RCR Race Preview: Homestead-Miami Speedway

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway… In 74 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolets have earned 12 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes. Additionally, they have completed 99% of the laps contested (19,578 of 19,777) and have led 176 laps. The Welcome, N.C.-based team owns a best finish of second, scored five times: Kevin Harvick (2003 and 2008), Jeff Burton (2009), Ryan Newman (2014) and Tyler Reddick (2021). 

RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Homestead… RCR owns five NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at Homestead, highlighted by Tyler Reddick’s championship-clinching victory in 2019. Myatt Snider grabbed his first Xfinity Series victory at the track in 2021. Burton rallied from a 30th-place starting position to win in 2007, leading the final 26 laps. Harvick scored a dominating win in 2003, leading 108 of 203 laps. Austin Hill swept both stages en-route to racking up his 10th-career Xfinity Series win at Homestead last year by a 3.045-second margin of victory. 

99 and Counting… RCR’s next Xfinity Series win will be their 100th in NASCAR’s second-tier division. Only two other teams won at least 100 races in the series, Joe Gibbs Racing with 215 and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing with 138.

Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series 300 miler at Homestead will be televised live on Saturday, March 22, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on The CW. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. 

Follow Sunday’s Action… The NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead will be televised live on Sunday, March 23, beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Practice and qualifying will air Saturday on Amazon Prime beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway… Austin Dillon has 11 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway and has completed 100% of the laps run at the 1.5-mile oval. His best Cup Series finish at the track is a fourth-place result he earned in the fall of 2022. Dillon has four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, acquiring three top-five finishes, including a best finish of second in 2015 after leading 16 laps. In three NASCAR Truck Series starts Dillon won the pole in 2010 and earned a best finish of 10th in 2011.

Championship Track for Austin Dillon… Dillon clinched the 2011 NASCAR Truck Series and the 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at the track driving the famed No. 3 Chevrolet in both series.

About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America's premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father's liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations, and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops united with Cabela’s to create a "best-of-the-best" experience with superior products, dynamic locations, and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America's Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as "one of America's Best Employers." Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit basspro.com.

About Winchester Ammunition… Winchester is the leading small caliber ammunition brand for hunting, recreational shooting, and law enforcement, and the largest supplier to the U.S. military. The legendary Winchester® brand, with its 159-year history, is founded on principles of integrity, hard work, and a strong commitment to its loyal customers. As a division of Olin Corporation, Winchester shares Olin’s purpose to deliver materials and solutions that enhance and protect lives. Learn more about Winchester and the responsible use of its products by visiting Winchester.com or connecting with us on Facebook at Facebook.com/WinchesterOfficial.

Meet Dillon… The driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / Winchester Chevrolet is scheduled to make an appearance at the RCR Merchandise Hauler at 11:00 a.m. ET on Sunday to greet race fans in the Fan Midway. Stop by and pick up new RCR gear.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:

What are your thoughts on Homestead-Miami Speedway?

“I look forward to returning to Homestead-Miami Speedway. It’s my favorite track that we race at. Homestead-Miami Speedway is a driver’s racetrack. It’s so much fun to run right up against the fence. You have to be disciplined in how you drive and save your tires. It’s a track that’s been good for me in my career winning a NASCAR Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship. The Miami atmosphere is just one of the things I love about this time of year. There is nice weather, and fans always show up to support NASCAR racing. I can’t wait to get on track in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Bank OZK Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway… Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400 will mark his 21st start at the 1.5-mile oval. Busch has two wins, five top-five finishes and 11 top-10s, an average starting position of 11.8, an average finish of 16th, and has completed 95.1 percent (5,079 of 5,342) of the laps he’s contested there.

Busch has career totals of 63 wins, 34 poles, 252 top-five finishes, 385 top-10s and 19,434 laps led in 719 career Cup Series starts.

