 | |
| Owner | Richard Childress |
|---|---|
| Principal | Mike Verlander (President) |
| Base | Welcome, North Carolina |
| Series | NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Xfinity Series |
| Race drivers | Cup Series: 3.Austin Dillon 8.Kyle Busch 33.Austin Hill,Jesse Love (part-time) Xfinity Series: 2.Jesse Love 3.Austin Dillon (part-time) 21.Austin Hill,Austin Dillon 33.Kasey Kahne (part-time) |
| Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
| Opened | 1969 |
| Website | rcrracing.com |
| Career | |
| Debut | Cup Series: 1969 Talladega 500 (Talladega) Xfinity Series 1995Sundrop 400 (Hickory) Camping World Truck Series: 1995Skoal Bandit Copper World Classic (Phoenix) |
| Latest race | Cup Series: 2025YellaWood 500 (Talladega) Xfinity Series: 2014Pocono Mountains 150 (Pocono) |
| Races competed | Total: 2,778 Cup Series: 1,669 Xfinity Series: 832 Camping World Truck Series: 220 ARCA Racing Series: 57 |
| Drivers' Championships | Total: 14 Cup Series: 6 1986,1987,1990,1991,1993,1994 Xfinity Series: 5 2001,2006,2008,2013,2019 Camping World Truck Series: 2 1995,2011 ARCA Racing Series: 1 2011 |
| Race victories | Total: 261 Cup Series: 118 Xfinity Series: 102 Camping World Truck Series: 31 ARCA Racing Series: 10 |
| Pole positions | Total: 196 Cup Series: 57 Xfinity Series: 90 Camping World Truck Series: 39 ARCA Racing Series: 10 |
Richard Childress Racing (RCR) is an American professionalstock car racing team that currently competes in theNASCAR Cup Series and theNASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is based inWelcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated byRichard Childress.
In the Cup Series, the team currently fields threeChevrolet Camaro ZL1s: the No. 3 full-time forAustin Dillon, the No. 8 full-time forKyle Busch, as well as the No. 33 part-time forAustin Hill andJesse Love. In the Xfinity Series, the team currently fields fourChevrolet Camaro teams: the No. 2 full-time forJesse Love, the No. 3 part time forAustin Dillon, the No. 21 full-time forAustin Hill, and the No. 33 part-time forKasey Kahne. RCR has had at least one car successfully qualify for every Cup race since1972, the longest such active streak, and is known for the longstanding use of the number 3 on its primary race car.
In addition to its in-house Cup Series teams, RCR has several technical alliances and partnerships with other teams. In the Xfinity Series,Big Machine Racing andJordan Anderson Racing have a technical alliance with the team in the Xfinity Series, withBig Machine Racing having shops on the RCR campus in Welcome, North Carolina.[1] Beyond this, RCR also has collaborative agreements withBeard Motorsports, although these are not technical alliances.
RCR has won the NASCAR Cup Series championship six times, all with driverDale Earnhardt, as well as theDaytona 500 three times; Earnhardt in1998,Kevin Harvick in2007, andAustin Dillon in2018. The team has also fielded cars for notables such asJeff Burton,Mike Skinner,Ricky Rudd,Neil Bonnett,Ryan Newman, andClint Bowyer.
RCR has fielded this entry in the Nationwide Series since the fall North Carolina Speedway race in 1999, moving the entire team from the Craftsman Truck Series. Kevin Harvick was the first driver of the No. 2AC Delco-sponsored Chevy,[2] winning three races and winning Rookie of the Year along with a third-place points finish, despite missing the spring race atNorth Carolina Speedway.[3] He went on to win the championship in the Busch Series in 2001 while running full-time in Winston Cup as well.
