RCR at Vegas … In 33 overall starts at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, RCR Chevrolets have earned six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes with five different drivers – Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick and Mike Skinner. Bowyer’s runner-up finish last March is RCR’s best showing at the mile-and-a-half oval.

• Four Trophies Missing from the Case … RCR has earned a Sprint Cup Series victory at 18 of the 22 tracks on the 2010 schedule. The only tracks on the current schedule where RCR hasn’t earned wins are Auto Club Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Additionally, RCR has Sprint Cup Series wins at 21 tracks overall, including North Wilkesboro (N.C.), Riverside (Calif.) and Rockingham (N.C.), which are no longer on the schedule.
• Get to the Points … All three of RCR’s Sprint Cup Series drivers are in the top five of the overall championship point standings heading into the third race of the 2010 season. Thirty-one markers separate point leader Harvick and Burton’s fifth-place tally. Bowyer is second in the point standings, 19 points in arrears to Harvick.
• California Rewind … All RCR-prepared Chevrolets finished in the top eight in last weekend’s Auto Club 500 in Fontana, Calif. After being slapped with speeding penalties during scheduled pit stops just short of halfway, both Harvick and Burton rebounded to finish second and third, respectively. Bowyer was a mainstay in the top 10 for the majority of the first half before debris on the grill of the No. 33 Chevrolet, three separate times, resulted in the Emporia, Kan., native losing a lap to the leaders. He was awarded the Lucky Dog on the day’s final caution period and, in the closing 20 laps, Bowyer gained nine spots to finish eighth.
• RCR on Twitter … To keep up-to-date with the latest news and information and to view exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages – @RCR29KHarvick, @RCR31JeffBurton and @RCR33CBowyer.   
• Catch the Action … The Shelby American at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, Feb. 28 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Fox. The race will also be broadcast live on Performance Racing Network and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the third of 36 points-paying races on the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour begins Friday, Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. EST and will broadcast live on SPEED.

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala

Race Notes and Quotes:

MEDIA CONTACT: Kyle Chapman

Manager of Communications

E-mail: kchapman@rcrcracing.com

• This Week’s Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 299 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable.  This is a brand new Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet which will circle the track for the first time this weekend.
• Career Stats …The Shelby American marks Harvick’s 325th career start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
• In nine starts at the 1.5-mile oval, Harvick has claimed two top-five and three top-10 finishes. In addition, the Shell-Pennzoil driver has completed 98.8 percent (2,419 of 2,424) total laps and has led for a total of 52 laps.
• Special Paint Scheme – The No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet will be carrying a special paint scheme this weekend that coincides with some exciting news coming from Pennzoil.  Stay tuned on Friday, February 26^th to hear more about a technical breakthrough from America’s top selling motor oil brand.
• Award Winning Crew Chief – The No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Team’s Performances in Daytona and California have secured back-to-back “DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race” Awards for Crew Chief Gil Martin. The award is presented to the crew chief of the driver who has demonstrated the best qualifying and race effort as determined by the average of qualifying results and race finish. It provides the opportunity to recognize the critical importance of crew chiefs and their endless pursuit of new ways to put their teams in the best position to win each week.
• Happy Anniversary … Kevin and DeLana Harvick will celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary on Sunday Feb. 28. The couple got married in Las Vegas in 2001, two days prior to Harvick scoring his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top-10 finish (eighth – Las Vegas Motor Speedway). The couple will celebrate by having dinner at the same local restaurant they visit each year, a tradition that began on their first anniversary.

•       Meet the Press … Harvick will be available in the media center’s deadline press room field questions from the gathered media on Friday, Feb. 26 at 10:15 a.m.   

• Wanna Bet … According to the Web site www.sportsbook.com, Harvick is a 15:1 favorite to win the Shelby American. The 34-year-old driver’s odds to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship are currently listed at 12:1.

•       Former Winner … Harvick is a former winner at LVMS, claiming victory in the 2004 NASCAR Nationwide Series Sam’s Town 300.

• Double Down in Sin City … In addition to his driving duties with the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, Harvick, a 34-time race winner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will drive Kevin Harvick Incorporated’s No. 33 Chevrolet in the Feb. 27 Sam’s Town 300. The race will air live on ESPN2 beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The race will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:

Last year in Las Vegas, you started ninth and finished 12^th. What sort of day was that for you?

