Richard Childress
Richard Childress, is President and CEO of Richard Childress Racing (RCR). The native of Winston-Salem, N.C., marked his 39th year as a NASCAR team owner in 2007. RCR clinched its first berth in NASCAR’s Chase for the NEXTEL Cup in 2006 with the teams of Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton. It was the first time RCR teams qualified for NASCAR’s 10-race playoff format since the concept was introduced for the 2004 season. RCR earned its third NASCAR Busch Series title in 2006 with driver Kevin Harvick. Childress was named 2006 NASCAR Owner of the Year by The Sporting News. RCR was a one-team shop (No. 3) from 1969-1994. A NASCAR Truck Series program (No. 3) was added in 1995 and a second Cup team (No. 31) was added for the 1997 season. A two-team NASCAR Busch Series program (Nos. 2 and 21) was started for the 2000 season and the Truck Series team ceased operation. A third Cup Series team (former No. 30 team, now No. 07) was started in 2001 to run a part-time schedule and became a full-time program in 2002. A third Busch Series team (No. 29) was added in 2006 to run a partial schedule with Jeff Burton and became a full time program in 2007. Childress was the first NASCAR team owner to win championships in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (Dale Earnhardt in 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994), NASCAR Busch Series (Kevin Harvick in 2001, Harvick and Johnny Sauter in 2003, Harvick in 2006) and Truck Series (Mike Skinner in 1995). An RCR team has finished in the top-10 of the NASCAR Cup Series point standings in 21 of the last 25 seasons. An RCR team has earned a NASCAR Cup Series victory in 22 of the last 24 seasons. RCR has more than 145 victories in NASCAR competition, including the 1998 Daytona 500 with Earnhardt, and the 1995 and 2003 Brickyard 400 with Earnhardt and Harvick, respectively. RCR’s Busch Series program has earned 38 victories with eight different drivers since its inception in 2000. RCR won the NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year award in 1997 with Skinner and in 2001 with Harvick. RCR’s first NASCAR Cup victory came in 1983 with Ricky Rudd at Riverside (Calif.) International Speedway. Childress was a NASCAR Cup Series driver from 1969-81, recording six top-five and 76 top-10 finishes. He finished fifth in the point standings in 1975 and earned top-10 points finishes in five of the eight full seasons he competed as a driver. He retired as a driver in mid-1981, naming Earnhardt to finish the season in his car. Childress purchased his first race car, a 1947 Plymouth, for $20 at age 17. In addition to RCR, Childress is the proprietor of Childress Vineyards, an award-winning winery in Lexington, N.C., and the Yadkin River Angus Ranch in Clemmons, N.C. The Childress Vineyard Collection line of home furnishings, in partnership with Bob Timberlake and Linwood Furniture of Lexington, N.C., was scheduled to be in stores in September 2007.
