RACE: Toyota Owners 400
DATE: Sunday, April 24, 2016
TRACK: Richmond International Raceway
LENGTH: 0.75-mile oval
TV: FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET
RADIO: MRN/SIRIUSXM

Notes

RICHMOND PAINT SCHEME: Earnhardt has again teamed with longtime partner Mountain Dew to support its summer DEWcision campaign in a black and green No. 88 Mountain Dew DEWcision Chevrolet SS. At Richmond, Earnhardt will be a neutral party as teammates Kahne and Elliott campaign for #VotePitchBlack and #VoteBajaBlast. See the Hendrick Motorsports section below for more information on the DEWcision campaign.

RICHMOND STATS: Among active drivers, Earnhardt is one of three competitors tied for second with three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories at Richmond International Raceway. Earnhardt most recently went to Victory Lane at Richmond on May 6, 2006, after leading 47 laps. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native has one pole at the 0.75-mile, D-shaped oval, which he earned in September 2012. Richmond is another track where the driver of the No. 88 Mountain Dew DEWcision Chevrolet SS has shown his ability to pass, as he ranks second among active drivers in green-flag passes with 1,136 in the last 10 years.

DOUBLE UP: Earnhardt will be making his second and final NASCAR XFINITY Series start of the season, driving the No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet for his JR Motorsports team. Stemming from a Hellmann’s photo shoot, Earnhardt’s attention-grabbing banana and mayo sandwich has helped raise over $48,000 so far for Blessings in a Backpack, a national non-profit organization that packs food for school children who are at risk of going hungry on the weekends. The $48,000 is purely from donations in addition to the $50,000 that he and Hellmann’s have each pledged, ensuring that Blessings in a Backpack will receive at least $148,000. To donate, visit DaleJrSandwich.com through April 23. This weekend, Richmond International Raceway will be selling the “Dale Jr. Sandwich” for $2 with $1 from each sandwich sold going to The Dale Jr. Foundation for Blessings in a Backpack. Click here for more information about RIR’s support of the program.

BODY SHOP TO DAYTONA 500: Adam Jordan, interior mechanic for the No. 88 team, grew up in Timberville, Virginia, less than three hours northwest of the track. Working as a painter at a body shop right out of high school, he had a chance meeting with someone affiliated with a traveling short-track team. With no previous racing experience, Jordan began helping the team on weekends. When the crew chief moved to North Carolina to work for a Sprint Cup organization, he called Jordan to interview as a painter. He got the job and later transitioned to Hendrick Motorsports, where in 2014 he and the No. 88 team won the Daytona 500.

GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES: In case you missed it, three of Earnhardt’s rides for 2016 have been unveiled in the last week: his No. 88 Nationwide Insurance Gray Ghost Chevrolet SS for Darlington (here), his No. 88 Axalta/CARSTAR Chevrolet SS for Kansas (here), and his No. 88 Mountain Dew DEWcision Chevrolet SS for this weekend’s race at Richmond (here).

GLOVES: This past Sunday, the 41-year-old driver wore his blue gloves for the final time this month, while featuring Patient Champion Aiden VanWagner’s name above the passenger door of his No. 88 Nationwide Chevy. He will auction them off through The Dale Jr. Foundation’s Driven to Give Gloves program to raise money for Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s autism research. For more, visit TDJF’s website.

Quotes

Dale Earnhardt Jr. on racing at Richmond: “I’m looking forward to getting back to Richmond. The surface is worn out and slick, so that makes it fun to drive. It’s a wide track and I think with the new tire we'll be able to pass and that’s always good for the racing. I really enjoy short-track racing in general and I think we’re going to have a good race. Then in the XFINITY race, I’ll get to participate in the heat races, which will be pretty cool. It should be a good weekend and I think the fans will enjoy it.”