“We had a great day at Vegas. Really, the first five races last year were really good for us. We ran in the top five all day and just got behind towards the end of the race but were able to salvage something out of it. Vegas was really good for us.”

You’ve had a lot of good runs at Vegas. Are you a fifth- to eight-place car there right now?

“I think the year before we finished fourth there, I don’t remember exactly, but it’s not been a bad place for us.”

What was your reaction the first time you saw that place?

“Oh crap, why did they screw it up (laughs)? It’s definitely changed the way you race there, but you can move around and race pretty well there, as far as the grooves.  Las Vegas is just a really fast race track.”

What are the unique characteristics of Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

“It’s very bumpy. It’s the roughest newly-paved race track I’ve ever raced on. But, it gives it some pretty good character to move around on. You can run on the bottom, if your car goes through the bumps good, but you can also run in the middle really fast, too.”

When you and DeLana go to Vegas, do you take in shows, do any gambling, or is it just all business?

“Usually, there are so many people out there, we don’t get out much. We’ll go eat dinner on Thursday night, for our anniversary; it usually falls every time we go out there. It’s on Sunday this year, so we’ll go out on Thursday, and then just kind of relax. Pennzoil has a huge event going on this year which we’ll attend on Friday night.”

So, race day is your anniversary?

“Yes, race day this year is our anniversary, so it would be a good race to win.”

Jeff Burton, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala

Race Notes and Quotes:

MEDIA CONTACT: Christine Brownlow

Senior Manager of Communications

Mobile: 336.425.3058

E-mail: cbrownlow@rcrracing.com

• This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 293 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala that will circle the race track for the first time this weekend.
• Las Vegas Details … Burton won the 1999 and 2000 Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at the speedway, he has claimed five top-five and eight top-10 finishes. In addition, the South Boston, Va., native has posted one pole, three wins, five top-five and six top-10 finishes in eight Nationwide Series starts at the track. The 21-time Sprint Cup Series winner also holds an 18.5 starting average coupled with an impressive 9.8 finishing average, has completed 3,026 of 3,106 total laps (97.4 percent) and has been running at the end of every event at the mile-and-a-half race track.
• Since We’re Talking Las Vegas Stats … Burton is the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ third-best Quality Passer – a statistic derived from the number of positions gained while running in the top 15 under green-flag conditions. Burton has gained an average of 40.6 spots over the last five events held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The South Boston, Va., native has also logged 1,109 of the last 1,356 laps (81.8 percent) running in the top 15. Burton is ranked third in NASCAR’s Average Running Position category (9.4) and is fifth in the Driver Rating category (98.5). The Driver Rating is a formula that combines the following categories: wins, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum a driver can earn in each race is 150 points. The Driver Rating number is used pre-race as a prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator.
• Berrier Leading the Charge … Since being named crew chief of the Cat Racing team in September 2009, Todd Berrier, and driver Burton, have yet to finish outside the top 11. In last season’s final four races, the dynamic duo captured a fifth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway, a ninth-place effort at Texas Motor Speedway and back-to-back runner-up finishes at Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. This year, Berrier has continued his charge by guiding Burton to an 11^th-place effort in the season opener Daytona 500 and followed that up with a third-place finish in last weekend’s race at Auto Club Speedway. All told, Berrier’s No. 31 resume consists of four top-five, five top-10 and six top-11 finishes in six events.
• And the Winner Is … On behalf of Caterpillar, Burton will attend the Contractor of the Year reception at Caesar’s Palace on Friday, Feb. 26 beginning at 7 p.m. The Caterpillar-sponsored driver will participate in a question-and-answer session, assist with the award presentation and sign autographs for the attendants.
• Meet the Press … Burton will visit the infield media center Friday, Feb. 26 at 10:30 a.m. to field questions from the gathered media.

JEFF BURTON QUOTES:

You have a pretty good track record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. What is it about this track that you like? 

“Las Vegas is a track I’m comfortable racing on. I think we have learned a lot from previous races that has helped us have good starting points every time we unload there. So, based on the data we gathered from last year’s event and off-season preparation, I know we’ll have a competitive Caterpillar Chevrolet. Las Vegas always produces great racing and it’s a race that fans really enjoy watching. It’s a track that is fun to drive on because there are different grooves around the track, so you to find the groove that works best for you and your car.”