New Colors… The No. 8 Chevrolet will sport new colors this weekend when the white, red, gray and black paint scheme of Bank OZK debuts for the first time as a primary partner with Richard Childress Racing. The bank will serve as a primary partner for Busch and the No. 8 for multiple races throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season and beyond.

Two Times a Winner, Two Times a Champion… Both of Busch’s wins at Homestead have come in NASCAR Cup Series Championship races, in 2015 and 2019. In 2016, Busch capped an incredible comeback after missing the first 11 races of the season due to injuries sustained in a NASCAR Xfinity Series February wreck at Daytona International Speedway. Busch won in dominating fashion, claiming the checkered flag over runner-up finisher Kevin Harvick by roughly a 20-car margin. In 2019, Busch, cycled back to the lead following a round of green flag pit stops with 45 laps to go and was able to maintain a solid margin over then-teammate, Martin Truex Jr.

Did You Know? Busch owns the all-time race record at Homestead, averaging 142.654 mph on his way to winning the 2019 event in just 2 hours, 28 minutes, 47 seconds.

Success Not Limited to the Cup Series… In addition to his Cup Series success at Homestead, the veteran racer also has two NASCAR Xfinity Series and three NASCAR Truck Series wins at the variable-banked oval.

Get to the Points… With his disappointing 33rd-place finish Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Busch enters Homestead 17th in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings.

232 and Counting… Busch enters Sunday’s race at Homestead with 232 career wins among NASCAR’s top three divisions – Cup (63), Xfinity (102) and Truck (67) – following his Truck Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway last month.

About Bank OZK… Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK) is a regional bank providing innovative financial solutions delivered by expert bankers with a relentless pursuit of excellence. Established in 1903, Bank OZK conducts banking operations in more than 240 offices in nine states including Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, New York, California and Mississippi and had $38.26 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2024. For more information, visit www.ozk.com.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTE:

The NASCAR Cup Series is headed to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. What makes it unique?

“I've always looked forward to going to Homestead-Miami Speedway. It's a unique mile-and-a-half. We've run well there. I've won there. It's been a great track for me. I've won two championships by winning races there. It’s always been a fun racetrack. It lends itself to drivers well because it can be a three, even four lane track as we venture from the bottom all the way to the wall. It’s going to be exciting to have Bank OZK on out No. 8 Chevrolet for the first time, we’re looking forward to giving them a strong run and finish.”

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway… Jesse Love has made one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Homestead-Miami Speedway, coming behind the wheel of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet in 2024. The Menlo Park, California native started from the 14th position and steadily drove to a fourth-place result in his first race at the 1.5-mile oval.

Extra $100K Up for Grabs… After earning a third-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Love enters Homestead-Miami Speedway with a chance to win an extra $100,000 through the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash program. Love will battle with teammate Austin Hill, Justin Allgaier, and Sam Mayer on Saturday afternoon, with the highest finisher earning the Dash 4 Cash title. This marks Love’s third career Dash 4 Cash appearance.

About Whelen Engineering… Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.

Lights, Lights, Lights… After decades in the Florida sun, Whelen Engineering recently replaced the safety lights at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The same Whelen lights and technology that are trusted to protect first responders are also the same Whelen lights and technology that are used to provide valuable safety features for NASCAR drivers on track. In the early 2000s, Whelen worked closely with the team at Homestead-Miami to develop the Racetrack Series lights – found and installed on the catchfences on property – and the Florida speedway was the first track to implement the design.

Meet Love… On Saturday, March 22 at 1:15 p.m. local time, Love is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Stop by to meet the young gun and purchase new No. 2 team gear.

JESSE LOVE QUOTES:

Looking back on 2024, how would you describe your first race at Homestead-Miami Speedway?

“Our Whelen Chevrolet was fast last year. Danny (Stockman) made great adjustments to keep up with the track, and our pit crew was solid – especially late in the race when they gained spots on pit road, and we restarted second. We just lacked rear grip during the long green flag run to the end. After I saw Austin (Hill) win both stages from the bottom line, I knew where I needed to run at the end. We didn’t have enough to catch those guys though. For whatever reason, we couldn’t get the top line to work like I needed it to, so we’ve worked on it since then.”

