Richard Childress Racing

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May 1, 2012

Austin Dillon Event Preview: Aaron's 312

"I learned a lot by racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway in February, so I think having that restrictor-plate experience will help me this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway."

RCR/HHP Photo RCR/HHP Photo

Event Preview Fact Sheet

Austin Dillon
No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet

Event/Date:
Aaron's 312
May 5, 2012

Venue:
Talladega Superspeedway

Race Notes and Quotes:

This Week's AdvoCare Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway ... Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 478 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable in the Aaron's. This is the same Chevrolet that Dillon drove to a fifth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in February. This former Kevin Harvick, Inc. chassis was driven by Clint Bowyer at Daytona in February 2011, where he earned the pole and finished second, and at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2011, where he finished 22nd after being involved in a multi-car incident.

Dillon at Talladega ... The Aaron's 312 will mark Dillon's first Nationwide Series start at the famed 2.66-mile superspeedway, but the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion has two starts at Talladega Superspeedway in the Truck Series, earning his best finish of seventh in the October 2011 event, coupled with an eighth-place result in the October 2010 race.

The Season So Far ... According to NASCAR's Loop Data Statistics, Dillon is ranked second in the Closers category, improving an average of 2.9 spots in the last 10 percent of each race and is the second-fastest driver late in a run. He has completed 99.15 percent of laps on the lead lap, ranking him third in that category and has completed 94.9 percent of his laps in the top 15, also ranking him third. The Nationwide Series Rookie has an average running position of 8.87 in the season's first seven Nationwide Series races, ranking him fifth among all drivers and has the fifth-fastest green-flag speed. He has a driver rating of 100.9, ranking him sixth, has the sixth-fastest speed in traffic and is the seventh-fastest driver early in a run. He is ranked eighth in the Fastest Laps Run category with 71 laps so far this season.

Get to the Points ... Dillon is third in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings. He trails RCR teammate and current point leader Elliott Sadler by 23 points and he is 21 markers behind second-place Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Dillon currently leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings over Cole Whitt.

Honoring Family ... Dillon and his younger brother, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Ty Dillon, are scheduled to participate in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies at the SPEED Dome at Talladega Superspeedway on Thursday evening when their grandfather, Richard Childress, is officially inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Austin will also honor his younger brother, Ty, for earning the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards driving championship.

Meet Dillon ... Dillon is scheduled to participate in the Nationwide Series autograph session at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday, May 4 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. CT. Later that evening, he is scheduled to greet race fans at the Bass Pro Shops in Leeds, Ala., beginning at 6 p.m. CT.

Take a Ride with Dillon ... Dillon will have a special guest riding with him on Saturday following driver introductions for the Aaron's 312. The winning bidder of the NASCAR Dreams Parade Lap NASCAR Foundation auction will ride around the track with him during pre-race ceremonies. Proceeds from the auction benefit the NASCAR Foundation and the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma. Dillon will also participate in the NASCAR Dreams Parade Lap program at Dover International Speedway, and fans can bid by visiting http://nascar.com/auction.

Rewind to Richmond ... In his last Nationwide Series race, Dillon and the No. 3 AdvoCare team posted a ninth-place finish at Richmond International Raceway after starting third.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

Did you learn a lot at Daytona International Speedway in February that you can apply this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway?
"I learned a lot by racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway in February, so I think having that restrictor-plate experience will help me this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Mainly, I learned that these Nationwide cars push a lot of air, so it's a little bit different in the draft in a Nationwide Series car compared to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series vehicles. I think the key to performing well is going to be finding a good drafting partner to work with. Restrictor-plate racing is really exciting, so I think the race fans are in for a treat."

 

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