You’re currently fifth in the overall point standings. Are you anxious about this year based on your results thus far versus last year?

“I’m a lot more confident today than I was last year. I was concerned going into last year because I knew we had worked hard, but we didn’t finish the previous year off strong. We did a tire test in January (2009) and we were pretty far off on speed. I was really sick and not feeling good and I kept saying that I am still fast when I’m sick, so it’s not that. Then, it showed itself pretty quickly that we weren’t very good.  The tire test that we did this winter, combined with the way we ended last year, gives all the RCR teams a lot of confidence going into these races. We are much more prepared and have a better shot at doing well this year than we did last year.”

How important is it to get off to a good start in the season?

“I’ve had good starts and I’ve not had good starts. When you have a good start, it enables you to just relax a little bit. You’re going to have mistakes during the year and you’re afforded a certain amount of them. Everybody is going to have some but, when you have them early, that means you can’t have them later.  There’s a whole lot later coming up ahead. It’s real nerve-wracking when you don’t get off to a good start and the first three or four races don’t go well. You’re trying to play catch up and you’re trying to make up what you lost. You can’t make up what you lost — what’s done is done. It’s a lot of pressure for those who got off to a bad start. Last year, Mark Martin got off to a slow start, but they were running well. When you’re running well, you can kind of rest on that and say that things are going to turn for us. But, if you get off to a slow start because you’re running poorly, that’s when panic sets in. That’s what happened to us last year and it’s not a good place to be.”

Clint Bowyer, No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet Impala

Race Notes and Quotes:

MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Heaney

Manager of Communications

Mobile: 336.655.1866

E-mail: kheaney@rcrracing.com

• This Weekend’s Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet Impala at Auto Club Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis No. 277 from Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Bowyer piloted this No. 33 Chevy twice last season and finished 18th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July and 21st at Kansas Speedway in October.
• Stat Check … In four NSCS starts at Las Vegas, Bowyer boasts a 23.5 average start and a 20.5 average finish. Last year, Bowyer recorded his best finish at the 1.5-mile oval last season when he led nine laps en route to a second-place finish.
• Ending Strong … Bowyer is the NSCS’ best closer at Vegas, picking up an average of five positions in the last 10 percent of the races. Additionally, he has completed 1,059 of 1,089 laps contested (97.2 percent).
• Rearview Mirror … Last weekend, Bowyer bounced back from a lap down to pick off nine positions in the final 20 laps to finish eighth in the Auto Club 500 in Fontana, Calif. Coming off his second consecutive top-eight finish, the 30-year-old driver sits second in the NSCS championship points standings, 19 makers behind RCR teammate and current point leader Kevin Harvick.
• Meet the Press … The two-time NSCS race winner will be available inside Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s infield media center to field questions from the gathered media on Friday, Feb. 26, at 10:45 a.m.
• Shaving Time … Bowyer will visit his hometown of Emporia, Kan. on Monday, March 1, as part of Gillette’s ‘Great American Shave’ promotion. He is teamed up with driver Carl Edwards as the Gillette Young Guns try to shave 500 miles of faces before Apr. 30. Check out www.Gillette500.com for more details.
• Wilson’s Headed to Familiar Town … Crew chief Shane Wilson worked in Las Vegas from 2000 to 2004. He served as crew chief for Brendan Gaughan’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams while in “Sin City,” earning two West series championships and eight NCWTS victories. He moved back to North Carolina in 2004 and joined RCR the following December.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:

You finished second and led nine laps last year at Las Vegas. At some point did you think you had a shot at the win and what are your thoughts about Vegas this time around?

“We stayed out and put ourselves in position to win. It was a great call on (crew chief) Shane Wilson’s part to keep the track position. It was a big momentum booster and confidence builder for our entire Cheerios/Hamburger Helper team. It definitely was a pivotal race for us last season. I would definitely like to take that race back and maybe there was something that we could do different. In the end, last year’s run was good for us and now we can go in there knowing we can get the job done this season.”

What stands out about the 2009 Vegas race and do you continually look back at last year’s run?

“You know, I don’t try to dwell on the past very much. I try and look toward the future and try to make things better. Every now and then you have to take a look back at the past to learn from that and fix a mistake you made.  We’ve worked hard over the offseason on our mile-and-a-half program and I think tracks like Vegas are places we need to improve on. I feel like we’ve done enough homework on those tracks and can really show that improvement this season.”