In 2002, rookie driverJohnny Sauter won at Chicagoland and finished 14th in points.[4]The next year,Ron Hornaday Jr. drove the car full-time, winning one race and posting a third-place finish in points. He followed up that performance with another win and a drop to fourth in points the following year. Hornaday was not re-signed for 2005.[4]
In 2005,Clint Bowyer took the wheel, in a program headed up by veteran crew chiefGil Martin,[5] winning atNashville Speedway andMemphis Motorsports Park to finish second in points.[6] Bowyer was back in the No. 2 car in 2006 with crew chief Dan Deeringhoff, while Martin moved up to run the No. 07 Jack Daniels-sponsored Cup car for Bowyer's rookie season. Bowyer would finish 3rd in points with a win aDover.[6] 2006 was the final year for longtime sponsorAC Delco (sister companyGM Goodwrench also withdrew from the Cup Series after 2006);[7] for 2007,BB&T signed on as the sponsor, with Bowyer running 21 races in the No. 2.Kenny Wallace drove for the team in a one-race deal atGateway International Raceway, with a sponsorship from sandwich chainJimmy John's. In 2008, Bowyer returned full-time, scoring eighteen top-tens in the first 21 races including a win atBristol.[6] Bowyer would go on to win the 2008 Nationwide Series title.
In 2009, the No. 2 team ran a partial schedule withSean Caisse andAustin Dillon sharing the ride.[8][9] The team shut down after 2009.
In late 2011,Kevin Harvick sold off hisKHI organization, with theNationwide Series team and equipment going to Childress' stable.[10] KHI's 2 car, driverElliott Sadler, and sponsorOneMain Financial moved over to RCR. Sadler continued on the success from KHI, finishing second in the 2012 drivers championship for the second year in a row toRicky Stenhouse Jr.[11] Even though Sadler scored four wins, it was announced in September that he turned down an extension offered by Childress to continue in the second tier series;[12] he and sponsor OneMain Financial moved toJoe Gibbs Racing in 2013,[11] which included a start in the Cup Series.
For 2013, former JGR driverBrian Scott took the wheel of the No. 2 under a multi-year contract (essentially swapping rides with Sadler). He brought sponsorship from the Idaho-basedShore Lodge andWhitetail Club, owned by his father.[11] The No. 2 team also switched back to RCR-style angled number logos from KHI-style logos. Scott had markedly improved consistency from his crash-marred seasons with Gibbs, with three top-fives and thirteen top-tens en route to a seventh-place points finish. Scott's best run by far was atRichmond in September, where he led won the pole and led 229 laps. before being passed on the restart byBrad Keselowski with 11 laps to go, finishing second. Scott's team protested the restart-in-question, and after the race stated "We deserved to win that race."[13]
In the spring Richmond race, Scott andNelson Piquet Jr. got into altercations on the cool-down lap and on pit road following several on-track incidents that carried over from prior races. During the physical altercation, which got both teams' crew members involved, Piquet was shown kicking Scott in the groin, which Scott called "just a chicken move." Scott finished twentieth in the race.[14]
Scott returned RCR in 2014, which included several starts in the No. 33 Cup car. Scott's performance continued to improve, winning another Richmond pole (in the Spring race),[15] poles at bothChicagoland races,[16] and was in contention to win several races. Scott ended the year with career bests in top-five finishes (six), top-tens (23), and average start and finish (6.5 and 9.5 respectively). He would come away with a career-best fourth place in the championship standings, losing a numerical tiebreaker for third with former RCR driverElliott Sadler.[17][18]
For 2015, Scott returned to the No. 2 Camaro, with Mike Hillman Jr. replacing Phil Gould as crew chief.[17][18] Scott left the team forRichard Petty Motorsports in Cup Series at the end of the season.
In 2016, the No. 2 began fielding variety of drivers driving includingAustin Dillon andPaul Menard, with sponsorship fromRheem andMenards.[19][20] Dillon and Menard would run 27 races combined, with the former winning at Auto Club and the fall Bristol race.Sam Hornish Jr.,Ben Kennedy,Michael McDowell, andRegan Smith would also round out the No. 2 lineup. Hornish would win the spring Iowa race, while McDowell would take his first NASCAR victory at Road America. The 2 team would finish sixth in owners points.
For 2017, Dillon and Menard continued to run the No. 2 Camaro. Neither Dillon nor Menard won a race that year, with the No. 2 car having a best finish of second in theLilly Diabetes 250 with Menard behind the wheel.
On October 5, 2017, it was announced thatMatt Tifft will be the driver of the No. 2 car in 2018 and compete for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship.
