Trucks Pole Report: Dillon Gets Lucky 7th Pole for Ford 200

Lucky number seven might work in the favor of Austin Dillon, who won his 7th pole for the 2010 season for Friday's Ford 200 in the Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet with a 31.649 lap (170.622 mph) for Richard Childress Racing. Only 0.148 seconds behind is Kyle Busch in the Toyota Tundra / TRAXXAS Toyota in the last race of his first season as driver and team owner of Kyle Busch Motorsports.

After Todd Bodine won the championship last week, what does this race mean? Actually it finalizes where the other racers in the series are placed on the rest of the grid, but will it bring lots of closure after a season of many interesting ups, downs and in-betweens.

For all of the racing action you can catch the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race coverage starting with the Set Up starting at 7:30 p.m. ET and the race coverage starts at 8 p.m.!

1. Austin Dillon
2. Kyle Busch
3. Johnny Sauter
4. Elliott Sadler
5. Aric Almirola
6. Justin Lofton
7. Matt Crafton
8. Todd Bodine
9. Ron Hornaday Jr.
10. Mike Skinner
11. Tayler Malsam
12. Cole Whitt
13. Max Papis
14. Brad Sweet
15. Timothy Peters
16. Jason White
17. Travis Kvapil
18. David Starr
19. David Mayhew
20. James Buescher
21. Craig Goess
22. Ricky Carmichael
23. John Jackson
24. Miquel Paludo
25. Johanna Long
26. Jeffrey Earnhardt
27. Hermie Sadler III
28. Ryan Sieg
29. John King
30. Mario Gosselin
31. Brent Raymer
32. Jennifer Jo Cobb
33. Shane Sieg
34. Norm Benning
35. Derek White
36. Tom Hessert

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NASCAR upholds Clint Bowyer's points penalty, but reduces suspensions, fine

Clint Bowyer. (Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)

It's had fans up in arms and all but ended Clint Bowyer's chances at his first Sprint Cup championship.

The legal saga surrounding the penalties issued for the No. 33 team after Bowyer drove an illegal car to victory on Sept. 19 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway came to an end Tuesday. In a final appeals hearing, the suspensions for crew chief Shane Wilson and car chief Chad Haney were reduced from six weeks to four weeks, and Wilson's fine was lowered from $150,000 to $100,000. But the most damaging part of the penalty, the loss of 150 owner and driver points, remains unchanged.

NASCAR National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook ruled that "NASCAR was correct in its decision to levy penalties" on the team for rule infractions discovered during post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center.

Tuesday marked the second and final appeal from Richard Childress Racing. Last week a three-member NASCAR-appointed panel denied the organization's appeal after a four-hour hearing. The panel was comprised of former driver Lyn St. James, former USAC Chairman John Capels and former crew chief Waddell Wilson.

In a statement after Tuesday's ruling, Richard Childress said, "I'm disappointed that the results are not what we wanted, but I feel we received a fair hearing today. The final step in the appeals process is very good, and I can assure you we would not have taken our case to the chief appellate officer if the first step in the process had been as fair as today's. I want to thank all of the fans for their support. I'm proud to be a part of this sport and proud to represent RCR's partners. We all need to put this behind us and get back to racing. There are seven races remaining in the Chase, and Richard Childress Racing will continue our focus on winning the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship."

The following is the official release from the NASCAR National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel regarding Tuesday's decision:

(October 5, 2010) – Following an appeal hearing earlier today in Concord, N.C., the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer has upheld the penalty for the No. 33 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, with the following revisions:

Crew chief Shane Wilson’s fine has been reduced from $150,000 to $100,000 and Wilson and car chief
Chad Haney’s race suspensions have been lowered from six to four. Both are suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 3 and are on probation until Dec. 31.

The loss of 150 championship owner and driver points remains intact.

The No. 33 car was penalized by NASCAR on Sept. 22 as a result of rule infractions discovered during post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center following the Sept. 19 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Specifically, the car body location specifications in reference to the certified chassis did not meet NASCAR-approved specifications of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.

“After reviewing all the data, presentation and factors involved, I am ruling NASCAR was correct in its decision to levy penalties,” said John Middlebrook, the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer who presided over the hearing. “I believe that the revisions that have been made to the penalties are consistent and fair to both parties involved.”

– John Middlebrook, National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate

NASCAR fans, what do you think of the revised penalties? Let Skirts and Scuffs know in the comments below.

