All Three Childress Drivers Primed for Saturday's Bud Shootout

All three RCR cars have a great shot at winning Saturday

Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Notes


Race: Budweiser Shootout
Date: February 18, 2012
Location: Daytona International Speedway

Seven Shootout Wins for RCR … RCR has earned seven checkered flags in the Budweiser Shootout (1986, 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995 with driver Dale Earnhardt and 2009 and 2010 with driver Kevin Harvick)and has had an entry in 25 of the 33 races.

Three to Get Ready … RCR will field entries for Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard in this year’s exhibition event. This is the fourth consecutive season that the Welcome, N.C.-based organization has had multiple entries in the Budweiser Shootout’s 33-race history.

Harvick is the 8/1 favorite to win Bud Shootout (Getty)

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet Impala
Event Preview Fact Sheet


This Week’s Budweiser Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway … The No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team will utilize Chassis No. 295 in Saturday’s Budweiser Shootout. Harvick drove this car to Victory Lane in the 2010 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway and also scored a seventh-place finish with it in that year’s Daytona 500.

Shootout Details … Harvick has made seven previous starts in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. He raced his No. 29 Chevrolet to back-to-back wins in the 2009 and 2010 Budweiser Shootout races and has earned four top-five and six top-10 finishes in the event. He’s led a total of 43 laps and completed 88.8 percent of the laps run (454 of 511) in the races he competed in. Harvick’s average finish in the Budweiser Shootout is 6.6.

Grab Some Buds … On Thursday evening, Harvick, team owner Richard Childress and the No. 29 team will join Budweiser Brewmaster George Reisch and host a private Budweiser Beer School in Daytona Beach for members of the media and the NASCAR industry. Reisch, a fifth-generation brewmaster, will teach the crowd about what goes into brewing the King of Beers.

Off Season? … During the off season, Harvick enjoyed a variety of activities. He started the New Year off by serving as an honorary coach for the Virginia Tech Hokies wrestling team as they took on the University of Maryland Terrapins in Blacksburg, Va., on Jan. 8. A couple weeks later he and New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera presented Gene Monahan, former head athletic trainer for the Yankees, with the William J. Slocum-Jack Lang award for long and meritorious service at the annual Baseball Writers’ Association of America dinner held in Manhattan on Jan. 21.

Hometown Hall of Famer … On Wednesday, Feb. 1, Harvick became the fourth driver inducted into the Bob Elias Kern County Sports Hall of Fame in his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif. Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears, off-road champion Roger Mears and Indy 500 competitor George Snider are also enshrined there.

Move Over Harvick, LO’s Going to be a Superstar … Harvick and his wife, DeLana, will tape a segment for National Geographic’s “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan,” with their Chihuahua, Little One (LO), during the Budweiser Shootout weekend. The air date will be announced at a later time.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

After the winter off season, is it good to run in the Budweiser Shootout and knock some of the rust off?
“I think so. I think anytime you can get on the race track in a competitive environment, it gives you a better idea of what you’re going to have. I think it enables us to kind of knock some of that rust off. As fast as the cars are and as many unknowns as there are, the Budweiser Shootout is definitely something that we’re all looking forward to.”

Is the Budweiser Shootout going to be a good indicator as to what you guys can and can’t do in relation to the two-car pushing after NASCAR has made the rule changes?
“To a certain degree; obviously, there’s probably going to be a huge temperature change from when we run the Daytona 500 in the afternoon to what we do on the night of the Budweiser Shootout. Mother Nature will definitely play a huge hand in the true effect of things, but the Budweiser Shootout is the closest you’ll get up until the (Daytona) 500.”

How different was this past off season for you?
“It’s been really good. (DeLana and I) went on vacation a few times and that’s something we haven’t had the chance to do a lot before. It’s been very relaxing. I was really kind of worried about being bored, but we’ve been anything but bored. It seems like you can always find something to do. Aside from my driving duties and the responsibilities that come with that, there’s no longer an absolute deadline and there’s not a 100 questions that you have to answer every day. It’s been very relaxing and good to recharge the batteries.”

What does that do for you going into the new season when you’ve had that type of an off season for the first time?
“I think it’s one of those things where we, including myself and everyone at RCR, have made more changes this year than we ever have. I think that’s the type of aggressiveness that you’re going to have to have within the company and the teams, and the kind of mindset that you’re going to have to have to get the championship. We’ve been close the last couple of years. Nobody really did anything wrong, we just needed to get better. In order for the No. 29 to get better, the Nos. 27 and 31 have to get better, too, in order to keep driving the performance to where it needs to be. As a company, I think the attitude and the enthusiasm is good. With the Nationwide Series shop being here there’s just more information, there’s more people and there’s more stuff flowing and that was always something we had in the past when we were winning a lot of races. Right now everything is going good and we’ll just keep plugging away.”

What’s your outlook going into this year? How long do you think it’ll take to develop chemistry with your new crew chief Shane Wilson?
“From here forward the only thing that’s acceptable is to win a championship. Obviously, the goal is to go out and win races, but the championship is really what we’re after. We’ve made the changes that we think are going to be better. Sometimes they are and sometimes they aren’t, but we had to do something to make the whole organization better. Shane and I have worked together in the past and I don’t really have a timeframe in mind for the chemistry to work in. I expect it to work right off the bat. We’re going to plug along as hard as we can. We’ve got some good plans and had some well-organized tests. I expect to go to Daytona and have a chance to win.”

Jeff Burton is 20/1 to win the Bud Shootout (Getty)

Jeff Burton
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes


This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway … Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 343 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable.This chassis, built in 2011 for RCR’s No. 29 entry with driver Kevin Harvick, competed in three superspeedway events last season including first the Daytona 500 where Harvick finished 42nd after retiring early due to engine failure. Harvick also guided this machine to a top-five finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April (started-38th, finished-fifth) and a top-10 finish in July in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway (started-31st, finished-seventh).

Career Budweiser Shootout Stats … This marks Burton’s seventh start in the annual preseason, non-points event.In six starts in the 75-lap shootout, Burton owns one top-five and three top-10 finishes and has led a total of nine times for 32 laps.His best effort in the Budweiser Shootout was a fifth-place finish in the 2001 event.

No Stranger to Victory Lane … Although he has yet to capture a victory in the season opening, no-holds barred race, the South Boston, Va., native has two Daytona race trophies on his mantle. The first is from the 2000 Coke Zero 400 and most recently from last season’s Duel 150 qualifying race.

Welcome Drew Blick … During the off season, RCR named Drew Blickensderfer as the crew chief on the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet for the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season. Blickensderfer spent the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season as crew chief of Roush Fenway Racing’s flagship No. 6 team with driver David Ragan, winning two pole awards and bringing home the checkered flag in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway in July. The 35-year-old Decatur, Ill.-native is best known for kicking off his Sprint Cup Series crew chief career in grand fashion in 2009 winning his first outing in the Daytona 500 with Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 team. The duo also won the following weekend at Auto Cub Speedway making Blickensderfer one of the only crew chiefs in history to win his first two races in NASCAR’s elite division. Blickensderfer also enjoyed success in Roush Fenway’s NASCAR Nationwide Series program with such drivers as: Carl Edwards, Danny O’Quinn and Kenseth.

Last Time Around … Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar team led the most laps and gained valuable information despite finishing eighth in the 2011 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. Burton was pushed to the lead by RCR teammate Kevin Harvick, completing the initial 25-lap segment of the 75-lap event running 1-2. After a routine four-tire pit stop during the event’s 10-minute break, the 21-time Sprint Cup Series race winner returned to competition for the final 50 laps. Despite being separated from Harvick at the restart, he hooked up with then RCR stablemate Clint Bowyer. The new duo drafted to the lead before competitor tandems would join them, moving Burton to eighth in the closing laps where he remained when the checkered flag fell.

JEFF BURTON QUOTES:

How important is it to be able to run in the Budweiser Shootout and knock some of the winter rust off?
“I think it is really important. Anytime you can race, it is a good thing. Running the Bud Shootout is a good educational experience and we’ll learn a tremendous amount about what we can and can’t do with the new rules package. I think the Bud Shootout can be very valuable.”