Defending Xfinity Series champion,Tyler Reddick was signed to the team for 2019. He ended up winning his second championship and was the first championship that was won back-to-back while driving for different teams (2018 was in JR Motorsports).
On December 10, 2020, it was announced thatMyatt Snider will drive the No. 2 car full-time.[21] Snider picked up his first career win in theContender Boats 250.
On September 14, 2021, it was announced thatSheldon Creed will drive the No. 2 car full-time in 2022 replacing Snider.[22] On April 12, 2022, crew chief Jeff Stankiewicz was suspended for four races after the car lost a ballast during the2022 Call 811 Before You Dig 250 atMartinsville Speedway.[23] At theSeptember Darlington race, Creed scored a career-best second place after engaging in a three-car battle with race winnerNoah Gragson andKyle Larson on the closing laps.[24]
Creed started the2023 season with a 34th place DNF atDaytona. Despite not winning a race, he stayed consistent enough to make the playoffs. On September 12, crew chief Jeff Stankiewicz was suspended for theBristol playoff race and finedUS$10,000 after the car was found to have two loose lug nuts following theKansas race.[25] On October 11, Creed announced he will not return to RCR in 2024.[26]
On October 25, 2023, it was revealed thatJesse Love would drive the No. 2 car full-time in2024, replacing Creed.[27][28] Love started the season with a 20th place finish atDaytona. On April 20, he scored his first career win atTalladega.[29]
Love started the2025 season with a win atDaytona.[30] Two months later, he won atRockingham, but was disqualified after failing post race inspection; as a result,Sammy Smith was declared the winner.[31]
The No. 3 car was initially run in the then-Busch Series byDale Earnhardt, Inc. beginning in 1989, winning two back-to-back championships withDale Earnhardt Jr. in 1998 and 1999.[32] The No. 3 made its debut as part of the RCR stable in 2002 at theEAS/GNC Live Well 300 atDaytona, driven twice that year by Earnhardt Jr. with sponsorships from theNabisco brandsOreo andNilla. Earnhardt won the Daytona race but finished 36th at theCarquest Auto Parts 300 atCharlotte after being involved in a crash. The No. 3 car returned for one race in 2010 at theSubway Jalapeño 250 at Daytona with a sponsorship fromWrangler, in a joint venture between RCR,JR Motorsports, andDale Earnhardt, Inc.[33] The car was once again driven by Earnhardt Jr. with a paint scheme resembling the one used byhis late father when he first drove for RCR.[33] Earnhardt would go on to win the race, his first victory in 87Nationwide Series starts, and the first victory in a NationwideCar of Tomorrow.[34] Prior to the start, Earnhardt Jr. claimed that it would most likely be the last time he would drive the No. 3 car.[33]
In 2012, the team moved to full-time status with Childress's grandsonAustin Dillon driving, led by crew chief Danny Stockman. The team had a sponsorship fromAdvoCare for twenty races, andBass Pro Shops andAmerican Ethanol for the others.[32] Dillon stayed in the championship hunt throughout the season, sweeping both Kentucky races[35] and easily claiming Rookie of the Year.[36] Dillon would finish third in points behind teammateElliott Sadler and championRicky Stenhouse Jr.[36] Dillon returned in 2013, with a sponsorship from AdvoCare covering the entire season.[37] Despite not going to victory lane, the No. 3 team scored five consecutive poles midway through the season and seven total on the year. Dillon managed to stay consistent enough to beatSam Hornish Jr. for the championship, becoming the first team to win a championship without a victory.[38] Austin would move up to the Cup Series in 2014.
For 2014, younger brotherTy Dillon took over the No. 3 for 2014 with sponsorships fromYuengling,Bass Pro Shops, andWESCO.[39] Dillon earned a pole in the third race of the season atLas Vegas, and scored his first career victory at the famedIndianapolis Motor Speedway after leading 24 laps, one of only three rookies to win a race in 2014.[40] Dillon earned three poles, seven top-five finishes, and 24 top-tens en route to a fifth-place points finish, losing Rookie of the Year honors to championChase Elliott. He followed it up with a career-best third place in points for 2015 and fifth place in 2016 despite not winning a race either year.
In 2017, Ty Dillon would run 27 of the 33 races alongside his rookie Cup Series campaign.Scott Lagasse Jr. andBrian Scott would round out the No. 3's schedule.
