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2016 Team Preview: Richard Childress Racing

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Ty Dillon says his car was completely different in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix compared to what it was like in practice and explains the different adjustments his team made over the course of the race.

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

SPRINT CUP DRIVER LINEUP: Ryan Newman (crew chief Luke Lambert), Paul Menard (Justin Alexander), Austin Dillon (Slugger Labbe)

XFINITY DRIVER LINEUP: Ty Dillon (crew chief Nick Harrison), Brandon Jones (Mike Hillman Jr.), Brendan Gaughan (Shane Wilson), shared car of Austin Dillon/Paul Menard (crew chief Danny Stockman),

CHANGES: Jones is promoted from part-time to full-time in the Xfinity Series, with former Truck Series driver Mike Hillman Jr. as his crew chief. Jones will also be contending for Rookie of the Year honors. … Ty Dillon will be driving a select number of Sprint Cup races – including the season-opening Daytona 500 – in the No. 95 Chevrolet as part of a partnership between RCR and Circle Track-Leavine Family Racing for 2016.

DID YOU KNOW: It has been 22 years since RCR won its last Sprint Cup championship (1994, Dale Earnhardt’s seventh and final championship). … RCR has not reached Victory Lane in Sprint Cup competition since Kevin Harvick’s four wins in 2013. … Other than Harvick, the last RCR driver to earn a win in Sprint Cup is Menard in 2011 (Brickyard 400). ... This is RCR’s 47th year tied with Chevrolet.

EXPECTATIONS: Even though he didn’t get past the first round, it was a promising sign that Menard made the Chase for the first time in his career in 2015. … Austin Dillon appears ready for a breakout season. … With defending champ Chris Buescher, 2014 champ Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and former RCR driver Brian Scott moving up to Sprint Cup in 2016, this could be Ty Dillon’s best chance at an Xfinity Series championship. It also could potentially be Ty Dillon’s last season in Xfinity; he’s likely to move up to Sprint Cup in 2017.

WHAT THEY SAID:

“The goals are higher this year. We expect to make the Chase, now we have to get up there and win a championship. I know how hard this group has worked. I spent a lot of time in the offseason around the shop, more than ever, and our focus is there in every department.” – Team owner Richard Childress.

“We’ve gotta win this year in the Cup. We’ve been consistent, and that’s what it takes, but we want to win in the Cup Series this year and we will.” -- Team owner Richard Childress.

“Close. Closer two years ago. I think we have all the tools and there are a lot of situations that happen in the Chase that some you are in control of and some you’re not in control of. We came close two years ago, really close, one point close.” -- Ryan Newman on how close he thinks he is to capturing a championship with this team.

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