You qualified for the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash once again this season. Talk about racing for an extra $100,000 on Saturday.

“It’s nice to be one of the four going for an extra $100,000 this weekend. We were fortunate enough to qualify for it a couple of times last season, but we didn’t get the check at the end of the day. Obviously, it’s a good chunk of change, so it would be nice to win it. It feels like a race inside of a race. Our main goal remains to win the actual race or get the best finish possible, but we also want to earn the Dash 4 Cash bonus. I think we will have a good shot at it for sure. I have confidence in our Whelen group.” 

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway… Austin Hill has made three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, earning one win and three top-10 finishes. The Winston, Georgia native has never finished worse than the ninth position in Xfinity Series competition at the 1.5-mile oval. Hill also has five NASCAR Truck Series starts at Homestead-Miami, claiming one victory in 2019 and one pole in 2020.

Defending Race Winner… Hill enters Homestead-Miami Speedway as the defending race winner, with the 30-year-old capturing the victory at the South Florida facility last October. After starting from the 16th position, Hill swept both stage wins and led a total of 82 laps before taking the checkered flag. This Round of 8 win also earned Hill his first career Championship 4 berth.

Dashing 4 Cash… After capturing a fourth-place result at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hill has a chance to win an extra $100,000 through the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash program on Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Hill will battle with teammate Jesse Love, Justin Allgaier, and Sam Mayer on Saturday afternoon, with the highest finisher earning the Dash 4 Cash title.

About Global Industrial… For over 75 years, Global Industrial has been the source for industrial equipment and supplies for businesses of all sizes and the public sector. They have been – and continue to be – a leader, and an authority, for supplying industrial-strength equipment that delivers uncompromising quality at an exceptional value with experts who understand the unique needs of our customers.

New Products… Earlier this month, Global Industrial revealed two new products that were designed to boost efficiency, workplace safety, and sustainability. The Global Industrial Recirculating Water Auto Ride-On Floor Scrubber is an eco-friendly scrubber with a 4-stage filtration system that recycles water and reduces waste. The Global Industrial Electric Pallet Jack is a powerful, easy-to-use solution that improves load handling efficiency and operator safety with the push of a button. To learn more about these products, visit globalindustrial.com.

Meet Hill… On Saturday, March 22 at 1:35 p.m. local time, Hill is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Stop by to meet the 11-time Xfinity Series winner and purchase new No. 21 team gear.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:

Describe the start of the 2025 season for the No. 21 team.

“Our consistency is building throughout the entire organization, with both the No. 2 and No. 21 teams finishing inside the top-five on a regular basis. That goes to show how fast our Chevrolets are right now. It builds a lot of confidence for my new crew chief, Chad Haney. He might not have known what to fully expect coming into this role this season, but we’ve had a lot of speed right off the trailer with his leadership. Our No. 21 team is full of top-caliber people, and we are having a lot of fun so far this year. We are building something special, and I think we have more wins coming in our future.”

After winning at Homestead-Miami Speedway last season, how do you better the effort?

“It’s going to be tough. There are a lot of good drivers and cars in the field, including (Kyle) Larson. If we do what we did last year, I think we can go toe-to-toe with anyone. It’s going to be such a fun race though. Hopefully we have a really fast Global Industrial Chevrolet, like we did last year, and we can go contend for the win and see who comes out on top.”

You are racing for an extra $100,000 this weekend with the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash program. Does that provide extra motivation before the race?

“When you leave the track and have the extra $100K, it goes a long way not just for yourself but for the race team. You can walk out of the track with your chest bowed out, knowing that you were able to get the job done for your team and you are the ones leaving with a little extra cash in your pocket. There isn’t extra pressure in my opinion, but you do think about it. If we are not able to win the race itself, but we can win the Dash 4 Cash, we’ll do what it takes to get the job done.”