In 2018, Ty would share the No. 3 with his brother Austin along withJeb Burton andShane Lee.Brendan Gaughan also drove the No. 3 in 2018.
The No. 3 car returned for one race in 2022. The car was driven byJeffrey Earnhardt.[41] He finished the race in a career-best second place.[42]
On January 25, 2023, RCR announcedTy Dillon will drive the No. 3 car part time in 2023 with sponsorship coming from Ferris.
On May 19, 2025, RCR announced Austin Dillon will drive the No. 3 car for theBetMGM 300 with sponsorship coming fromBoot Barn.[43]
The No. 21 debuted in 2000, withRockwell Automation as the sponsor and Childress' son-in-lawMike Dillon as the driver. Dillon posted two top-ten finishes and finished 23rd in points that year.
Six races into 2001, Dillon was injured atBristol Motor Speedway and it was announced at the time he would be out for the rest of the season. Since then, he has taken on other roles with the team. His replacement wasMike Skinner but after his injury,Jeff Purvis briefly took over, winning at Pikes Peak, before Skinner returned. After Skinner's release,Robby Gordon had the driving duties for the balance of the season.
The next year,Jeff Green andJay Sauter drove the car.[44] With Green winning twice atBristol andCharlotte and Sauter having a best finish of fourth atNashville
In 2003, the team set out to win the Busch Series Owner's Championship with a sponsorship fromThe Hershey Company'sPayDay brand. Cup Series driverKevin Harvick was tabbed to drive 15 of the 34 races, with development driverJohnny Sauter filling out the rest of the schedule.[45] Harvick ended up competing nineteen races, with three wins and top-tens in all but one race, and RCR became the first team to win an owner's points title with two different drivers.[46] Harvick would serve as the team's anchor driver there afterwards, withClint Bowyer doing the co-driving honors in 2004[47] andBrandon Miller in 2005 and sponsorships fromReese's Peanut Butter Cups.[47]Jeff Burton drove the car at Bristol in 2005. In 2006, Harvick and Burton split the driving duties in the car with sponsorship fromUnited States Coast Guard, as Harvick attempted to run the entire Busch Series schedule in three different cars. Burton won at Atlanta, and Harvick won three more races, pulling out to an over 700-point lead in the points standings with five races to go in the 2006 season.AutoZone replaced the sponsorship with Coast Guard in 2007, and Harvick drove along with development driverTimothy Peters, until Peters was replaced by multipledirt late model series championTim McCreadie.[48][49][50]
Beginning in 2008,Bobby Labonte was tapped to drive the 21 car for 15 races of the season.[51] In May 2008, the team shut down due to financial problems but returned at theEmerson Radio 250 to debutAustin Dillon, son of former driver Mike Dillon and grandson to Richard Childress.
In 2010, RCR hiredJohn Wes Townley as the driver of car No. 21, with family-ownedZaxby's as the sponsor.[52] On April 9, Townley was pulled from the No. 21 car after a practice crash at Phoenix, which had proceeded an arrest for possession of alcohol as a minor. RCR said the move was for precautionary reasons, but Townley never returned to the team and would return to his former teamRAB Racing.[52][53] Clint Bowyer took over driving duties at Phoenix, andScott Riggs drove at Nashville and Kentucky in June. Zaxby's, meanwhile, scaled back to sponsoring 21 of the season's 35 races.[52] After the July Daytona race,Morgan Shepherd stepped behind the wheel for several weeks, taking a break for Bristol to handle his car forFaith Motorsports, which didn't make the field. RCR and Shepherd formed Shepherd Racing Ventures on August 31 to keep the No. 21 running the rest of the year.[54] Bowyer drove with the Zaxby's sponsorship atAtlanta,Richmond,Charlotte, andTexas while Shepherd drove either without a sponsor or with limited sponsorship from Zaxby's and other companies for the other seven races.[54] Following the season, Shepherd returned full-time to his Faith Motorsports operation with RCR transferring the No. 21 owners points to Shepherd, while RCR shut the 21 team down.