What do you plan to learn during the Budweiser Shootout as far as two-car tandem drafting is concerned?
“We don’t know what is going to happen with the new rules package. The Bud Shootout event gives us a practice right off the bat that we otherwise wouldn’t have. We will race that Saturday night and help build an idea of what is going to happen. We’ll be that much smarter at the end of the race. I think it is a great way to learn.”

Do you feel like the Budweiser Shootout will give you a good idea of what you can do or not do in the Daytona 500?
“The only difference is that track and air temperatures at the Bud Shootout will be cooler than the Daytona 500. Temperature matters so much with running in the pack or the two-car tandem racing. The ambient temperature makes a big difference on what you can and can’t do so it’s not a complete indicator of what to expect, but it does give you a hint of what could happen.”

Menard 20/1 to win Shootout (Getty)

Paul Menard
No. 27 PEAK/Menards Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes


The PEAK/Menards Chevrolet in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway … Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 335 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet Impala was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen on track at Talladega Superspeedway in October, where Menard started seventh and finished 12th.

Grab Some Buds! … On Saturday night, Menard will make his second Budweiser Shootout appearance. In July 2008, Menard earned the pole award at DIS, qualifying him for the 2009 Budweiser Shootout. He started from the pole position when he drew the top spot during Budweiser’s annual Shootout Draw Party and finished the two-segment event 12th.

New Faces on the No. 27 team … Three new faces will sport the signature neon yellow this season, joining the veteran No. 27 Peak/Menards team. Clint Almquist was a member of the No. 29 RCR team in 2011 and joins the No. 27 crew as a road mechanic. During the week, the Blythe, Calif., native is an RCR fabricator. Statesville, N.C.’s Josh Threatte joins as an engineer. When he’s not crunching numbers you can find this extreme athlete sky diving, rock climbing and mountain biking. On race day, newcomer Matt Kreuter will be fueling the No. 27 Chevrolet Impala. Kreuter joins from the No. 33 RCR team and was named NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge Rear Tire Carrier Individual Champion in both 2010 and 2011.


In the Rearview Mirror: 2011 … Menard and the No. 27 Chevrolet team closed the 2011 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway enduring a series of rain showers and a persistent tight-handling condition to finish 16th. On the strength of one win, four top-five and eight top-10 finishes, Menard finished a career-high 17th in the NSCS driver championship point standings.

PAUL MENARD QUOTES:

You are qualified for the Budweiser Shootout this year by virtue of your points finish in 2011. Does participating in that race help knock off some of the competitive rust?
“It will help us for both the 150s and the Daytona 500. With the rules changes that have been made in an effort to break up the tandem draft, racing in the Budweiser Shootout will give us the chance to see what the cars are going to do with the new package. It will be a big test session. Obviously, we want to win, but we’re going to try to learn as much as possible as well.”

Were you comfortable with the two-car drafting? There’s no arguing that it increased lead changes. What did you think of it?
“We set records for lead changes and for the number of different leaders with the two-car draft. We had close finishes and I think it’s safer. Honestly, I didn’t see anything wrong with it. What’s racing when you think about it? Lead changes, different leaders, close finishes and safety – we had all that covered.”

- Richard Childress Racing

Childress Drivers Looking For 31st RCR Daytona Victory Saturday Night

Richard Childress hopes for Daytona results similar to 2010 (Getty) 

Race: Coke Zero 400
July 2, 2011
Location: Daytona International Speedway
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Notes:

RCR Rocks Daytona … Dating back to 1986, RCR has won seven poles and owns 30 total victories at the most storied race track on the circuit. RCR owns two Daytona 500 wins (Dale Earnhardt – 1998, Kevin Harvick – 2007), three Coke Zero 400 trophies (Earnhardt – 1990, 1993 and Harvick – 2010) and 14 qualifying races, including 10 straight victories with Earnhardt (1990 – 1999) and the most recent coming with Jeff Burton earlier this year. Harvick became the fourth driver to win back-to-back Budweiser Shootout titles (2009 and 2010) and it marked the seventh win in the exhibition race for RCR, more than any other organization. In addition to Harvick’s victories, Earnhardt won the event five times (1986, ’88, ’91, ’93, and ’95). Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Feb. 2002 and 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Daytona, driving cars fielded by RCR. Harvick drove to Victory Lane in the 2007 NNS opener in the No. 21 Chevrolet and Clint Bowyer won the July 2009 NNS race at the “World Center of Racing.”

Kevin Harvick has two Daytona wins over his career, 2007 & 2010 (Getty)

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet
Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway … Kevin Harvick will race chassis No. 343 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Harvick has competed in this car twice so far in 2011: he led five laps before finishing 42nd when the car’s engine expired at Daytona in February and scored a fifth-place finish at Talladega in April.

Stars and Stripes … Budweiser and Harvick will celebrate Fourth of July this weekend with a special patriotic paint scheme selected by adult NASCAR fans. The paint scheme – white with red and blue stars and stripes – won the online vote hosted on Budweiser’s Facebook page by less than 700 votes after five weeks of voting.

Folds of Honor … Harvick’s No. 29 Chevrolet will also feature Folds of Honor, an organization that provides post-secondary educational scholarships for families of U.S. military personnel killed or disabled while serving their country, on the TV panel for Saturday night’s race at Daytona. In addition to the special paint scheme, Budweiser has featured a limited-edition red, white and blue Patriotic Can from Memorial Day through the Fourth of July and will donate a portion of all sales, May 26 – July 10, to Folds of Honor. In total, Budweiser is raising up to $2 million to support Folds of Honor this summer*, which is expected to fund more than 400 scholarships. (*Maximum donation of $2,000,000 includes $100 for every home run hit in select professional baseball games, 5c/case of Budweiser sold 5/26-7/10, and $46,500 for Dave Winfield’s 465 career home runs)

Milestone 375 … Harvick will make his 375th start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. In the midst of his 11th season in the series, Harvick has amassed 17 wins, 83 top fives and 164 top-10 finishes, and has led a total of 3,612 laps thus far in his career.

Harvick at Daytona… In 20 starts at Daytona International Speedway, Harvick has racked up one pole award, two wins, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes. He’s led a total of 162 laps and has an average starting position of 15.4 and an average finishing position of 15.8. Harvick has also completed 92.7 percent (3,237 of 3,493) of the laps run at Daytona since he joined the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit in 2001.

Last Time Around … In last year’s Coke Zero 400, Harvick and the No. 29 RCR team started first and led eight times throughout the race for a total of 28 laps. He passed teammate Clint Bowyer on the final restart and beat the competition to the checkered flag by a 0.092-second margin to score his second Sprint Cup Series points race win at the 2.5-mile track.

In the Loop … Harvick holds a number of loop data statistics at Daytona: second in fastest laps run (63), fifth in closers, seventh in green-flag passes (2,477), eighth in green-flag speed and eighth in laps led (84).

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

How do you have to approach Daytona with the two-car drafting? “I think as a team we have a set strategy that we’re going to go into that race with this week and see how it works. Whether that’s right or wrong, I don’t know. We’ve talked about it for a couple weeks now and have a good plan.”

Do you like the racing at Daytona now? “The racing would be the same way that it is now if the race tracks – the worst thing in the world that happens to this sport is repaving race tracks. That is the absolute worst thing you can do to make the racing bad is to pave a race track. You look at some of the race tracks that have been paved for five or six years now and I don’t know if it’s the type of asphalt or whatever they’re doing, but the racing isn’t the same that it was and the race tracks just don’t get bad. Basically, if Daytona and Talladega would have been paved like they are now, however many years ago and everybody would have figured out how to do – that car would have done what we do now, it’s just that there’s enough grip on the race track with the way that the asphalt is to allow you to do that. There’s really no way to fix it as far as I’m concerned. Unless you just say, go back to the no bump drafting in the corners. That’s the only way you can really fix it until the grip goes away. Paving the race tracks are a killer for the racing.”