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Bowyer's Distraction

After it was announced that the #33 RCR Cheerios Team was losing 150 owner points, would pay a fine of $150,000, Crew Chief Shane Wilson would serve a six week suspension, Car Chief Chad Haney would serve a six week suspension, and driver Clint Bowyer was to lose 150 driver points the questions started to fly. Everyone was asking what the violation had been and NASCAR wasn't saying. Richard Childress was the first to announce that the penalty handed down was due to the rear of the chassis being sixty-thousandth of an inch outside of specified tolerances. Bowyer elaborated today and said that the rear quarter panel was the piece of the car outside of specifications.

Clint Bowyer put that measurement into perspective during Friday's Media conference. “Sixty-thousandths of an inch, folks. Grab a quarter out of your pocket. Less than the thickness of that quarter right there is worth a 150-point fine?” Not to mention the other penalties. Clint went onto say that he does not believe the team did anything wrong. He made it clear he was going on the record as saying that, and that he felt his fans needed to hear him say it.

To further make his feelings clear, Clint said “There's a lot of integrity that goes into this sport, I'm damn proud to be a part of this sport, I love this sport, and I wouldn't cheat to win a race in this sport. We have a lot more integrity in the race team and RCR.” Coming out of the media session, Bowyer headed to the first weekend practice at Dover International Speedway. Admitting that he has had trouble focusing on this weekend with the incident looming overhead as RCR awaits an appeal hearing in the next week or so, Clint went to the first practice session at Dover under extreme pressure.

The first practice session closed with Bowyer in fourth place on the leader board with a speed of 155.072, just .123seconds behind the fastest car in practice on Friday. Qualifications did not turn out as well. When qualifications wound down and found Jimmie Johnson atop the leader board, Bowyer was way back in 24^th place. Bowyer's speed of 153.997 was .261 behind Johnson, the 43 qualifiers were separated by less than nine-tenths of a second in Qualifications.

Bowyer now must come out during the two Saturday practice sessions and forget the happening of the past week and focus on what is going on this weekend – a race to gain invaluable lost points. With an average finish at Dover of 14.7 Clint will have to come out on Sunday and perform better than average to make up some of the lost ground. Although the appeal is in process and will be heard before officials sometime, hopefully in the next week Richard Childress made it clear that the team is not counting on winning the appeal. Childress said “...in the history of RCR don't think we have been but to maybe three appeals. We didn't win any of them."

Amy McHargue

http://ellipticalcurrents.blogspot.com

*The views expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of the site or its administrators.

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Team Focus on Richard Childress Racing

Team History and Richard Childress
Debuting in 1969 at the Talladega 500 Richard Childress Racing entered the NASCAR scene during a boycott by the majority of drivers due to a lack of tire grip from the Goodyear tires. Other drivers not a part of the Professional Drivers Association stepped in to race on that September day in Alabama, including Richard Childress where Childress finished 23rd out of 36 drivers in his first race in his own car.


Over twelve years of racing at the Cup level in NASCAR Richard Childress competed in 285 races. Beginning in 1969 and closing in 1981 Childress earned 76 top ten finishes, six top fives, and no wins. In 1981 Childress handed some of the driving over to drivers Dale Earnhardt and Kirk Shelmerdine. 1982 brought Ricky Rudd to RCR but the first win for the team did not occur until 1983 with Rudd behind the wheel. Dale Earnhardt took over full-time driving rights for RCR in 1984 and won 67 races for Richard Childress Racing over the next 18 seasons.


RCR has raced during 37 seasons; over those years the team has seen 1,985 starts at the Cup Series level as of the start of today's Truck Series Race. RCR's starts have resulted in 92 wins, 399 top five finishes, 818 top tens, and 42 starts from the pole. The team has won over $218 Million through its 41 seasons and has an average finish of 15.7th place. RCR drivers have driven more than three-quarters of a million miles at the Cup Series level. After having all three Sprint Cup drivers for 2010 make the Chase to the Championship there is a strong possibility that RCR will have another Championship to add to the previous six that RCR drivers have earned at the Sprint Cup level.


Kevin Harvick (Cup #29)

The #29 car has been sponsored by Shell/Penzoil for 2010 but will be bringing Budweiser on board for 2011. Harvick has 10 seasons under his belt in Cup Level Racing and posts 14 wins, 72 top five finishes, 147 top tens, and has started from the pole seven times.