In 2011, RCR briefly restarted its Nationwide program, running a few races with development driverTim George Jr. and sponsorship fromApplebee's.[55] In 2012, the No. 21 ran at Charlotte and Homestead withJoey Coulter. The car returned in 2013 withDakoda Armstrong,[56][57]Brendan Gaughan,[58] andKevin Harvick driving, taking a best finish of fifth at Indianapolis.
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The No. 21 was revived forDaniel Hemric who drove full-time in 2017 and 2018. Despite being a consistent front runner, Hemric never won a race before moving up to the Cup series for the 2019 season.
RCR cut back to one full-time team with the No. 21 running a limited schedule withKaz Grala andJoe Graf Jr.
In 2020, the No. 21 was returned to full-time competition after inheriting the No. 2 owner points. This car was shared byMyatt Snider,Anthony Alfredo,Kaz Grala, andEarl Bamber.
On October 29, 2021, it was announced that RCR would field two full-time cars again in 2022, with their second car driven byAustin Hill.[59] On January 21, 2022, RCR revealed on their website that Hill's car number would be the No. 21.[59] Hill began the season with a win atDaytona. He also won atAtlanta on his way to the playoffs. Hill was eliminated following the Round of 8 after finishing ninth atMartinsville as a result of a collision with Snider. Following the race, Hill punched Snider in the face on pit road.[60] At the end of the season, he finished sixth in the points standings and won the 2022NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year honors.[61]
Hill began the2023 season by winning his second straight season opener atDaytona.[62] He also scored wins atLas Vegas,Atlanta, andPocono.[63][64][65]
In2024, Hill made history by winning his third straight season opener atDaytona.[66] In the next round atAtlanta, his team used fuel strategy to help him take his second win in a row.[67] AtCharlotte, Hill andCole Custer were trading paint on the frontstretch for fifth place when contact blew a right front tire on Hill's car. He crashed in turn 1 and collected Custer. Hill, showing his displeasure for how he was raced, locked bumpers with Custer's car and left-reared Custer’s damaged car on the backstretch, which sent him into the inside wall.[68] As a result, Hill was finedUS$25,000 and docked 25 points.[69] Later in the year, Hill won his third race of the season atAtlanta.[70] During the playoffs, he won atHomestead to make the Championship 4.[71][72]
Hill started the2025 season with a 33rd place DNF atDaytona. A week later, he rebounded with a win atAtlanta.[73] Hill also scored wins atMartinsville andTalladega.[74][75] AtIndianapolis, Hill was penalized five laps for intentionally right-rear hookingAric Almirola to the outside wall.[76] Due to the incident, Hill was suspended for one race atIowa, withAustin Dillon substituting for him.[77]
The 29 car first appeared in 2002, withKevin Harvick (driver of the 29 Cup Series car) running four races with sponsorship from GM Goodwrench, Action Racing Collectibles,Sonic, andSylvania.Jim Sauter also made his final career start at theMilwaukee Mile withRockwell Automation andNilfisk-Advance sponsorship, racing as a teammate to his sonsJay andJohnny and against his other sonTim.[78][79] The car appeared again in 2003 atHomestead-Miami Speedway with Johnny Sauter driving and thePayDay sponsorship, as a thank you from Richard Childress for Sauter's help in winning the 2003 owners' championship for the 21 team.[47] In 2004 several drivers includingBobby Labonte,Tony Stewart,Ricky Craven,Brandon Miller andKevin Harvick ran in the 29.
