Richard Childress Racing

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June 18, 2012

Austin Dillon Earns a 24th-place Finish in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway

"We had a really strong American Ethanol Chevrolet during the race today. Gil Martin did an awesome job knowing what I needed in the car as a rookie. He made the car tight enough at the beginning of the race for me. The radio in the car broke and it caused us to go one lap down. If it wasn't for that, we would have had a chance at a top 15 finish."

RCR/HHP RCR/HHP

In his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start of the 2012 season and the second of his career, Austin Dillon posted lap times consistent with the top 10 competitors and was running in the top 15 before a broken radio caused him to fall one lap down to the race leader and finish 24th. Dillon took the green flag in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet from the 22nd position and noted to crew chief Gil Martin soon after the start of the race that his Chevrolet was very comfortable. Dillon raced his way into the top 15 before the race’s halfway point and was running 13th when he made his first green-flag pit stop of the race at lap 116, taking four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. The caution flag was displayed before green-flag pit stops cycled through the field, causing Dillon and all but four competitors to fall one lap down to the race leader on lap 121. While most drivers were able to take the “wave around” and rejoin the lead lap cars, Dillon was forced to make an additional trip down pit road to change radios, as he had lost all communication with his team shortly after his green-flag pit stop. Dillon pitted a second time during the caution to top off his black and green Chevrolet with fuel and restarted the race one lap down in the 30th position at the tail end of the longest line. Dillon raced into a position to earn the Lucky Dog award, but never got the opportunity to rejoin the lead lap cars due to a long green-flag run in the closing stages of the race. Although he was not able to regain his lap, Dillon posted lap times consistent with the top 10 competitors in the final laps of the race and advanced to the 24th position before taking the checkered flag.

Start – 22        Finish – 24         Laps Led – 0            Points – N/A
        
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
“We had a really strong  American Ethanol Chevrolet during the race today. Gil Martin did an awesome job knowing what I needed in the car as a rookie. He made the car tight enough at the beginning of the race for me. The radio in the car broke and it caused us to go one lap down. If it wasn’t for that, we would have had a chance at a top 15 finish.”

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