Harvick and wife DeLana started Kevin Harvick Incorporated in 2007 for the NASCAR Trucks Series, although Kevin had raced his own truck in prior years. KHI Racing now has entries in both the Truck Series and Nationwide Series. Harvick has proven himself to be effective as both a driver and team owner through his accomplishments in Cup Series racing and through his KHI Team performance in other series racing. Truck Series driver Ron Hornaday brought home the Championship for KHI in 2009 and Kevin has made the Chase for the Championship in Cup level racing for RCR in four of the last five years.


Jeff Burton (Cup #31)

Racing at the Cup Series level since 1993 and full-time since 1997 Jeff has 573 starts, 21 wins, 127 top five finishes, 235 top tens, and has started from the pole six times. Burton is another driver for RCR who has made the Chase for the Championship four of the last five years. A solid performer in 2010 Jeff has 13 top ten finishes and starts the Chase in the 10th spot with a 12.7 average finish thus far in 2010.


Clint Bowyer (Cup #33)
2010 is Bowyer's 7th season at the Sprint Cup level, his 6th year as a full-time Cup Series driver. Clint has posted season finishes in the top twelve three of the last four years, his best season being 2007 when he finished third in season points. Over his 171 Cup Series starts Bowyer has claimed two wins, 24 top five finishes, 75 top tens, and two starts from the pole.

Bowyer also has a full-time dirt track late model team that races under Clint Bowyer Racing. Carrying over momentum from this year's Sprint Cup Series successes, dirt driver Dale McDowell posted a win just two weeks ago for Clint Bowyer Racing, earning a $20,000 check at the Pepsi 75 River Days Rumble at Portsmouth Raceway Park in Portsmouth, Ohio on September 4th. It was McDowell's third win of the season for Clint Bowyer Racing.  It seems that Bowyer is a success both on and off the track.

#21 Nationwide Series Car

The #21 car has had Clint Bowyer, Morgan Shepard, Scott Riggs, and John Wes Townsley behind the wheel in 2010 and has earned seven top ten finishes in 2010, no top fives, and no wins. The #21 car for RCR has been in the Nationwide Series, at least on a part-time basis since 2000. At the end of August the team developed a partnership with Morgan Shepard to form Shepard Racing Ventures to keep the #21 car on the track for the remainder of the season.


Austin Dillon (Trucks #3)

The Grandson of Richard Childress, Austin Dillon is in his rookie season in the Camping World Truck Series. An impressive start in his first full-time season Dillon has one win, five top five finishes, 12 top tens, and is 6th in season points standings. Austin participated in four different series in 2009 as part of his development from RCR; Dillon raced in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series along with K & N Pro Series starts and ARCA races. With wins in the Nationwide, Camping World Truck Series, and K & N Dillon has proven he can be competitive in various series and his freshman year in the Camping World Truck Series has shown he can hold his own on the track with the more experienced drivers.

Development and the Future of RCR
The future is taken seriously at Richard Childress Racing. From the #21 Zaxby's car in the Nationwide Series down to dirt track racing RCR involvement with many talented drivers to step up into the higher series' as their skill is developed. Names to watch for in the future with Richard Childress Racing include Ty Dillon, Ryan Gifford, Blake Koch, and Tim George, Jr.

Richard Childress Racing announced earlier this year that the team will be adding a fourth car to its Sprint Cup Series stable with driver Paul Menard; this addition will come with Menard's Sponsorship. Menard will be joining RCR veteran drivers Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Clint Bowyer. With just the three cars guaranteed starting spots based on owner's points carryover from 2010, Menard will have to qualify in on speed to begin the 2011 season. Next year will prove to be another pivotal year at RCR with the strong 2010 season to answer to.

Amy McHargue
http://ellipticalcurrents.blogspot.com

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Budweiser Makes Move to RCR and Taps Kevin Harvick as Driver

King of Beers to be Primary Sponsor of No. 29 Chevrolet in 2011


ST. LOUIS (August 17, 2010) - Budweiser has a rich NASCAR tradition, sponsoring some of the sport's most celebrated drivers, including Bobby Labonte, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne. Today, Budweiser announced Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick will become the next star to take the wheel of the iconic Budweiser car when the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season begins in February.

"Budweiser's involvement in NASCAR dates back more than three decades, and we're excited to have as successful a driver as Kevin Harvick to usher in a new era for Budweiser," said Mark Wright, vice president of media, sports & entertainment marketing, Anheuser-Busch. "Kevin also benefits from having the support of a highly respected owner in Richard Childress and the great people of Richard Childress Racing, who will help put the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet in a position to challenge for Sprint Cup championships."