Do drivers take gambles both on and off the race track, especially in the ‘gambling capital of world?’

“I’ve watched drivers gamble at casinos and, trust me, we’re horrible gamblers. We may make good gambles on a race track, but we’re horrible at it at a casino. As far as our poker face goes, we always have a helmet on during the race, so no one can see it. They should let you play poker with your helmet on and your visor down for a competitive edge. On the track, by the time the race is over, you’re going to gamble on something, whether it is fuel mileage, two tires versus four tires or the car being loose and you try to hold onto it and go for it. There are always gambles throughout the race. You just have to be the one that knows the odds and makes the best decision.”

Besides the race in Vegas, what do you do on your downtime?

“I’m a people watcher, quite honestly. There are so many people there, from so many walks of life, so just viewing what people are doing is fun to me. One cool part is checking out what people are doing at the craps tables. When people are winning, you have all the friends in the world. But, when you’re losing, everybody hates you. That’s kind of the way I see it when I’m racing, too.”

Richard Childress Racing Event Preview Fact Sheet

Race:                Sam’s Town 300 – February 27, 2010             

Location:          Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway

Series:             Nationwide Series

Richard Childress Racing

NASCAR Nationwide Series Race Notes:

• RCR in Las Vegas… In 21 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, RCR boasts one pole (Kevin Harvick – 2007), two wins (Harvick – 2004 and Jeff Burton –2007), eight top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. RCR-prepared Chevrolets have a 10.3 average start, a 12.1 average finish, led 297 laps and have completed 91.2 percent (3,857 of 4,227) of the laps contested at the 1.5-mile oval.
• Twitter Info … For behind-the-scenes information and live in-race updates each week, check out John Wes Townley’s No. 21 Zaxby’s team twitter page at www.twitter.com/RCR21JWTownley.
• Catch the Action … The Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, Feb. 27 beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on ESPN 2. The race will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the third of 36 points-paying races on the 2010 NNS tour will air live the same day beginning at 12 noon EST on SPEED.

John Wes Townley, No. 21 Zaxby’s Chevrolet Impala

Race Notes and Quotes:

MEDIA CONTACT: Lisa Cox

Director of Partnership Marketing/Communications

Mobile: 336.682.8422

E-mail: lcox@rcrracing.com

• This Weekend’s Zaxby’s Chevrolet Impala at Las Vegas Motor Speedway … John Wes Townley will pilot Chassis No. 080 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable. Built new in 2009, Austin Dillon drove this former No. 2 racer to a 19th-place finish at Michigan International Speedway last August.
• Las Vegas Details … In his lone Nationwide Series start at LVMS, Townley was credited with a 38th-place finish after being involved in an incident 26 laps into the 300 miler.
• Over the First Two … In the season’s first two events, the Watkinsville, Ga., native has completed all but five laps contested (98.2 percent). Despite owning a 26.5 average finish, he holds an impressive 5.5 average start.
• Fontana Rewind … Townley and the Dan Deeringhoff-led team started off last weekend’s 300-mile event on a high note, posting the sixth-quickest time during the qualifying session. The young driver was a mainstay in the top 20 for half of the event but was served two speeding penalties, on separate occasions, just past halfway. With 30 laps remaining, the No. 21 Zaxby’s Chevrolet got away from Townley and looped him around off of turn two. The 20-year-old driver brought his uninjured machine to pit road for fresh tires and was able to complete the 150-lap feature where he was credited with a 30th-place finish.

JOHN WES TOWNLEY QUOTES:

As a race car driver, you have to have a little bit of a gambler in you. You need to make a pass…it may work, it may not.  You always have to consider the risk/reward factor.  Do you think drivers have a gambling attitude when they are on the track?

“Maybe a little bit.  Last year, I learned something at this particular track.  It can be really bumpy in turns one and two, especially down in the bottom groove. Because of that, things tend to get bottled up in that lane, especially on a restart. If you get stuck down there, you can roll a ton of speed if you move up and run the high groove. So, that can be a bit of a gamble, but it’s a lot of fun.”

You are not old enough to gamble but once you become of age, do you think you’ll be a guy that will go in a casino and try it out?

“Maybe. I have never been one to take many chances. I guess it’s just my history of some bad luck when I’ve put myself out there.  But, we’ll just have to see, I guess.”