CHARLOTTE, N.C. – With Matt Tifft and Daniel Hemric set to make up two full-time teams for Richard Childress Racing in 2018, the organization’s third NASCAR XFINITY Series team will have a flux of drivers to complete the 33-race schedule.
Joining brothers Austin and Ty Dillon as drivers of the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro, newcomer and ARCA veteran Shane Lee, Jeb Burton and Brendan Gaughan will complete the driver roster, CATCHFENCE.com has confirmed.
Nick Harrison will serve as crew chief.
Austin Dillon, the 2013 XFINITY Series champion will drive the car in the season-opening race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Feb. 17.
The eldest Dillon brother has 17 career poles awards, eight wins, 62 top-five and 99 top-10 finishes in the Series throughout his racing career.
Ty Dillon, also a Series veteran, has collected four poles, 32 top-five and 86 top-10 finishes. He won at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2014.
Lee, a native of Newton, N.C. joins RCR after a stint in the ARCA Racing Series which included a third-place championship run with Cunningham Motorsports last season. Lee, an accomplished short track racer earned nine top-five and 18 top-10s in 30 career starts.
He also has three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) starts under his belt, two with SS Green Light Racing and his most recent for GMS Racing at Texas Motor Speedway in 2016.
Burton, the son of 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton joins RCR after a six-race run last year with JGL Racing. The 24-year-old Virginian has 22 XFINITY starts since 2013 with a best finish of fourth last summer at Daytona.
He is the nephew of former RCR driver Jeff Burton and has also logged laps in both NXS and MENCS competition.
While not competing full-time in the XFINITY Series this season, Gaughan will still have a presence and will run the road course races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America (Wisc.) in August for RCR this season.
The two-time XFINITY winner scored both of his victories driving a RCR Chevrolet at Road America and Kentucky Speedway during the 2014 season.
Gaughan will also attempt the Daytona 500 driving the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro for Beard Motorsports who purchased a superspeedway car from RCR.
An exact race schedule for Lee and Burton are forthcoming, as well as sponsorship for the team.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