Under the terms of the deal, Budweiser will serve as primary sponsor of the No. 29 Chevrolet for 20 points races, two non-points races during Speedweeks and co-primary sponsor of the Sprint All-Star Race. Budweiser will remain an associate sponsor for the remaining races on the schedule.

"Budweiser is one of the most respected sponsors in our sport," said Harvick. "They do a lot to market their teams and the sport in television broadcasts and away from the track. I'm looking forward to driving the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, taking it to Victory Lane and winning championships."

The 2011 season will mark Harvick's tenth full year in NASCAR's top series. In 2001, he earned two victories en route to a ninth-place finish and Rookie of the Year honors. Harvick has 14 Sprint Cup Series wins, 72 top-five and 145 top-10 finishes, with major points victories coming in the 2003 Brickyard 400 and 2007 Daytona 500. Since the introduction of the season-ending "Chase for the Sprint Cup" format in 2004, Harvick has made the Chase three times and on two occasions finished a career-high fourth in the final point standings. He is also the two-time and defending champion of the Budweiser Shootout (2009-2010).

Harvick currently sits atop the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings with three wins, 11 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes, and became the first driver to clinch a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup - his fourth appearance in five years - following his win at the Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

"Throughout his career, Kevin has shown he can win at any level in NASCAR," said Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing. "Combining his talent with Budweiser's NASCAR lineage and proven track record of innovative sponsorship activations makes this an exciting pairing for fans everywhere. RCR prides itself on its heritage and authenticity, so working with a brand like Budweiser, which has built their reputation on those same values, is a very special opportunity."

Harvick has also made a name for himself in both the Nationwide (formerly Busch) Series and Camping World (formerly Craftsman) Truck Series. Since his breakout Busch Series season in 2000, when he earned three wins and Rookie of the Year honors, Harvick has won two overall titles (2001, 2006) and, in 2003, the owner's-only championship with co-driver Johnny Sauter. During that same period in the Truck Series, he has nine victories, 35 top-five and 48 top-10 finishes in just 105 races.

The King of Beers first sponsored a team on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series circuit in 1983 and its legacy in racing has been solidified by popular drivers like Terry Labonte, Darrell Waltrip, Geoff Bodine, Bill Elliott, Kenny Schrader, Ricky Craven, Wally Dallenbach, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne.

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Childress to Field Fourth Cup Team in 2011: Menard Tapped to Drive

At the conclusion of the 2009 season Richard Childress did what any team owner hates to do. He shut down his fourth Sprint Cup Series team due to lack of sponsorship and cut driver Casey Mears loose. With Jack Daniels Whiskey pulling out of NASCAR and few sponsorship opportunities on the horizon there was little else he could do.

Today Richard Childress Racing announced that the fourth team will be back for 2011 and that Eau Claire, Wisconsin native Paul Menard would be the driver. Along with his driving abilities Menard comes with a built in sponsorship from Menards, a large home improvement retail chain that operates throughout the Midwest.

In his forth season as a driver Menard has shown much improvement according to Childress who on Wednesday said,"Paul has developed into a very good race car driver, and we see his move to RCR next year as an opportunity for him to continue that progress. At the same time, we feel Paul will contribute to the continued progress and success of RCR. Paul will fit in perfectly with our team of drivers at RCR, and they are all looking forward to working with him. We're also very proud to be aligned with Menards, one of the great family business success stories in American history."

Menard will join Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick at RCR in 2011 and while we don’t yet know what number Menard will be driving we do know that it’s a multi-year deal.

To learn more about the move check out Richard Childress Racing.

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Tim George Jr. to Make Nationwide Debut at Road America

WELCOME, N.C. (June 10, 2010) – Richard Childress Racing Development driver Tim George Jr. will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut driving RCR’s No. 21 Chevrolet Impala in the June 19 Bucyrus 200 presented by Menards at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

The New York City native races fulltime in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards driving the No. 31 RCR Development Chevrolet Monte Carlo. He is currently ninth in the point standings, with one top-five and three top-10 finishes, after seven of 20 races on the 2010 schedule.

George has extensive road racing experience in the Grand-Am Rolex GT Series, Grand-Am Koni Challenge Series and the Skip Barber R/T Formula Dodge Regional Race Series. In 2008, George was named the Grand-Am Rolex GT Series Rookie of the Year.

