Championship battle tightens up heading into Bristol

Bristol 300

Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tenn.

 

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Bristol Motor Speedway … In 72 Series starts at the half-mile oval, RCR has completed 18,286 laps of the 19,051 (96.0 percent) that they have competed. The Welcome, N.C., organization has visited Victory Lane on seven separate occasions, four with Kevin Harvick (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005), Jeff Green (2002), Clint Bowyer (2008) and Elliott Sadler (2012). RCR has accumulated 27 top-five and 43 top-10 finishes, led 1,776 laps, have started from the pole position five times and average a starting position of 9.5 and finishing position of 11.6.

Mid-Ohio Review … Ty Dillon was the highest RCR finisher in third, Brian Scott seventh, Brendan Gaughan 13th and Brandon Jones 29th, respectively, in the XFINITY Series Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The Points … All three RCR XFINITY Series full-time drivers remain in the top 10 of the driver point standings as the Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend for the 22nd event of the season. Ty Dillon is currently second, Brian Scott, eighth and Brendan Gaughan, ninth. The No. 33 RCR team is third in the owner point standings.

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Social Media … To stay on track with the latest news and information and to view exclusive, behind the scenes content visit RCR’s Twitter account – @RCRracing, RCR’s NASCAR XFINITY Series team Twitter accounts – @RCR2BScott, @RCR3TDillon, @RCR33NNS and @RCR62BGaughan. RCR’s XFINITY Series driver twitter accounts – @bscottracing, @tydillon, @brandonjonesrac and @Brendan62. For additional photos, news and video log on to rcrracing.com.

Catch the Action … Coverage of this weekend’s XFINITY Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live on Friday, August 21, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC Sports Network. It will also be broadcast live on Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

Brian Scott, No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro

 

This Week’s Shore Lodge Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway … Brian Scott will pilot chassis No. 101 in Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series Bristol 300. This prepared chassis from the Richard Childress Racing stable has an average starting position of 5.9 and an average finishing position of 6.7.

The Last Great Colosseum History … Scott will be making his 13th XFINITY Series start this weekend in the Bristol 300 at BMS. In 12 previous starts, the Boise, Idaho, native has captured four top-10 finishes with an average start of 10.7 and an average finish of 18.9. Scott qualified fourth and finished eighth in the spring showing at the 0.53-mile speedway. He also has three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the track.

2015 at A Glance … After 21 XFINITY Series races this season; Scott has captured three top-five, 13 top-10 finishes, sits eighth in the driver point standings and has led 133 laps with an average starting position of 6.0 and an average finish of 13.7. According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Scott currently leads the XFINITY Series drivers with the highest average starting position of 6.0.

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Mid-Ohio Race Rewind … The Boise, Idaho-native started fifth for the Saturday afternoon XFINITY Series race at the 2.5-mile track. Scott battled inside the top 10 climbing as high as fifth. Scott drove the No. 2 Owen Mottie/Shore Lodge Chevrolet to a seventh-place finish at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Last Fall at Bristol Motor Speedway … The No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro qualified ninth at Bristol Motor Speedway. After a rain-delayed start to the 300-lap event, Scott secured himself inside the top 10 until the competition caution on lap 60. With 27 laps to go, Scott lost track position after brushing the outside wall and took the checkered flag in the 11th position.

BRIAN SCOTT QUOTES:
What are your thoughts heading into Bristol?
"I like Bristol Motor Speedway. The only downside of Bristol is I wish there were more opportunities to pass. It seems like when the groove is up high anywhere that we go, it makes passing more difficult. You might be faster than somebody but you have to pinch your car off on the bottom a little bit too much where the momentum always seems to prevail in these XFINTIY Series cars. It’s a lot of fun racing Bristol, especially if you are running up front. If you get shuffled back and you have a fast car it can be one of the most frustrating places just because of how hard it is to pass cars on the bottom."