Bowyer is using winning and runner-up car from last two Talladega races

Clint Bowyer
No. 33 Wheaties FUEL Chevrolet
Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s Wheaties FUEL Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot chassis No. 294 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This Chevrolet Impala, built in 2010 specifically for restrictor-place racing, has seen action at four races over the last two seasons, never finishing outside of the top 10. This includes a trip to Talladega Superspeedway’s Victory Lane last October, a fourth-place finish in the 2010 Daytona 500 and a ninth-place finish in this year’s edition of the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. Most recently, it was on track for a second-place effort in the April Talladega event where Bowyer finished a record-tying 0.002 seconds behind race winner Jimmie Johnson.

Career Daytona Stats … This weekend’s 400 miler marks Bowyer’s 198th career NSCS start.
* In 11 NSCS starts at “The World Center of Racing,” Bowyer owns two top-five and six top-10 finishes, posting his best finish of fourth twice – once in the 2009 Daytona 500 and the other one year later in the “Great American Race.”
* Bowyer has completed 99.9% (1,980 of 1,981) of the laps contested at the Daytona Beach, Fla.-based track during his career.
* The Emporia, Kan., native has led 146 laps at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
* Bowyer owns a 19.4 average starting position and an average finishing position of 13.2.

Bowyer in Black … This weekend under the lights, Wheaties FUEL will put “Bowyer in Black” as the No. 33 Chevrolet will feature a black-and-orange paint scheme for the Coke Zero 400. The scheme was voted in last month by Bowyer’s fans through a special online sweepstakes promotion.

Getting Loopy on Lake Lloyd …Bowyer holds some impressive loop data statistics on the high banks of Daytona. The four-time Sprint Cup Series race winner is fifth in laps led (146), sixth in driver rating (89.1), eighth in average running position, 10th in green-flag passes (2,327) and 12th in quality passes (passing a car in the top 15 while running under green) with 1,290 passes. He has also run 1,067 laps in the top 15.

Former Winner … The 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion won from the pole after leading 48 of the 102 laps contested in the 2009 NNS event. It was Bowyer’s first career restrictor-plate victory.

Wine Country … After starting from the ninth position, Bowyer and the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet team spent 96 of 110 laps running in the top 15 en route to their third top-five finish of the 2011 season, finishing fourth in the Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway.

Points Racing … With his strong top-five run last weekend, Bowyer jumped two positions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings to eighth. He now sits just 77 markers out of first and 40 points out of the top five.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:

Did the new pavement really change the racing surface at Daytona? “Yeah, it really did. Our 17th-place finish in the Daytona 500 didn’t really show our efforts there. With five or six laps to go, we were one of six cars that were going to have a shot at winning. It was a three, two-car break-a-way at the end and we were one of them. We just got wiped out. Someone got turned down low and ran us into the wall. We made it a lot longer than most of them. We just didn’t make it as long as Trevor Bayne did.”

Are you on terms with two-car drafting? “Oh yeah, I like it. I really do. It gives you something to focus on and work on all race long instead of just riding along. With so much on the line, you need to get yourself a good finish and give yourself the best odds. Before, I would go to the back, ride for awhile to stay out of trouble and let that big wreck to happen if it’s going happen. After that, you would put yourself in position at the end to win the thing. That was the smart thing to do. Now, you can kind of prevent that from happening. You can get latched onto a teammate that you know you’re on common ground with. You know him and what he’s going to do. On top of that, you’re talking to him back and forth on the radio. I just like that situation better. You can kind of control your destiny a little bit more. If you’re running well and want to stay up front, why not lead laps and be on TV for your fans and your sponsors? If not, go to the back because, together, you know you can get right back up there when it’s time.”

Can you explain what it is like to push someone at 200 mph when visibility is a problem? "You know, it’s not really that big of a deal as some people think it is. The biggest thing you have to figure out is how to push him the longest and keep your car cool. It’s about moving out to the left side and getting some air in your grill and doing it at the right time so you don’t loose time. As soon as you duck out, you’re pushing a lot bigger hole through the air and the cars behind you have that much more air to suck up onto. You really have to be careful when to pull out and cool your car and when not to. At the end, you need to have that thing cooled down so you can stay single file and tight up to him. That way, you can have a shot at winning.”

What did you think about Trevor Bayne winning the Daytona 500? “He’s a super kid. I’m very happy for him. Obviously, I’m really happy for the Wood Brothers. That win turned their whole program around. They’ve had sponsorship and been to the track in a lot bigger fashion, but now they’ve had a lot bigger excitement around their team and that’s because of Trevor Bayne and the wonderful job he did. I don’t know if he paid his dues quite yet, but certainly happy for him and everyone involved. That was a huge win.”

Jeff Burton will be using his winning Gatorade car from February (Getty)

Jeff Burton
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway … Jeff Burton will race Chassis No. 331 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend’s Coke Zero 400. Built new for the 2011 season, this No. 31 racer first competed in the second Duel 150 qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway where Burton drove it to victory. He then raced this Caterpillar Chevrolet in the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 that ended eight laps shy of the halfway mark when the engine suddenly expired, crediting the No. 31 team with a 36th-place finish. Burton also drove this RCR racer to a 16th-place result at Talladega Superspeedway after starting 27th earlier this season.

Daytona Details … Burton is the 2006 Daytona 500 pole sitter and a former winner at the famed Daytona International Speedway when he claimed victory under the lights in the July 2000 Sprint Cup Series event. He was also victorious at the second Duel qualifying race in February earlier this year. In 35 starts at the ‘World Center of Racing,’ Burton has posted one win, seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes and has led 118 laps of competition.

Loopy at Daytona … Burton has some notable Daytona stats: Second in Fastest Drivers Early in a Run, Third in Fastest Drivers Late in a Run, Thirdin Green Flag Passes (2,685), Third in Green Flag Speed, Fourth in Speed in Traffic and Seventh in Quality Passes (1,632).

A Career Milestone … This weekend’s Coke Zero 400 will mark Burton’s 600th career start in NASCAR’s premier division, ranking him 22nd on the All-Time Sprint Cup Series starts list. TheSouth Boston, Va., native is also tied with Bobby Labonte, Benny Parsons and Jack Smith for 29th on the all-time wins list with 21 victories, including his first at Texas Motor Speedway’s inaugural event in 1997, back-to-back wins at Darlington Raceway in 1999, two Coca-Cola 600 wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1999 and 2001, and under the lights at Daytona International Speedway in 2000. In 19 years of Sprint Cup Series competition, Burton has compiled six poles, 128 top-five and 237 top-10 finishes.

Burton Meets Ochocinco … Before heading to the 2.5-mile tri-oval in Daytona Beach, Burton will stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday morning where he will meet Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. The two will make hot laps before Ochocinco teams up with the No. 31 Caterpillar pit crew for a work out and pit stop instructional.

Meet the Driver … On behalf of Coca-Cola, Burton will sign autographs at the Walmart store located at 1101 Beville Road in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Friday, July 1, beginning at 12 noon.

Happy Birthday, Jeff … Caterpillar driver Jeff Burton will celebrate his 44th birthday on Wednesday, June 29. He is the sixth-oldest driver listed on this weekend’s entry list behind Dave Blaney, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Mark Martin and Joe Nemechek.

JEFF BURTON QUOTES:

Did you make too quick of an exit from the Daytona 500 to experience what you’re going to see in July? “No. We ran almost half of the race and being that I’ve ran at Daytona multiple times so we’ll be fine. I feel really good about our (restrictor) plate program. We led a lot of laps at those races this year. You have to approach Daytona much more like Talladega now. I think that will be the same for the Coke Zero 400. I don’t see any possible way that the track has lost enough grip that you wouldn’t approach it like a Talladega race. You’re going to expect a lot more bump drafting and a lot of the two-car break-a-ways.”

How comfortable are you with the two-car breakaway and two-car draft? “I’m really comfortable with it. I like it a lot. I don’t have any issue with it. It’s difficult to see when you’re the guy pushing. There are a lot of challenges and some of it gets your attention. We adapted to that pretty quickly. We worked real hard at it practicing for the (Daytona) 500. By the time the race came around, I feel like we had adapted to it pretty well. I’m pretty comfortable with it.”

