DILLON’S OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS TO GAIN POINTS ON ELLIOTT, SMITH

Chase Elliott

Ty Dillon is still within striking distance of current standings leader Chase Elliott and, even more so, second-place Regan Smith

September 19, 2014 – Seven races remain in a season that has seen lots of great action, but time is running out for those on the quest for a championship. Chase Elliott holds the standings lead over second-place Regan Smith (-18) and third-place Ty Dillon (-40), but both Elliottand Smithstruggled the last time the NASCAR Nationwide Series was at Kentucky Speedway which opens the door for Ty Dillon to possibly catch the JR Motorsport teammates.

The No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team has seen its share of success at Kentucky. Ty Dillon finished seventh at the 1.5-mile speedway earlier this season and his brother Austin Dillon swept both series races in 2012.

Ty Dillon is still within striking distance of current standings leader Chase Elliott and, even more so, second-place Regan Smith.

Since first visiting Chicago in June, Dillon’s season has come alive. In his last nine races Dillon has posted a win (Indianapolis Motor Speedway), four top fives and eight top 10s. His season-to-date Driver Rating is 97.3 and his average finish is 9.3.

Earlier this season at Kentucky, Chase Elliott finished 12th and Smith finished 28th, but their teammate Kevin Harvick won the event in the No. 5 Chevrolet. Harvick won his fourth race of the season at Chicago last weekend.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Etc.

Turner Scott Motorsports will have some fresh faces this weekend. Chase Pistone will make his third and final start for TSM this weekend and with Kyle Larson fulfilling his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series duties in New Hampshire, this will be the fourth and final time that Dylan Kwasniewski pilots the No. 42 Chevrolet. Kwasniewski will return to the No. 31 Chevrolet for the remainder of the NNS season next weekend in Dover. … Austin Theriault will be in the No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet that won the race Kentucky earlier this season. This will be Theriault’s third start this season for JRM.

NASCAR

 

WHO’S UP? FIRST TIME WINNERS WELCOME

Ty Dillon

June 27, 2014 – Of Kentucky Speedway’s 15 previous NASCAR Nationwide Series races, five were won by first-time winners, David Gilliland (2006), Stephen Leicht (2007), Joey Logano (2008), Austin Dillon (2012) and Ryan Blaney (2013). That begs the question: Which lucky hopeful will be number six?

Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate, Ty Dillon tops the list of possible first-time winners. Dillon has been consistent this season posting 10 top-10 finishes in 14 starts. Though this will be Dillon’s series debut at the track, his team’s experience at Kentucky might give him the edge. The No. 3 team swept both races in 2012 from the Coors Light pole, and has yet to finish worse than sixth at the 1.5-mile speedway.

Another Sunoco Rookie standout the cusp of victory is Chris Buescher. Despite missing the season-opener at Daytona, he is eighth in the series standings after posting five top-10 finishes this season including a runner-up finish at Talladega. Two of his five top 10s were on 1.5-mile speedways (ninth at Las Vegas and Charlotte). His average finish in 13 starts this season in 14.2.

Despite a slow start, Dylan Kwasniewski could surprise this weekend. A champion in both the K&N Pro Series East and West, Kwasniewski is currently 12th in the NNS standings with one pole and one top-10 finish.

NASCAR

 

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING IS BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

They’re back. Back to their old ways, back in the championship discussion, back in Victory Lane

Brendan Gaughan

June 26, 2014 – Richard Childress Racing’s mid-season push has them staring at a possible three-race win streak following Paul Menard’s victory at Michigan and Brendan Gaughan’s triumph last weekend at Road America.

“When I came to RCR, I told Richard (Childress) that all I wanted to do was prove I could still win races, and ever since then it has been the best racing of my life,” said Gaughan.

A three-peat win streak, while tough to pull off, is a real possibility considering RCR’s success at Kentucky.  The No. 3 team swept the 2012 Kentucky season at the 1.5-mile track, and finished runner-up last fall with driver Austin Dillon. This season Ty Dillon, who won at Kentucky in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last season, commands the famed No. 3 Chevrolet and leads the RCR contingent to the blue-grass state.

All three of RCR’s drivers are in the top 10 in the series points standings; including two in the top five – Dillon (fourth) and Brian Scott (fifth). Gaughan (seventh) is five points back from Trevor Bayne in sixth.

Gaughan’s good luck could linger this weekend; he has the eighth best pre-race Driver Rating (105.9) in the NNS at Kentucky in part by finishing third there in 2012.

NASCAR

 

WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUES: ROOKIE’S STAMINA TO BE TRIED

Chase Elliott

June 04, 2014 –This season’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year class has been one of the best the NASCAR Nationwide Series has ever seen. So as the series hits the brakes this weekend, let’s take a look at some quick highlights from the top three in the Sunoco Rookie standings through 12 races:

Chase Elliott – Not only does he have a 33-point lead in the rookie standings but he also has posted two wins (Texas, Darlington), six top fives, nine top 10s with an average finish of  9.4. He also has led the overall series driver standings for five races this season; he is currently third in points, 22 back from Regan Smith.