The 29 car returned in 2005 atBristol Motor Speedway as part of a promotion forReese's Chocolate and Peanut Butter Lovers Cups. The promotion involved the 29 painted as the Chocolate Lovers car and the 21 painted as the Peanut Butter Lovers car. The plan was forJeff Burton to drive the 29 whileKevin Harvick would drive the 21. Qualifying was rained out, so the entries were switched to assure that both cars would make the field (Harvick was a past champion and the No. 29 was not locked in). Burton drove the 21 while Harvick drove the 29. Harvick won the race in this car with Burton finishing second in the 21. Later in the season,Mayflower Transit came on to sponsor Burton after a seven-year relationship with him.[80]
On March 17, 2006,Holiday Inn announced its sponsorship of the 29 for ten races with Burton returning as its driver.[81] The new car made its 2006 debut at Richmond. Burton finished in the top ten seven out of the ten times the car raced in 2006,[82] including a win atDover in June.[83] Burton started 36th after qualifying was rained out, and passedKurt Busch with eighteen laps to go.[84]
In2007, the No. 29 went full-time and, like the No. 21 several years before, Childress set out to win the owners' championship for a second time without a full-time driver. Burton andScott Wimmer, who had just lost a Cup Series ride due to lack of sponsorship, shared the No. 29 withHoliday Inn sponsoring. Burton won five times including the finale atHomestead and Wimmer put together several strong finishes in his time in the car, and Childress had his second Busch Series owners' championship in which no full-time driver raced for the team.[85]
Holiday Inn signed a multi-year extension near the end of 2007, withScott Wimmer signing on for 23 races, and Burton filling out the rest. The new deal also brought on branding from Holiday Inn Express, which included commercials featuring Burton.[86] Burton had two poles, but also had two DNFs and went winless in thirteen starts. Wimmer, meanwhile had a pole at Bristol and thirteen top-tens. This included a win atNashville, where he went by teammateClint Bowyer with 21 laps to go to take the victory.[87] Wimmer left the team following the 2008 season.[88]
The 2009 season saw a change in the driver lineup for the No. 29 team. Longtime driver Jeff Burton was joined by Cup teammate and 2008 Nationwide Series ChampionClint Bowyer, as well as up and comerStephen Leicht. Bowyer's championship crew chief Dan Deeringhoff also moved from the No. 2 team over to the 29 for all three drivers.[89] After seeing Burton's name on the window of the car during a photoshoot (Burton being the longest-tenured in the 29), the three drivers entered into a competition between each other: whoever could score the most wins in the seventeen races between February and July would have their name placed on the car for the remainder of the season, including the other drivers' appearances. Burton was set to drive seven events in the first half of the season, Bowyer in 6 events including the opener atDaytona International Speedway, and Leicht at four standalone events.[90] The drivers did not have as much success as anticipated; Bowyer scored the team's only two wins (the second races at both Daytona and Dover), Burton had ten top-tens but only two top-fives, and Leicht had six top-tens in nine total starts with a best finish of sixth (twice). Burton also made his 300th careerNationwide Series start atCharlotte Motor Speedway in May.[91] After 2009, RCR shut down the team after Holiday Inn pulled its sponsorship.
In 2012, the No. 33 car was transferred to RCR to run for the owner's championship. 2011 championTony Stewart drove the No. 33 with sponsorship from Nabisco's Oreo and Ritz brands at the season opener inDaytona.Kevin Harvick ran 13 races with South Point,Pinnacle Foods,Hunt Brothers Pizza and AdvancePierre Foods sponsoring,Brendan Gaughan drove for ten races with South Point sponsoring,[58] Menard ran for seven races, andMax Papis drove atRoad America, both with sponsorship from Menards andRheem.[20] Harvick would be the only driver to win in the No. 33, winning at Richmond and Texas.
The No. 33 car returned in 2013 mainly driven by Harvick andTy Dillon. Tony Stewart would take the No. 33 team to victory lane at the season opener at Daytona, which was marred by a last lap incident. The No. 33 team would take its second and last win of the season with Harvick at Atlanta.Dakoda Armstrong ran Fontana with sponsorship fromWinField.[56][57]Paul Menard,Max Papis, Truck series driverMatt Crafton, andRyan Gifford[92] all took turns driving the car withMENARDS sponsorship.
In 2014, Menard returned to the car for a few races, scoring a win at Michigan. RookieCale Conley drove several races withOKUMA andIraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America sponsoring.[93]
For 2015,Austin Dillon, Menard, andBrandon Jones shared the ride with sponsorship fromRheem andMenards.[94][95][96][20] Menard scored a win in August atRoad America in his nativeWisconsin, taking the lead on pit strategy and holding offRyan Blaney.[97]
For 2016, Brandon Jones will run full-time, competing for Rookie of the Year. Menards andNexteer Automotive will sponsor the effort.[20][98][99] Mike Hillman Jr. was named the crew chief for the team.[20] In his first season with the team he would finish 10th in points with 13 top tens, however he regressed in 2017 missing the chase and scoring only 3 top tens to finish 16th in points.