The Grand-Am Rolex GT Series teams he drove for in 2008 and 2009 finished third and second, respectively, in those two years’ Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to debut in the Nationwide Series with RCR at Road America,” said George. “I have not been to the historic circuit in several years, but I’m hoping that my win and two other top-three finishes there in the Skip Barber Racing Series will help with getting up to speed quickly so that we can work on the setup right away.

“The initial test day will be all about acclimating myself at the track in a much heavier and higher horsepower car than I’ve driven there previously. I will be working with a new crew chief, and we have some catching up to do as far as learning each other’s style. All in all, I’m looking forward to the challenge and to be racing in one of the top three series in NASCAR, with a great shot at doing well.”

In his second full season of racing in the ARCA Racing Series, George has made steady progress. His best finish this year came at Talladega Superspeedway, where he led 12 laps and finished third.

“Tim has made solid progress this year in the ARCA Racing Series, so getting his first Nationwide Series start on a road course he’s familiar with makes a lot of sense,” said, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “His road racing background, and his success at Road America, should give the team a strong base to work from. The No. 21 RCR Chevy is obviously a much different animal that the open-wheel cars he’s raced there before but his knowledge of the race track will be what makes the difference.”

The Bucyrus 200 presented by Menards at Road America will be televised live on Saturday, June 19 at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on ESPN2.


About Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 180 victories and 12 NASCAR championships, including six in the Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its 2010 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet).

Bowyer and Scott Riggs drive the No. 21 Zaxby’s Chevrolet in the 2010 Nationwide Series, Austin Dillon drives the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet in the 2010 Camping World Truck Series and Tim George Jr. drives the No 31 RCR Development Chevrolet in the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards. Ty Dillon, Ryan Gifford and Stephen Leicht are RCR developmental drivers in both asphalt and dirt track racing.

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Harvick Inks Deal with Richard Childress Racing

CONCORD, N.C. (May 22, 2010) — Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick have signed a multi-year contract extension for the 2007 Daytona 500 winner to continue his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driving career with the 12-time NASCAR championship-winning organization.

The announcement was made today in the infield media center at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Harvick, 34, began his RCR driving career in 1999. All of his 334 Sprint Cup Series starts, beginning with the second race of the 2001 season, have been in RCR’s No. 29 Chevrolet. The 12-time race winner in NASCAR’s elite series has also been part of three NASCAR Nationwide Series championships with RCR, winning the title outright in 2001 and 2006 and co-driving for the owners-only championship in 2003.

“I’m happy to be able to continue my relationship with Richard and RCR because, over the last 10 years, we’ve been through a lot together,” said Harvick.  “Being able to put this piece of the puzzle in place couldn’t have come at a better time for me and this team because we can focus solely on winning this championship.”

Harvick leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings after 12 of 36 races. The winner of the April 2010 race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway leads second-place Kyle Busch by 69 points. RCR teammates Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer are eighth and 15^th, respectively.

“Kevin has been a big part of RCR for more than a decade now so it’s good to know our relationship will continue for years to come,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “The No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team is leading the points and really working very well together this season. This new contract should only help build on their momentum.”

About Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 180 victories and 12 NASCAR championships, including six in the Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. 

Its 2010 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet). Bowyer and John Wes Townley drive the No. 21 Zaxby’s Chevrolet in the 2010 Nationwide Series, Austin Dillon drives the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet in the 2010 Camping World Truck Series and Tim George Jr. drives the No 31 RCR Development Chevrolet in the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards. Ty Dillon, Ryan Gifford and Stephen Leicht are RCR developmental drivers in both asphalt and dirt track racing.

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Richard III -- Childress three car play performing well in Sprint Cup

Maybe Richard Childress Racing was just meant to be a three-car operation, at least on the Sprint Cup side of the garage. After all, prior to the 2009 season, RCR had put at least one of its drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup each year since the Chase’s inception. It was when the team expanded to four teams in 2009 that the wheels seemed to fall off RCR’s Sprint Cup program.

Granted, team owner Richard Childress didn’t opt to eliminate his fourth car’s program after just one year due to performance issues – instead it was a matter of not being able to secure sponsorship for a fourth car – the team seems to be better off going back to its previous three-car setup.

The rest of this article can be found at AutoRacingDaily.com

Photo of Clint Bowyer by Amanda Vincent

Amanda Vincent is also the NASCAR Nationwide Series Examiner at Examiner.com. Read more of her articles there. Follow her on Twitter or become a fan of NASCAR Examiner on Facebook.

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