Explain what it’s like to be pushing someone at 200 mph. “Well, you literally can’t see. The only thing that you can see is if you’re approaching turn one and you look out of the side window, you can see the middle of (turns) one and two. But, you can’t see anything in front of you. You have no idea what you’re catching. You’re totally committed to that guy in front of you. He’s communicating with you – telling you what’s going on. You’re committed to your spotter. It’s truly blind racing.”

What did you think of Trevor Bayne winning the Daytona 500? “It’s always cool to see someone new in the sport have success. It’s always cool to see a team like the Wood Brothers have success. You had both of them there. The (Daytona) 500 has turned into what would almost be a wild card race today. The only thing that has been disappointing for me about the (Daytona) 500 in modern history is it used to be that the greats of the sport won the race. With the (restrictor) plate races being so different than it’s ever been before, that’s opened the door for people that may not have had success at other places have success at the (Daytona) 500. That’s good and bad. It’s good because it propelled Trevor Bayne, someone new to our sport for spectators to say ‘wow, a rookie won the Daytona 500.’ That’s good for our sport. On the other hand, it’s a little odd because we have people winning races that haven’t had much success anywhere else. It’s two fold. I thought it was cool for both Trevor Bayne and the Wood Brothers. But, for the Wood Brothers in particular and their history in the sport, it was pretty cool to see the No. 21 back in Victory Lane.

Menard impressive in plate race

Paul Menard
No. 27 Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway … Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 338 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet Impala was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen on the track at Talladega Superspeedway when Menard brought home a 12th-place result after starting from the fifth position. Menard also drove this racer at DIS in February, where he turned the fourth-fastest lap during qualifying for the Duel 150′s. He started on the front row for the first of the two qualifier races and finished ninth. He then started 19th in the 53rd running of the famed Daytona 500 and finished ninth, his career-best finish at Daytona.

Starting up front at Daytona … Menard earned his one career NSCS pole position at Daytona International Speedway. In 2008, he claimed the pole award for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (July). The following year, he started the Budweiser Shootout from the pole position when he drew the top spot during Budweiser’s annual Shootout Draw Party.

Daytona Tidbits …
* In eight previous starts at a track that is notorious for the field-reducing ‘Big One,’ Menard has completed an impressive 98.9% of his laps (1,401 of 1,416).
* He has an average starting position of 23.6 and an average finishing position of 19.9, with his best finish of ninth coming in this year’s Daytona 500, where he led for 11 laps.
* Menard has led for a total of 30 circuits around the 2.5-mile tri-oval over the course of his five-year NSCS career.

A Loopy Year in Review … After 16 races, the Eau Claire, Wisc., native maintains an average running position of 16.29, has made the third-highest number of green-flag passes (1,923), has spent 48.5 percent of his contested laps racing in the top 15 and is ranked third in quality passes. He has also completed 94.2 percent of his laps (4,578 of 4,858).

Race Rewind … Paul Menard made his career-best start of third at Infineon Raceway in last weekend’s Save Mart 350. With damaged fenders on the No. 27 Duracell/Menards Chevrolet, he battled a tight-handling condition throughout the 110-lap event. His 17th-place finish marks his career-best finish at the Sonoma, Calif.-based road course; however, he fell to 17th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.

PAUL MENARD QUOTES:

You had a great run in this year’s Daytona 500. How do you feel about going back to Daytona (International Speedway), and will the things you learned in February carry over to the July race? “I think you are going to see a repeat of the (Daytona) 500 as far as the two-car drafts are concerned. It’s going to be hotter, but the track has so much grip that it won’t really matter. There will still be two-car breakaways and we’ll manage that the best we can. I am definitely looking forward to returning with power that the ECR (Earnhardt-Childress Racing) engines give us.”

Do you like the two-car breakaway? “I like it a lot better than the pack drafting. There’s a lot more control in the driver’s hands. Restrictor-plate racing still isn’t my favorite type of racing. It is a total crapshoot once you’re out there.”

Describe what it’s like to push someone at 200 mph. Is there a feeling of lack of control? “Yeah, you really can’t see anything. You can see more once you get to the corners because you can kind of look up through the top of the windshield over the car in front of you. When you’re going down the straightaway, you really have no idea where he’s going. You have to take a snap shot of what’s happening in front of you when you go through the corner because you can see then. You have to work off that picture in your mind when you’re going down the front and back stretch.”

By Trevor Bayne winning the Daytona 500, does that give people confidence that if you hit on something and keep persevering, anyone can win the race? “Honestly, it’s restrictor-plate racing and anything can happen. You always have some wrecks where good cars get taken out early. That opens the door for some guys that may not be able to compete every week for wins. Trevor had a really strong car in February and the end of the race played in his favor. I am very confident that we’ll have a strong car this weekend when we go back to Daytona. It’s anyone’s ball game there.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Releases

RCR Drivers Seeking First Team Win in 31st Kansas Start

An RCR driver has never won at Kansas (Getty)

Richard Childress Racing
Race: STP 400
June 5, 2011
Location: Kansas Speedway

One Trophy Missing from the Shelf … Surprisingly enough, in 30 NSCS starts at Kansas Speedway, RCR has only three top-five and eight top-10 finishes. RCR’s best finish at Kansas was Clint Bowyer’s runner-up finish in 2007. All told, RCR has a 24.6 starting average and a 16.5 average finish at the metropolitan Kansas City race course. The only other tracks on the current schedule where RCR hasn’t earned Sprint Cup Series wins are Homestead-Miami Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Collective RCR … Over the season’s first 12 races, RCR’s four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entries have notched three wins, nine top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. The No. 31 team kicked off the 2011 season with a non-points win in the second Duel 150 qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway. The No. 29 team visited Victory Lane at Auto Club Speedway in March and backed that up with a win the following weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Most recently, Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 team visited Winner Circle at Charlotte Motor Speedway, claiming the checkers in one of NASCAR’s marquee events – the Coca-Cola 600. RCR-prepared Chevrolets have also completed 15,580out of 16,324 total laps (95.4 percent) with drivers Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Harvick and Paul Menard, who have led a combined 443 laps. At least one RCR driver has led laps in each of the season’s first 12 events.

Get to the Points … Following the Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte, Harvick advanced three spots, to second, in the point standings where he sits 36 markers in arrears to the top spot while Bowyer remains in eighth, 27 points in arrears to cracking the top five. Menard moved to 20th in the standings, 47 points outside the top 10 while Burton gained one spot, to 22nd, sitting 24 markers in arrears to Menard’s tally.

RCR on Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news and information and to view exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page (@RCRracing), the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages (@RCR27PMenard, @RCR29KHarvick, @RCR31JeffBurton and RCR33CBowyer) and RCR’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing).

Clint Bowyer has lots of incentive to win at his home track (Getty)

Clint Bowyer
No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet
Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s American Ethanol Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot chassis No. 360 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new Chevrolet Impala that will be put through its first paces in this weekend’s 400-mile contest.

Career Kansas Stats … The STP 400 marks Bowyer’s 194th career NSCS start.
* In five NSCS starts at Kansas, Bowyer owns one top-five and two top-10 finishes, posting his best finish of second in 2007.
* He has completed 99.9 percent of the laps (1,277 of 1,278) contested at Kansas during his career.
* The Emporia, Kan., native has led 43 laps at the 1.5-mile facility.
* Bowyer owns an average starting position of 15th and an average finishing position of 11.8.

Home Sweet Home … Bowyer, a native of Emporia, Kan., grew up just over 100 miles southwest of Kansas Speedway. He graduated from Emporia High School and attended Flint Hills Technical College. He began his career racing motorcycles in his native Kansas when he was five years old and made the transition to four wheels in 1996, racing Street Stocks at Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kan. Over the next seven seasons, he went on to win dirt modified championships at Thunderhill Speedway (2000), Lakeside Speedway (2001 & 2002) and Heartland Park Topeka (2001). Bowyer also won an asphalt late model championship at the famed I-70 Speedway in Odessa, Mo. and the 2002 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Midwest Championship.

