Daytona: Austin Dillon preview

* Back in Black ... Richard Childress Racing returns fulltime to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the first time since the conclusion of the 1999 season.

* Inaugural Series Champs ... RCR won the series' inaugural season championship in 1995, with Mike Skinner, earning eight victories in the No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet.

* Inaugural Race Winner ... RCR won the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. On February 5, 1995, at Phoenix International Raceway, Skinner and the No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet led 30 of 80 laps and beat second-place finisher Terry Labonte to the finish line by 0.09 second.

* Stat Check ... In 129 Truck Series races from 1995 to 1999, RCR earned 20 victories (16 by Skinner, four by Jay Sauter), 59 top-five and 85 top-10 finishes, and 16 pole positions.

* Daytona Debut, Part 2 ... The NextEra Energy 250 will be the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway for RCR, who shut down its Truck Series program at the conclusion of the 1999 season. The series first ran at Daytona in 2000.

* Big Shoes to Fill ... Austin Dillon is the eighth driver to compete for RCR in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The others are Skinner, Bill Cooper, Dave Marcis, Jay Sauter, Jim Sauter, Mike Dillon, and Tim George Jr.

* This Week's No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Silverado at Daytona International Speedway ... Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 001 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series stable. This is a new Chevrolet Silverado that will be put through its first paces this weekend.

* Daytona Debut ... Austin Dillon will attempt to make his third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race when he makes his qualifying run for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway. It will be the first time he has run at the "World Center of Racing."

* Scholar Athlete ... In addition to running the entire 2010 Camping World Truck Series and vying for Rookie of the Year honors, Austin Dillon is a fulltime college student at High Point University (www.highpoint.edu) in High Point, N.C.

* A Family Affair ... Austin's father, Mike Dillon, RCR's Vice President of Competition, raced three times in the Truck Series, all with RCR: November 1997 at Phoenix International Raceway; June 1999 at Watkins Glen International; and July 1999 at the Milwaukee Mile.

* New Sheriff in Town ... Danny Stockman, crew chief for RCR's No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team, was the truck chief for Ron Hornaday, Jr., for three seasons (2007-09) at Kevin Harvick Incorporated. The team won 18 races and two championships (2007, 2009). This is his first stint as a crew chief in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

AUSTIN DILLON:

What are your thoughts about racing for the first time at Daytona International Speedway?

"I'm very excited about getting on the track for the first time. The Bass Pro Shops team has done a great job getting the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado ready. We've been to the wind tunnel and done all the things needed to make sure it's ready when we hit the track.

"It's really cool to be in the driver's seat at Daytona. I was able to watch Dale (Earnhardt) race the No. 3 here and I watched my dad (Mike Dillon, RCR Vice President of Competition) race here in the Nationwide Series. I've already been able to spend a lot of time at Daytona but getting on the track for the first time makes it all new. I feel very fortunate to be in the position I am and I'm ready to get going."

How will you balance your dual role as driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet and a fulltime college student at High Point University?

"It will be a challenge keeping up with both but I'm really looking forward to it. High Point University has been great in working with me on my class schedule. I'll have some catching up to do when I get back from Daytona but I feel like I can be successful in both school and racing.

What are your thoughts on the fact that Richard Childress Racing already has a strong legacy of winning in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series?

"RCR has had great success in the Truck Series and I'm looking forward to doing everything I can to help our Bass Pro Shops team get back to that level. Danny Stockman (crew chief) has put together a very good team that can do it. We just have to get out there and do our best every week."

-source: rcr