thoughts on Richmond Raceway?

“Richmond Raceway is a challenge, but this team is up for the challenge. I loved the track for about half of my NASCAR life, and for the other half it was such a brutal place to come race for us. My Richard Childress Racing team really flipped the script the last couple of years, and we’ve been consistent in the top 10 and running well. I’m looking forward to getting back to Richmond Raceway with the new lower downforce package. Tire wear is very fast so managing tires for 400 laps is key and I’ve always enjoyed the long runs. Richmond is a rhythm track, and after our top-five run at the L.A. Coliseum, I’m excited to see what the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet will do.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Richmond Raceway… Kyle Busch has two poles and six NASCAR Cup Series victories at Richmond Raceway in 34 previous starts – the most by any active driver – and is tied for third on the all-time win list at the track. He enters this weekend’s race with 10 consecutive top-10 finishes, a streak that began in the fall of 1997. Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with 18 top-five finishes at Richmond. His overall average finish at the track is 7.00. Busch has also enjoyed much success at Richmond in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, claiming six wins in 23 starts. 

Moving Up in the Points… Busch scored a second-place finish last weekend at Circuit of the Americas – his second top-five finish of the 2023 season and fourth top-10 finish. Busch is fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, a gain of three positions over the previous event, and enters Richmond 34 points behind the leader.

Racking Up the W’s… Busch has 17 Cup victories in 104 career short track starts. He has 12 combined wins at Richmond Raceway between the Cup and Xfinity Series.

All But One… Busch has completed all but one lap – a staggering 99.99% – in 34 Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway (13,628 of a possible 13,629 laps).

3CHI Blazed the Trail for Another Industry First… 3CHI and Richard Childress Racing created another first with their partnership for the 2022 NASCAR season, and will continue their partnership with Richard Childress Racing in 2023 with the No. 8 team and Kyle Busch. 3CHI began with roots as a CBD producer and quickly became a pioneer in science-based hemp and cannabis innovation. The company was the first to commercially develop and market Delta 8 THC, and today, 3CHI is an industry leader with unsurpassed product quality and purity as verified by top independent labs and benchmark organizations. 3CHI products are sold in a majority of the United States, and the company produces and markets a variety of gummies, tinctures, lotions, edibles and vape products. All 3CHI products meet federal requirements for full legal compliance, with a commitment to promoting responsible adult use. See 3CHI.com for more information.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

You have had a lot of success at Richmond Raceway. What is it about that track that fits so well with your driving style?

“I have had a lot of success at Richmond Raceway and I enjoy going there. It’s a fun place. I struggled and was terrible there when I started in the Truck Series back in 2001 but then the track got repaved. I was able to go back there in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and sat on the pole and got my first Xfinity Series win at Richmond. Now that the track has aged and the surface is getting older, it has really turned that track into a tough short track. It’s much harder than it once was. You used to be able to get down to the bottom, rip the center of the corner and drive off the corner really hard. Now, it’s all about managing your tires and taking care of your car. Long runs always happen there. The second and third stages go 100 laps plus and that’s about how far you can go on fuel so to try and stretch your tires 100 laps definitely makes it tough on the driver and the car.”

The Richmond race will be held in the afternoon and the track surface is older. Do you think that will make for better racing? 

“I don’t know if it will make any difference for better racing. I just think that it makes for different racing. Being there in the nighttime, I think it ventures more to the bottom, around the bottom. The shortest way around is the fastest way around. When you’re able to have it a little bit slicker with a little bit more track temp during the day, a little bit more rubber that goes down, it allows guys to move around somewhat but when your car’s good and you’re good around the bottom the shortest way around is the fastest way around, so I don’t see there being much difference.”

Sheldon Creed and the No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Richmond Raceway… Sheldon Creed has one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Richmond Raceway, capturing a 22nd-place result last season behind the wheel of the No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet. In addition, Creed has two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts on his resume at the track, earning two top-15 finishes.