Getting Loopy … Bowyer holds some impressive Loop Data Statistics through the first 12 points-paying races of the 2011 season. He is currently ranked third among all drivers in the category of average running position, with an 11.835 average. He has an average driver rating of 95 (a formula combining wins, finishes, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes), ranking him fourth among all drivers. In addition, he leads all drivers in quality passes (passing a car in the top 15 while running under green) with 975 quality passes so far this season.

Double Duty … For the second consecutive NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, Bowyer will be behind the wheel of the No. 2 Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Silverado for Kevin Harvick Inc. as he returns to a hometown crowd to compete in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 on Saturday, June 4. Bowyer has yet to make a NCWTS start at his home track, but has had solid runs at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval in NASCAR’s other two premier series. Flag-to-flag coverage of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 will be televised live on SPEED beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio beginning at 1:45 p.m. EDT.

Points Racing … With his 15th-place result last weekend in Charlotte, Bowyer maintained eighth-place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings. He now sits 80 markers out of first.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:

Bowyer using a brand new car this week at Kansas (Getty)

What are your thoughts about running two races at Kansas Speedway?
“I’m really excited about it. I’m just proud to be from Kansas. It is amazing to see what the track has brought to that area. It’s really cool. Every year that we go back, they always have something new. That’s what makes me proud about that area and what they’ve been able to accomplish there. Kansas is becoming one of those tracks that everyone likes going to just because of the area and how much there is to do there.”

I know you’re going to win there. Do you think it’s going to be like a Trevor Bayne-Daytona 500 moment?
“I don’t even know. That’s a pretty big moment to top, but it would be big. We’ve gotten close, including that deal with Biffle in 2007. We ran well the first couple races there, but we’ve struggled here as of late. It’s an important track for me and it would be a helluva party, I can promise you that (laughs).”


You saw that track (Kansas Speedway) being built. Tell that story. “Yeah, right there at the intersection of I-70 and I-435, it’s just amazing. That’s the route you took to get to the dirt track at Lakeside. To drive by there and see the growth was really cool. It was nothing but an old, bad part of town and now it’s one of the best and new places to go in the whole city.”

Did you ever dream of wanting to race there?
“Oh yeah. Once it was built, I drove by it every week and would set goals just to be able to drive there in anything. I never dreamed I would be able to drive an ARCA car there, let alone start a race in a Sprint Cup Series car.”

Do you carry a lot of speed going down into the corners like you do at other 1.5-mile race tracks?
“Yeah, it’s fast and fairly slick. It’s a difficult place to get around. It doesn’t really race like your typical 1.5-mile race tracks. I think that’s just because of the grip level. It’s hard to hook the bottom. It’s hard to get up top and find grip and get that momentum around the race track. It makes for a fun race. It really does.”


Does Chicagoland Speedway carry similar characteristics?
“Yeah, but it’s even a little bit more slick than that. Trying to hook the bottom in turns three and four is very difficult. We were getting to the point last year where I could roll through turns one and two up high, but hooking that bottom when you’re out front in clean air is so important. You have to be able to sail around that bottom.”

Harvick is using a strong car from the 2010 season this week at Kansas

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes


This Week’s Budweiser Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway … Kevin Harvick will race chassis No. 318 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The team utilized this race car three times in 2010, earning finishes of third (Kansas, October 3), eighth (Charlotte, October 16) and sixth (Texas, November 7).

Kansas Notes … In 10 starts at Kansas Speedway, Harvick has earned one top five and four top-10 finishes. He’s led 83 laps, has an average starting position of 24.3 and an average finishing position of 14.6. Harvick has also completed 95.8 percent (2,503 of 2,613) of the laps run at Kansas.

Last Time Around … Harvick and RCR’s No. 29 team scored their best-ever finish at Kansas Speedway in 2010. Harvick started the race from 24th position, led 16 laps and finished third.

In the Loop … Harvick owns several notable loop data statistics at Kansas as he enters this weekend’s race: fourth in green-flag passes (399), seventh in fastest laps run (59), eighth in average running position, eighth in driver fastest early in a run and ninth in driver rating (87.1).

Double Up … In addition to his Sprint Cup Series schedule in the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet this weekend, Harvick will fly to Joliet, Ill., on Saturday to compete in the Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. ESPN will air Saturday’s STP 300 live starting with the pre-race show at 7:30 p.m. EDT. MRN Radio will provide the live radio broadcast.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

Talk about Kansas as far as them having two races and what do you expect from Kansas? “You never really know until you get to a particular area. Sometimes you look at two races – the old saying don’t make two mediocres out of one good, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I think California is a good example of that. With the people that they have around them that support the crowds, they’re probably a one-race track. Kansas has always been sold out and had a great atmosphere and had a great attendance. If both races are still sold out then it’s a success. If it’s not then you need to go to Iowa.”


The first Kansas race is going to be in June. Do you have to throw out all the notes and start over? “No, you don’t have to throw out all the notes. You will have somewhere to start. It really depends on what tire they bring as to what direction to go with your car. So you adjust to that and the tires are constant evolution. Goodyear trying to make things better and trying to make more technology and do things so you have to keep up with that side of it. The cars evolve constantly from an aerodynamic standpoint. The weather will probably be warmer so things will definitely change a little bit but it won’t be an overhaul.”

Burton has shown signs of breaking through the last few races (Getty)

Jeff Burton
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway … Jeff Burton will pilot chassis No. 355 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built new for the 2011 season, this No. 31 racer was put through its first competitive paces at Darlington Raceway a few weeks ago. Burton was well on his way to posting his first top-10 effort this season but the engine on the Caterpillar Chevrolet expired with just under 20 laps remaining, resulting in a disappointing 33rd-place finish.

Kansas Details … In 10 starts at Kansas Speedway, Burton boasts one top-five, two top-10 and five top-15 finishes with his best finish of fifth coming in October 2006. He has a 27th-place starting average coupled with an 18.5 finishing average and has completed 97.8 percent of laps contested.

Last Time Around … In last season’s 400 miler, Burton started 23rd and, on the strength of a fast No. 31 Chevrolet, he advanced to fifth by lap 108. However, the turning point in the race came 80 laps later when a loose-handling condition transpired and set the tone for the remainder of the event, resulting in an 18th-place finish.

Former Winner … The South Boston, Va., native visited Kansas Speedway’s Victory Lane in 2002 when he took the checkers first in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race after starting second and leading 48 laps en route to victory.

Eye on the Prize … Despite sitting 22nd in the Sprint Cup Series point standings, Burton and the Todd Berrier-led team are not out of the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup hunt. With 14 races remaining before the 12-member Chase class is set, Burton can still make a championship run by gaining 71 points and cracking the top 10 or visiting Victory Lane at least one time, depending on other driver victories and where they are stationed in the points rundown.

Welcome Home … Two members from the Cat Racing team hail from the Sunflower State. Aaron Schields, rear-tire carrier on the Caterpillar Chevrolet, calls Goodland home while Chris Tidwell, mechanic on the No. 31 entry, is from Emporia.

JEFF BURTON QUOTES:

What are your thoughts about running two races at Kansas Speedway?
“I think it’s a track that has deserved the right to have two races. It’s a track that is highly supported by the fans. A lot of people come out and are enthusiastic about being there. If we’re going to run somewhere twice, that’s where we need to be. We need to be in places where people want to go to a race twice. I think it’s a good thing we’re there twice.”

This is another track where your finishes haven’t shown how well you’ve run there.
“No, not really. We’ve struggled a little there. It hasn’t been our best race track. I can’t really think of a time that we had a car to win at Kansas. I struggle at Kansas. We need to look real hard and see what we need me, as a driver, and us, as a team, to be better there because it hasn’t been a good track for us.”

Talk about Kansas as a race track.
“Typically, tracks get better as they get older. I think Kansas is a good example of that. You see a lot of different options and drivers running different grooves. I think that’s a good thing.”

Talk about the amount of speed you carry into the corners at Kansas.
“Kansas isn’t a fast-feeling type of race track. Texas and Charlotte feel quite a bit faster than Kansas. Kansas is more of a rhythm-hailing race track, whereas the other ones are too, but they have more grip.”