Do you see Bristol in August as one of the most physically demanding race tracks?
"Bristol in August is more physically demanding just because of the heat element. You’re in a big super bowl so you don’t really get any air circulation. But, all-in-all, the race goes by pretty quick because we turn such fast lap times that you’re not exposed to heat for as long as a time as you would be in a lot of our races. I still firmly believe that road-course racing is the most physically demanding because there is a lot going on inside of the car and it really taxis you mentally with all the different corners. But Bristol in August is always hot and you are always sweating pretty good out there."

Ty Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet Camaro

 

This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway … Ty Dillon will pilot chassis No. 150 in this weekend’s Bristol 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro was most recently raced at Iowa Speedway by Brandon Jones where he finished eighth. In five NASCAR XFINITY Series races, chassis No. 150 has four top-10 finishes and two top-five finishes.

Dillon in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Bristol Motor Speedway … In four NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at the half-mile track, Dillon has recorded four top-10 finishes and two top-five finishes. Dillon has finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in his last two races at BMS.

Second time back … Earlier this season, Dillon drove the No. 3 Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet Camaro to a fifth-place finish at BMS. After qualifying 16th, Dillon proved he had a car capable of finishing up-front; he was inside the top five by lap 41. In the end, a strong day on pit road, fuel strategy and a fast Chevrolet Camaro gave Dillon his third top-five finish of the season.

#BattleAtBristol … Last Tuesday, August 11th, Dillon and RCR race strategy engineer, Derek Vaughan, visited Virginia Tech to promote the upcoming race weekend and next year’s "Battle at Bristol," the highly anticipated college football game featuring University of Tennessee versus Virginia Tech. Dillon and Vaughan, whom graduated from VT’s School of Engineering in 1998, toured the football team’s brand new practice facility, Lane Stadium, met with head coach Frank Beamer and several players and team personnel.

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Double Duty … In addition to driving the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro, Dillon is scheduled to get behind the wheel of the No. 31 Gunbroker.com Chevrolet Silverado in Wednesday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race for NTS Motorsports.

Mid-Ohio Race Rewind … Dillon drove the No. 3 Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet Camaro to a third-place finish Saturday afternoon in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200, recording the team’s third consecutive top-five finish and second consecutive road course top-five finish. Dillon qualified third, raced inside the top-five for a majority of the 75 lap race and in the end made a pass on the restart to finish third.

Points Update … Dillon moved into sole possession of second place in the XFINITY Series driver point standings with his third-place finish this past weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He trails the leader by 24 points with 12 races remaining.

Meet Ty Dillon … Meet Ty Dillon at the Bristol, Tenn. Bass Pro Shops on Thursday, August 20th beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Fans will have an opportunity to meet the driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Chevrolet Camaro and receive an autograph. On Friday, August 21st, Dillon is scheduled to visit the XFINITY Zone located in the fan midway at 2:20 p.m. and sign autographs at the UNOH display in the midway for the first 100 fans with Austin Dillon and Brendan Gaughan beginning at 2:45 p.m. One hundred wristbands will be given out on a first come, first served basis on Friday morning.

TY DILLON QUOTE:
Is Bristol one of you favorite places to race?
"Bristol Motor Speedway has been a race track I’ve had some success with some top-five finishes and some top-10 finishes in both the XFINITY Series and Truck Series. It’s very physically demanding from a driver standpoint and always provides great racing for the fans. It truly is ‘The Last Great Colosseum’ and is one of the most iconic venues in all of sports. Anytime I get into a race car there it’s a treat."

Brandon Jones, No. 33 Tide / Menards Chevrolet Camaro

 

This Week’s Tide / Menards Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway … Brandon Jones will pilot Chassis No. 131 in the Bristol 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro was driven by Ty Dillon earlier this season at Dover International Speedway where he started 12th and finished eighth. This short-track chassis has an average starting position of 6.8 and an average finishing position of 6.2.

Bristol Nuggets … Jones has five previous starts at the half-mile bullring in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East collecting one top-five and two top-10 finishes. The 18-year-old driver visited Bristol Motor Speedway in August for the Camping World Truck Series event where he started 10th and finished 20th.