Closing In on First Win… Coming off a strong performance at Circuit of The Americas last Saturday, Creed is gaining momentum and closing in on his first Xfinity Series victory. The Whelen Engineering driver led 16 laps, claimed the Stage 2 win and drove through the field after late race contact while leading to finish ninth.

Did You Know… On Wednesday nights throughout the year, Creed drives a micro sprint at Millbridge Speedway in Salisbury, North Carolina. Earlier this week, Creed, who pilots the No. 74 Whelen Engineering machine, captured a heat win and a second-place result in the dash, before ultimately finishing in the third position in the main feature.

Meet Creed… On Saturday, April 1 at 10:30 a.m. ET, Creed and his Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Hill are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Trailer located in the Fan Midway at Richmond Raceway. Stop by to meet the California native and purchase new gear.

Red Whelen Lights Ready… Prior to the start of the 2023 season, NASCAR announced the implementation of a newly-designed oval wet weather package that would be available at certain one mile and under tracks, in addition to road course circuits. If wet weather was to damper the on-track activities at Richmond Raceway, NASCAR would have the option to allow teams to implement the oval wet weather package, including red Whelen lights. Each vehicle is equipped with Model M4 Series lights for inside the rear window and Model ION T-Series lights for under the rear bumper.

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 QUOTE:

Last week at Circuit of The Americas, you had a strong run, led laps, and were in contention for the win. How is the No. 2 team feeling heading into Richmond Raceway?

“We had a great Whelen Engineering Chevrolet last week at COTA. I’m really proud of everyone involved who is pushing to make our team better. We’ve had good runs these past few weeks, but not necessarily the full result that we deserve. It feels like it’s the same thing, different weekend, with having a strong run going and then something happens that takes it away. But overall, I’m happy to be fast and running up front. We just need to keep building. We have been the last few weeks with strong stage results and if we continue to run the way we have been, we will start to get the finishes we want.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 United Rentals Chevrolet Camaro SS at Richmond Raceway… Austin Hill has one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Richmond Raceway, earning a 18th-place finish in 2022 while piloting the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. In addition, Hill has competed in two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events, notching one pole (2020) and two top-10 results (2020 – 2021), and three ARCA Menards Series East races, posting one win (2015) and three top-10 finishes (2013 – 2015) at the Virginia short track.

Every Other Week… To start the 2023 Xfinity Series campaign, Hill has won every other race to claim three checkered flags in a total of six events. If the pattern continues, the 28-year-old will capture the victory once again on Saturday at Richmond Raceway.

Holding Steady in the Standings… Through six races, Hill continues to lead the Xfinity Series driver championship point standings. The Winston, Ga. native has a 15 point lead over second-place Riley Herbst. 

Meet Hill… On Saturday, April 1 at 10:30 a.m. ET, Hill and his Richard Childress Racing teammate Sheldon Creed are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Trailer located in the Fan Midway at Richmond Raceway. Stop by to meet the sophomore driver and purchase new gear.

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 Richmond Raceway. 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.

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 at unitedrentals.com.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:

You had success at Richmond Raceway early in your career. What is your outlook heading back to a short track and what do you need out a car to run up front this weekend?

“I feel good about going to Richmond, because I won there in an ARCA Menards Series East car and I’ve had success there in the Truck Series even if the finishes don’t show for it. We always ran well, but something crazy would happen at the end of the race. Last year, our No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was really fast on the short run, but had issues with our right front tire cording on the long run especially towards the end of the run in Stage 3. We salvaged what we could, because we thought the right front could blow at any minute. If we get that part fixed and have some longevity in the car, I’m optimistic about our chances. You want to have a long run car there, not a short run car, because a lot of times Richmond goes green for awhile – 75 lap stages and you can go green the entire time.

To have a successful day, we need to have long run speed, manage entry as best as possible, have turn in the middle and then drive off. The drive off is crucial. You need drive off in order to not burn up the right front or right rear and go to the limit of the tire without slipping those right sides. That’s the key to having tire life at the end of a run.”