Menrad is using fifth-place Texas chassis

Paul Menard
No. 27 Zecol/Menards Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes


This Week’s Zecol/Menards Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway … Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 351 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet Impala was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen on track at Texas Motor Speedway where Menard brought home a fifth-place result after starting from the 19th position.

By the Numbers at Kansas … In his four career NSCS starts at Kansas, Menard has finished each of his contested races and completed 99.7 percent of his laps (1,008 of 1,011), leading for 11 circuits. He has an average starting position of 12.8 and an average finishing position of 23rd. The last time around (October 2010), Menard made his best start of second and logged his best finish of eighth. He also has three top 10s in five NASCAR Nationwide Series starts, claiming the pole position in his first NNS visit to the 1.5-mile oval (October 2004) and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start in July 2003.

A Loopy Year in Review … After 12 races, Menard maintains an average running position of 16.7 and is ranked third in Quality Passes. He has also completed 93.2 percent of his laps (3,803 of 4,091).

PAUL MENARD QUOTES:

What are your thoughts about running two races at Kansas Speedway?
“I like Kansas (Speedway). It’s a beautiful track. It’s very ‘Midwestern’ with great race fans. I’m really glad they gave us another race date there.”

Does it feel a little bit like home when you go there?
“A lot like home. I’ll have some people shoot down I-35 from Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin to come watch the race.”

You finished eighth last year and led 11 laps. What do you remember about that race?
“We were fast all day long. We led a little bit. Then I think we had a bad pit stop on the last stop which put us back a couple spots. It was one of those races that you wish you could have a ‘do-over.’ I think we could have come away with a top five pretty easily.”

Talk about how racy Kansas has become since the new asphalt.
“Well, the track is very wide now. Even in practice, you’ll see people running up by the fence. That’s always a good sign for the race.”

In terms of speed in turn one, is it different than any other 1.5-mile racetracks?
“No, but the turn one entry seems to be a little bit wider like you’re turning before you actually start slowing down compared to Texas (Motor Speedway) or Charlotte (Motor Speedway). Obviously, they’re shaped differently. But, there’s a really wide entry into turn one, you don’t feel the speed like you do at a track like Texas.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Releases

One Million Reasons Why the Childress Drivers are Looking Forward to the All-Star Race

Kevin Harvick will be using a brand new chassis this week

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Budweiser-Realtree Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes


This Week’s Budweiser-Realtree Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Kevin Harvick will race chassis No. 346 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new No. 29 racer that will be put through its first taste of competition this weekend.

Million Dollar Pay Day … In the 2007 running of the Sprint All-Star Race, Harvick started on the outside of row two for the final segment, jumped to the outside on the opening lap and grabbed the lead, and never looked back as he took the checkered flag and won one million dollars.

All-Star Race Notes … In 10 starts in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Harvick has earned one win (2007), two top five and five top-10 finishes. Combined, he’s led 62 laps, has an average starting position of 8.4 and an average finishing position of 11.1.

Change of Scenery … Harvick’s No. 29 Chevrolet Impala will sport a different look for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 2007 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race winner will transform his traditional black machine into a No. 29 Budweiser-Realtree Chevrolet, featuring Realtree on the hood, trunk and C-post with camo trim highlighting the body panels of the now-familiar Budweiser theme.

Last Time Around … Harvick and RCR’s No. 29 team started 13th and finished sixth in last year’s All-Star Race. The Bakersfield, Calif., native was able to avoid several incidents during the fourth and final 10-lap segment, advancing three positions from ninth before the checkered flag waved.

In the Loop … Harvick owns several notable loop data statistics in the All-Star Race as he enters this weekend: fourth in closers, fourth in laps led, fifth in green-flag passes, sixth in drivers fastest late in a run, eighth in fastest on restarts, eighth in laps in the top 15 (380) and ninth in driver rating (81.6).

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

Talk about the upcoming NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. “All-Star week is always a lot of fun. The crew guys are a big part of All-Star weekend with the pit stop competition and they’re a big part of the race. It’s an important week for us to see what we have, competition wise, heading into the (Coca-Cola) 600 and really evaluate the performance of the race car on the race track a week before the race. It’s a fun week and there’s a lot of money on the line. I guess it’s a really good paying test session but it’s a lot of fun, too.”

How important is it to use the All-Star Race as an information gathering event for the Coca-Cola 600?

“Everything you do in that race is at night and the (Coca-Cola) 600 ends at night. You have to take what you do in the All-Star race and the daytime practices and mix those two together and rely on a lot of past notes. You may try some new things, too, and have a set-up that’s adjustable for 600 miles.”

Jeff Burton has three Charlotte wins, but none in the All-Star race

Jeff Burton
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 344 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built brand new for the 2011 season, this No. 31 racer competed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March where handling issues relegated Burton to a 21st-place finish before rebounding nicely at Texas Motor Speedway one month later when the 21-time Sprint Cup Series race winner posted his best finish of season thus far of 11th.

Breaking Down Showdown Stats … In 17 full seasons in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Burton has competed in the Sprint Showdown six times – 1995, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2010. His 2003 victory allowed him to transfer into the prestigious All-Star Race where he went on to finish ninth.

No Stranger to CMS … Although the South Boston, Va., native has yet to collect a million dollar payday, he is no stranger to Victory Lane. Burton has visited CMS’ Winner Circle on three separate occasions – May 1999, May 2001 and October 2008.

One Year Ago …Burton and the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing team overcame a 17th-place starting position to finish third in the annual Sprint Showdown 40-lap event. The veteran driver was on the move in the early going, moving into the top 10 on lap six and the top five at lap 12. The South Boston, Va., native traveled to fourth on lap 23 and into third on the ensuing lap, spending the remaining laps trying to reel in the second-place car. But, the handling on the Caterpillar Chevy shifted to the tight side in the closing circuits and Burton couldn’t make up any time on the frontrunners, taking the checkers one position shy of transferring into the All Star event.

How it Works … The Sprint Showdown consists of two 20-lap segments. All laps, both green and yellow, will count in the first segment before pit road opens, allowing teams to pit if they choose to do so. Teams who elect to pit will lose their track position and must line up in the order that they return to the track behind those cars that do not pit. Only green-flag laps will count in the second and final segment. The top-two finishers in the Sprint Showdown will transfer to the All-Star Race.

JEFF BURTON QUOTES:

What are your thoughts on competing in the Sprint Showdown for the second consecutive year?

“It’s disappointing and embarrassing not to be in the All Star race. I’ve won over 20 races and to not capitalize on a lot of opportunities last year to win races certainly has its consequences and this is one of them. At the end of the day, it is what it is. We’ll go to the race track and try to have fun without a lot of pressure. At the same token, it’s not fun if you’re not in the main event. Last year, we made some calculated gambles and ended up having a relatively long green-flag run and that hurt us in finishing first or second. But, we’ll do our best to try and transfer to this year’s All Star event.”

How tough is it having to race your way in to the All Star race? “You, certainly, can’t count on getting in by the fan vote so you have to focus on racing your way in. Drivers want the chance to win a million dollars but, honestly, the trophy is what it’s all about. Money doesn’t motivate me. My job does. The trophy is always going to be there and, to me, that’s a bigger deal than anything else.”

Clint Bowyer is coming off an excellent run at Dover

Clint Bowyer
No. 33 BB&T Chevrolet
Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s BB&T Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot chassis No. 333 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This Chevrolet Impala saw action earlier this season when Bowyer scored a top-10 finish (seventh) at Auto Club Speedway.

Career All-Star Stats … Bowyer has two career appearances in NASCAR’s million-dollar event. In 2008, the four-time Sprint Cup Series winner started ninth and finished 18th, and in his most recent appearance in 2009, he started 17th and finished 12th.

Sprint Showdown … The Emporia Kan., native also has three career starts in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a career-best finish of sixth coming in the 2007 qualifier. Last year, Bowyer finished 23rd after being involved in an accident with six laps to go.


CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:

How do you view the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race? Is it still a big deal to you? “It’s a big deal, but just another race. In this sport, things are so important now. If I’m running second and there’s a green-white-checkered restart, my opinion about that race has changed. Until then, I treat it like it’s just another race. It pays more money, obviously, and the hype and everything is big. It’s not like our teams or us as drivers can pick up the pace and go faster because it’s more money. Yeah, there are no points, so you can take more gambles and take risks you wouldn’t normally take. Aside from that, it’s just another race.”

Along the same lines, would you do something out of character to win it? “It depends on the situation. Like I said, if you’re running second with a green-white-checkered restart, it definitely changes the whole aspect of everything.”

In this day in age, is winning one million dollars still a big deal? “Oh, hell yeah! Winning one million dollars is always going to be a big deal.”

What do you think of the format of the All-Star Race? “It’s good. There’s a lot that happens throughout that race. If you’re in the back, it could possibly set you up to be in position. If you just ran the race straight through, it would be the first four or fives guys that were up front that would win.”

Menard has been sliding lately

Paul Menard
No. 27 Moen/Menards Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s Moen/Menards Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway …Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 326 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen in competition at Bristol Motor Speedway where Menard brought home a fifth-place result after starting from the fourth position. This Impala most recently made laps during the Goodyear tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in April.

No Holds Barred … Saturday night marks Menard’s fifth appearance in the Sprint Showdown. He earned his best result of fourth in last year’s no-holds-barred event. Menard ranks fourth in the Loop Data category of Quality Passes and is seventh in Laps in the top 15 with 105 logged laps.


PAUL MENARD QUOTES:

You will have to race your way into the Sprint All-Star Race this weekend. How fun is the Sprint Showdown? “Yeah, we’ll head to Charlotte (Motor Speedway) ready for the short runs. We would have rather been qualified already for the All-Star Race, but the (Sprint) Showdown is a lot of fun. There’s little to no pressure. Obviously, you still want to run well. We’ll also use that as a test session for the (Coca-Cola) 600. We’ll try some things, but we want to race our way into the All-Star Race. I think we have a good shot at it.”

Speaking of the Coca-Cola 600, has using the Sprint Showdown as a practice session proved to be successful for you in the past? “Definitely. Last year, we hit on a couple things that translated over. The weather plays a big role in things, though. If it’s a cold (Sprint) All-Star weekend and a hot (Coca-Cola) 600 weekend, everyone’s setups will change. However, it’s about building a database. It’s the same race track and the same tires. We’ll definitely learn things.”


The format for the All-Star Race is 50 laps, 20, 20, then 10 laps. Do you like the segment style of the Sprint Showdown and All-Star races? “I do. It’s going to be wild for sure. They are short runs, and a lot of us grew up racing short, 25-lap Saturday night races. With the double-file restarts, even in a 500-mile event, there’s little give or take. There’s going to be even more of that in the All-Star Race.”

The All-Star race winner wins one million dollars. Is that still a big deal? “One million dollars is a big deal, but the pride that goes along with it is a much bigger deal.”

What would it mean to have a trophy like that in your house? “It would be a big deal for sure. I’d find a really nice spot for it.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Releases

Without Dale Earnhardt, RCR Drivers Have Become Also-Rans at Darlington

Dale Earnhardt had eight Darlington wins

Race: SHOWTIME Southern 500
May 7, 2011
Location: Darlington Raceway

Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Notes:
RCR at Darlington … Richard Childress is tied for third all time with Holman-Moody and the Wood Brothers for car owner victories at Darlington with eight – all of them coming with Dale Earnhardt. Additionally, in 99 collective starts, RCR boasts 21 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval with five different drivers including Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Robby Gordon.

The Collective RCR … Over the season’s first nine races, RCR’s four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entries have notched two wins, eight top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. The No. 31 team kicked off the 2011 season with a non-points win in the second Duel 150 qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway. The No. 29 team visited Victory Lane at Auto Club Speedway in March and backed that up with a win the following weekend at Martinsville Speedway. RCR-prepared Chevrolets have also completed 10,666 out of 11,636 total laps (91.7 percent) with drivers Bowyer, Burton, Harvick and Paul Menard, who have led a combined 359 laps. At least one RCR driver has led laps in each of the season’s first nine events.

Bowyer has experienced quite a few Darlington stripes over his career

Clint Bowyer
No. 33 BB&T Chevrolet
Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s BB&T Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway … Clint Bowyer will pilot chassis No. 315 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a new Chevrolet Impala that will be put through its first competitive laps this weekend.

Career Darlington Stats …
* The SHOWTIME Southern 500 marks Bowyer’s 191st NSCS start.
* In five NSCS starts at Darlington, Bowyer owns one top-10 finish (ninth-May 2007).
* He has completed 90% of the laps (1,651 of 1,835) contested at Darlington during his career.
* The Emporia, Kan., native has led 16 laps at the 1.366-mile facility.
* Bowyer owns a 17.2 average starting position and an average finishing position of 23.2.

Former Pole Winner … Bowyer earned his first career NSCS pole at the track deemed “Too Tough to Tame” on May 13, 2007.

Last Time in Darlington … After starting 27th, Bowyer and the No. 33 team suffered a broken brake line during the race, forcing two green-flag pit stops, and limped home to a 32nd-place finish in last year’s SHOWTIME Southern 500.

In the Loop … Over the first nine points-paying races of the 2011 NSCS season, Bowyer has accumulated an impressive resume of loop data statistics. Heading into this weekend’s 500 miler, he is the series’ second-best Quality Passer with 873 passes while running in the top 15 under green-flag conditions – just 8 passes shy of leader Kurt Busch’s total. The four time Sprint Cup Series race winner also ranks second with an average running position of 11.45 and a Driver Rating of 98.5. Bowyer’s 65.9 percent of contested laps running in the top 15 (1,918 of 2,909) places him fifth, his 224 laps led ranks him fourth and his 309.45 miles led positions him third amongst his competitors. Other notable loop data stats include: second in Fastest Drivers Early in a Run, third in Green-Flag Speed, sixth in Fastest Drivers Late in a Run and ninth in Fastest Laps Run.

Points Racing … Since dropping to 24th after a 38th-place effort at Bristol Motor Speedway in March, the No. 33 team has improved 17 positions, to seventh, in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:
Darlington is Mother’s Day weekend. How much does this weekend mean to you and your family? “This has always been a family sport. As far as I am concerned, I am going to keep it that way until I am done in this sport. I hope they’re around until I retire and my kids retire from this sport. Mom has always been a big part of that. I remember back in the day when she had three boys all racing motorcycles in the mud. There she was trying to wash clothes, keep us all in line and also take care of her family all at the same time. She was a big part of my success as anybody.”

Darlington Raceway: Love it or hate it? She hasn’t been your best friend. Is that just a simple matter of you figuring out a way to drive it differently? “It has definitely been kind of a love/hate relationship with her. We have run well there and have also struggled. We have had good cars, but just can’t get everything put together for a solid finish. Hopefully, we can capitalize on that this year. We really need a good run there. In the past, the month of May hasn’t been really good to this team and Darlington is a big part of that.”

Is there any specific reason for the struggles at Darlington?  “When I first came here, we didn’t always have the best package until last year. We were good off the trailer and I just flat out wrecked it in practice. Then, during the race, we suffered a brake problem. I think it was a brake line or something broke and we had to pit twice under green-flag conditions during the race. You know, it was just one of those bad races and a bad weekend overall. You can’t afford to have those anymore. It’s so important to be solid week-in and week-out. If we want to be a championship contender, which I think we are, you can’t have those 32nd-place finishes on your resume. You need consistency and wins."

Burton is the best of the RCR drivers with two wins and eight top-5's

Jeff Burton
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes


This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway … Jeff Burton will pilot chassis No. 355 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new Caterpillar Chevrolet that will be put through its first competitive paces this weekend.

The Darlington Report … In 28 Sprint Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Burton has posted two wins, eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes, with only one DNF (did not finish) and three finishes outside the top 20. He holds a 20.9 starting average coupled with an impressive 11.4 finishing average and has led 817 laps of competition.