Short Track Details … Jones is no stranger to short-track racing. He has accumulated 35 starts on tracks less than one mile in length across the Camping World Truck Series, K&N Pro Series East and ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. In those 35 starts, Jones has garnered three victories, one pole award, 14 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes with 330 laps led.

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33 Team by the Numbers … So far this season, the No. 33 team has accumulated some impressive stats with Jones, Austin Dillon and Paul Menard behind the wheel. In 21 races, the RCR team has garnered three wins, five pole awards, 11 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes with 428 laps led.

Looking Ahead … Following this weekend’s 300-lap affair at Bristol Motor Speedway, Paul Menard will pilot the No. 33 Richmond / Menards Chevrolet at Road America for the August 29 event.

Double Duty … Aside from his racing duties in the No. 33 Tide / Menards Chevrolet, Jones will also pilot the No. 33 MasterForce Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing in the Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 on Wednesday, August 19. Coverage of the 200-lap race begins at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time on FOX Sports 1.

BRANDON JONES QUOTE:
You seem to like short track racing, what are your thoughts heading into the weekend?
"Yeah, I’ve run pretty well in previous cars at Bristol, I just haven’t gotten the finishes we’ve deserved. I tested there a couple weeks ago with my truck team and had a good day. I think having that extra seat time will help a lot this week. I’m ready to go with this Tide/Menards crew, it’ll be fun."

How tense is it behind the wheel at Bristol? It seems like you’re in traffic all of the time.
"I think in the XFINITY Series race it’ll be a lot more intense, honestly. The trucks are pretty crazy with a fast pace, but the XFINITY cars are a faster pace than the trucks. It will definitely get a little crazy out there, you’ll be in traffic pretty much the whole time you’re out there, but it’s what makes racing at Bristol fun."

Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro

This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will pilot chassis No. 147 this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Camaro has been utilized with the No. 62 team since June 2014. Chassis No. 147 has an average starting position of 11.5 and a finishing position of 16.2.

Last Great Colosseum Stats … In eight XFINITY Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Gaughan has completed 2,133 laps of the 2,254 (94.6 percent) that he has competed. The Las Vegas native has earned three top-10 finishes, all coming in the last two XFINITY Series seasons. In March 2009, Gaughan started from the pole position. The 40-year-old driver also has eight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the half mile concrete oval, earning three top-five and three top-10 finishes.

Did You Know … In the last six races, Gaughan and the No. 62 RCR Chevrolet average a starting position of 7.5, a finishing position of 10.0 and have finished within the top 15 of the running order.

Spring Race at Bristol … No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet qualified in the eighth position for the spring edition of the 300-lap event. Despite battling a loose-handling condition throughout the race, Gaughan was able to race within the top-10 of the running order and finish ninth.

In the Rearview Mirror: Mid-Ohio …. Sporting a new paint scheme in honor of his Patient Champion Mikey Allen, Gaughan qualified 12th for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The Mikey Allen / South Point team battled a loose-handling condition in the left-hand turns and a tight-handling condition in the right-hand turns during the course of the 75-lap event. After making adjustments to the No. 62 Chevrolet during a lap-53 caution period, Gaughan restarted in the 25th position and improved his position to 13th before taking the checkered flag.

To the Points … Gaughan is currently eighth in the driver point standings as the XFINITY Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend.

BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
What are your thoughts about Bristol Motor Speedway?
"I love the new track as it is, but I wish they wouldn’t have ground the top row because it really made it an extra groove race. You just have to be a little extra careful and pay attention to your surrounds a little bit more. I think it’s better than it’s ever been. You no longer have to move someone out of the way to win Bristol, you can race them. Who would have ever believed you’d be three-wide at Bristol? If you’re a fan that’s watched racing at Bristol for the last 30 years, you probably never thought we’d get three-wide here. You can be three-wide at Bristol racing, digging hard and still bump and run, and push people, but you’re doing it in an artful way instead of the old way of smashing and banging them before going on by."