Ty Dillon – Following in his brother Austin’s footsteps, Ty is driving the famed No. 3 car in the NNS this season, and is second in the Sunoco Rookie standings. Dillon has posted nine top-10 finishes and a pole this season. His average finishing position is 9.7. Dillon is fifth in the overall series driver standings, 34 points back from Regan Smith.

Chris Buescher – Competing against his cousin (James) this season in the NNS, Chris is third in the rookie standings and ninth in the overall driver standings. Separated by 64 points from Chase Elliott in the Sunoco Rookie standings, Buescher has posted one top five and four top 10s this season. His average finish in 2014 is 14.3.

Elliott, Dillon, Buescher and the rest of the class of young talent will have their racing career stamina’s truly tested following this break; the series enters a 18-week stretch of racing that none of them have faced in their racing careers before. Dillon has the most experience at long schedule stretches, from participating in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

 

SUNOCO ROOKIES ROLL INTO VEGAS ON A ROLL

Elliott is another driver who has never made a national series start in the desert

March 06, 2014 – With two races already in the books, the large NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year class continues to impress. The group is headlined by Ty Dillon, Dylan Kwasniewski and Chase Elliott, who are all within four points of each other for rookie of the year honors.

After a 10th-place showing at Phoenix and a seventh the previous week in Daytona, Dillon leads the rookie standings with 26 points. He currently sits fourth in the overall standings, 12 points behind leader Regan Smith. Dillon is the only one of the three to have a Nationwide start under his belt, finishing 11th last year.

Kwasniewski finished in the same spot in the field in which he started at Phoenix – 13th. The weekend before, he finished eighth. Although he has never made a national series start at the 1.5-mile track, he’s posted two runner-up finishes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West at the facility’s Bullring. Kwasniewski arrives in Vegas four points behind Dillon in the rookie race (tied with Elliott) and fifth in the championship standings (-17).

Elliott is another driver who has never made a national series start in the desert, but he continues to grow with the more starts he’s able to get under his belt. In Saturday’s Nationwide Phoenix race he placed ninth (the highest-finishing rookie in the field) one week after finishing 15th in Daytona. He’s currently eight in the championship standings (-29).

NASCAR

 

TRIO OF ROOKIES SETTING HIGH EXPECTATIONS

Chase Elliott

February 27, 2014 – A loaded Sunoco Rookie of the Year class arrived last weekend in Daytona with the highest of expectations. At the end of the 121-lap race, Ty Dillon, Dylan Kwasniewski and Chase Elliott were the top rookie finishers all with top-20 finishes and seeded in the top 10 in the standings.

The series now heads west to Phoenix where all three drivers, whose average age is 19, will be making their first NNS starts at the one-mile track.

In two NCWTS starts at Phoenix, Dillon, who finished seventh in Saturday’s Daytona race, has finishes of fourth and 15th. He currently sits seventh (10 points behind leader Regan Smith), one spot and point ahead of Kwasniewski. Elliott finished 15th and is in eighth place, 18 points outside of first. In Elliott’s only truck series start at Phoenix, he finished 10th. Saturday marks Kwasniewski’s first start at the track in a national series event.

Credit: NASCAR

 

YUENGLING BREWERY FROM PENNSYLVANIA JOINS RCR AND TY DILLON FOR 2014 NATIONWIDE SEASON

First venture into NASCAR for America’s Oldest Brewery

POTTSVILLE, Penn. August 19, 2013 – Richard Childress Racing has partnered with D.G Yuengling & Son to be a primary sponsor on the No. 3 Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet with driver Ty Dillon during the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.

As part of their 185th anniversary of brewing great lager, America’s oldest operating brewery will be the primary sponsor on the RCR Chevrolet Camaro for eight races of the 2014 schedule. Yuengling Light Lager will be a key partner as Dillon moves full time to the Nationwide Series next season.

The announcement was made during the company’s annual meetings at their Pennsylvania headquarters. This is Yuengling’s first time partnering with a NASCAR team.

“The Yuengling Brewery is extremely proud to be partnered with a world-class organization like RCR for the 2014 Nationwide Season,” said Lou Romano

Director of Marketing and Wholesaler Development for Yuengling. “Both organizations are true American success stories exemplifying hard work, family values and proven results.

“Ty Dillon is a perfect match for us to help introduce our Light Lager brand to loyal NASCAR fans wherever Yuengling is sold. He’s not only a strong competitor on the track, but shares many of the same interests as Yuengling drinkers. Ty is an avid sports fan, outdoor enthusiast and holds close family ties.

“We also know and understand the legacy of the No. 3 to RCR and in NASCAR history, and are honored to have our brewery appear with that number on Ty’s car in 2014.”

Dillon is currently competing for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship and has one victory to his credit this season.

“I’m honored to be able to represent an iconic brand such as Yuengling,” said Dillon, who has eight-career Nationwide Series starts to his credit, to date. “I’m excited to share my first full year in the Nationwide Series with them as they venture into the sport for the first time this season.”

“They are family operated and America’s Oldest Brewery, something which fits our heritage at RCR. We think their family culture will make for a great partnership with the RCR and Childress family cultures. To say I’m looking forward to racing the No. 3 Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet next year is an understatement.”