Rain Man – Back-to-Back winner … Burton won both races at Darlington Raceway in 1999, leading both events as rain began to fall which forced NASCAR to throw the checkered flag prior to completing the scheduled distance.

Loopy with the Lady … NASCAR’s loop data statistics proves why the track deemed Too Tough to Tame is one of Burton’s favorites. Over the last six races at the historic 1.366-mile oval, the veteran driver boasts an average running position of 13.2 and a Driver Rating of 89.8, which ranks him 11th amongst his competitors. He is the sport’s third-best Green-Flag Passer with 342 passes made under green-flag conditions and is positioned in eighth with 67.6 percent of laps running in the top 15 (1,491 of 2205).

Last Time Around … After taking the top spot with 27 laps to go and a caution flag being displayed one lap later, a late-race pit miscue placed the Cat Racing team at the rear of the field for the final 20 laps of the last season’s SHOWTIME Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. But, a hard-charging Burton flexed his muscle and picked off 10 positions to finish eighth when the checkered flag waved.

Making a Charge … After exiting the Daytona 500 early due to a rare expired engine and sitting 33rd in the point standings, Burton and the Todd Berrier-led Cat Racing team have advanced 13 positions, to 20th, heading into this weekend’s 500-mile contest. Although they are 61 markers in arrears to Tony Stewart’s 10th-place tally, they are only 35 points away from cracking the top 15.

A Streak Looking to End … Burton currently owns an 86-race winless streak that he hopes to break in this weekend’s visit with the Lady in Black. The Caterpillar driver’s last visit to Winner’s Circle was in October 2008 when he led the final 57 laps en route to his 21st Sprint Cup Series career win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

JEFF BURTON QUOTES:
You have a lot of respect for Darlington. Why is that?  “With no disrespect to any other race track, Daytona is the centerpiece of our sport but, Darlington, to me, has the most historic meaning of anywhere we go. Darlington has changed. It is not the way it was 40 years ago, but, it is the way it was 30 years ago. It still has that character. There are no fluke winners at Darlington. It requires you as a driver to push hard, but penalizes you when you push too hard. You have to be precise. It is a track that people that like to drive race cars like to go to. Some of the race tracks we race on, you are a rider more than a driver. This is the type of place where you can make a difference in the car. When I go there, I look at it as a huge challenge because I know that if I operate at 100 percent of my capability and my car’s capability, we’ll get the best finish we can. If I am at 97 percent, then we’re not. That extra three percent at Darlington gets you something. It did for Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty and Bobby Allison. It is the same race track. I know the suites are cool, but, to me, going there is like stepping back in time and you don’t have all that there. It is just a race track that was built around a pond that is the same way it was then. I think that has some special meaning to it.”

You haven’t finished worse than 12th in the last five races at Darlington but how do you expect to improve on those finishes?  “Last year, the Caterpillar Chevrolet was fast and we put ourselves in position to win that race. We got a caution near the end of the race and when we pitted, I ran over the air hose which cost us. We had to start at the rear of the field but we ended up finishing eighth – that just shows you how fast we were. The year before, our car was completely different and we just didn’t have the handle on it. The track is a lot different since they paved it. Speeds don’t fall off so you’re running pretty fast around a track that’s not made to go that fast. So, its changed setup and driving style and I don’t think I adapted to it well as I needed to. I have a different game plan in mind for this weekend and we can be more successful.”

3 of Menard's 4 starts have been 30th or worse

Paul Menard
No. 27 Turtle Wax/Menards Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes


This Week’s Turtle Wax/Menards Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway … Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 328 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet Impala was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen on track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where Menard brought home a 12th-place result after starting from the 18th position.

Ready to Tame the Lady in Black … In his four previous starts at Darlington, Menard has finished each of his contested races and completed 97 percent of his laps (1,424 of 1,468). He has a 31st-place average starting position and an average finishing position of 28th with his best finish of 15th coming in the May 2009 event.

Year in Review … Menard has recorded career-best performances at many of the race tracks that the NSCS has traveled to this season. Despite slipping to 15th in the driver championship point standings, Menard heads to Darlington a mere 13 points out of the coveted 12th-spot.

PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
Darlington is known as the track that is “Too Tough To Tame.” Why do you think is it so hard? "They will probably have to rename it now. Since it was repaved, it’s a totally different race track. The old surface had no grip at all; the tires would wear out in a couple laps and you would slide everywhere. Now, you run as fast as you do at the end of the run as you do at the beginning. You still have to run up by the fence which leads to right-side damage and the infamous ‘Darlington stripe.’ Driving a foot off the wall, things are still going to happen. It’s not as tough as it used to be, but it’s still pretty tough.”

How much of a sense of history do you feel when you walk into Darlington? “Darlington is definitely a throwback race track. You drive into this little town and all you see is this huge race track. It definitely allows you to feel the roots of NASCAR.”

Compared to other big cities we go to like Las Vegas, it’s nice to go to a small place like Darlington. Which do you prefer?  “I enjoy all the places (race tracks) that we can drive to. It’s always a fun drive down to Darlington. Honestly, when I get to the track, I generally don’t leave again until after the race. We don’t get to go out and experience the night life of the cities and all that. We just see the inside of the race track. Darlington is a good one (infield) though, for camping. It’s pretty laid back.”

Harvick has a 19.1 average finish in 14 starts

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet Impala
Race Notes and Quotes


This Week’s Budweiser Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway…Kevin Harvick will race chassis No. 304 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. In March, Harvick raced his way to a sixth-place finish in this car at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway after getting spun out late in the race. Last season, the team raced this car four times, scoring three top-five finishes: third at Richmond (5/1), fifth at New Hampshire (6/27) and third at Richmond (9/11).

Last Time Around … A loose-handling No. 29 Chevrolet didn’t stop Harvick from advancing through the field after starting 35th in last season’s Southern 500. After cracking the top 10 prior to a late-race caution, a two-tire pit call by crew chief Gil Martin afforded the Bakersfield, Calif., native the sixth-place restart spot that was protected over the final 20-plus laps.

Darlington Notes … In 14 starts at Darlington Raceway, Harvick has earned two top-five and five top-10 finishes. He’s completed 93.5 percent (4,529 of 4,845) total laps and has led 16 laps at the 1.366-mile track. Harvick has an average starting position of 17.6 and an average finishing position of 19.1 at Darlington.

In the Loop … While Darlington hasn’t been one the tracks Harvick has excelled at in his Sprint Cup Series career, when it comes to loop data statistics, he lives up to his new nickname as “the closer.” Harvick is ranked as the No. 1 closer at Darlington, a statistic that indicates the positions improved in the last 10 percent of the laps in each race. He’s gained an average of 3.7 spots in the final 10 percent of the laps in the last six races at the track. He is also ranked 10th in green-flag passes (253).

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
What makes racing at Darlington such a challenge for the drivers and teams? “The track was originally not designed for the cars to be running as fast as they are today. The track’s very narrow and you carry a lot of speed. From a driver’s standpoint, it’s very challenging just to keep the car off the wall, but it’s also a lot of fun to drive, too.”

Talk about driving a lap around Darlington: “Well, any lap around Darlington is a lap where you have to be paying attention to what’s going on because you can get yourself in trouble at any point on the race track. You carry a lot of speed into Turn 1 and you run right up the banking right up next to the wall and right back to the throttle. As you come back down the hill, you might have to breathe the throttle a little bit, but it’s a lot of fun coming out of Turn 2 because it shoots you down the backstretch. (Turns) 3 and 4 are probably the hardest because you carry so much speed off of (Turn) 2 into (Turn) 3 and the line kind of moves around a bit there. The easiest place to get in the wall, well it’s pretty easy to get in the wall anywhere, but definitely the easiest place to get into the wall is the middle of (Turns) 3 and 4.”

Do you remember getting your first Darlington stripe? “I don’t. I’ve had so many of them that they all kind of seem to run together now.”

What would it mean to add your name to the list of Darlington winners? “It’d be pretty awesome just for the fact that everyone knows the significance of the Southern 500 and to win at Darlington is something as a driver that you want to check off your list when you have the opportunity. We’ve been close at Darlington, but we’ve just got to put that check in the right box.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release