On November 17, 2017, it was announced that RCR is downsizing to three teams in 2018, shutting down the 33 and 62 team after the 2017 season.[100]
On May 20, 2024, it was announced that RCR would enter the No. 33 forKyle Busch atCharlotte.[101] He would finish 6th.
On January 24, 2025, RCR announcedKasey Kahne would make his NASCAR return, after a seven-year absence, atRockingham in April 2025.[102]
In 2014,Brendan Gaughan and crew chief Shane Wilson moved up from theTruck Series to theNationwide Series, bringing family-ownedSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa and longtime number 62 with him. The team used the owners' points of the No. 33 team from 2013; the No. 33 scaled back to part-time.[103] Gaughan scored his first career Nationwide win atRoad America in June, after struggling early and sliding off the track on several occasions, but gaining an advantage as downpours forced the competitors to switch to treaded rain tires. When pole-sitterAlex Tagliani ran out of fuel before a Green-White-Checkered finish, Gaughan assumed the lead and fended offChase Elliott and a hard-charging Tagliani (on fresh slick tires). Brendan dedicated the win to his late grandfatherJackie Gaughan.[104] Gaughan scored his second win of the season atKentucky in September, passing teammateTy Dillon on the final restart.[105] Gaughan scored a total of seven top tens to finish eighth in points.
Gaughan and South Point returned for 2015.[106] AtRichmond in May, two pit crew members from the 62 team were injured in a fire when fuel from a malfunctioning gas can ignited.[107][108] The next week, Gaughan was involved in a crash atTalladega that sent the 62 car spinning down pit road, injuring two crew members fromBiagi-DenBeste Racing.[107] Gaughan's best finish of the season was a runner up at California.
Gaughan returned for 2016. Gaughan did not get back to victory lane in 2016 but scored four top-fives and sixteen top-tens throughout the season including a second place atRoad America(the site of his first win).
Brendan Gaughan and South Point returned for the 2017 season, but he failed to score a victory after running solidly all year. However, on November 17, 2017, it was announced that RCR is downsizing to three teams in 2018, shutting down the 33 and 62 teams after the 2017 season.[100]
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Brendan Gaughan | 62 | Chevy | DAY 6 | PHO 16 | LVS 16 | BRI 7 | CAL 15 | TEX 11 | DAR 22 | RCH 20 | TAL 34 | IOW 12 | CLT 17 | DOV 12 | MCH 22 | ROA 1 | KEN 6 | DAY 28 | NHA 16 | CHI 11 | IND 19 | IOW 11 | GLN 28 | MOH 20 | BRI 6 | ATL 14 | RCH 18 | CHI 13 | KEN 1 | DOV 28 | KAN 13 | CLT 16 | TEX 16 | PHO 8 | HOM 29 | 13th | 954 |
| 2015 | DAY 29 | ATL 12 | LVS 6 | PHO 8 | CAL 2 | TEX 33 | BRI 9 | RCH 11 | TAL 39 | IOW 10 | CLT 18 | DOV 7 | MCH 12 | CHI 4 | DAY 25 | KEN 9 | NHA 11 | IND 13 | IOW 5 | GLN 10 | MOH 12 | BRI 10 | ROA 16 | DAR 13 | RCH 16 | CHI 10 | KEN 6 | DOV 16 | CLT 15 | KAN 10 | TEX 12 | PHO 12 | HOM 23 | 14th | 1012 | |||
| 2016 | DAY 10 | ATL 13 | LVS 10 | PHO 13 | CAL 7 | TEX 12 | BRI 16 | RCH 7 | TAL 5 | DOV 15 | CLT 10 | POC 14 | MCH 18 | IOW 15 | DAY 5 | KEN 13 | NHA 9 | IND 16 | IOW 11 | GLN 8 | MOH 8 | BRI 5 | ROA 2 | DAR 16 | RCH 18 | CHI 8 | KEN 6 | DOV 9 | CLT 13 | KAN 31 | TEX 15 | PHO 35 | HOM 8 | 12th | 2161 | |||
| 2017 | DAY 5 | ATL 13 | LVS 35 | PHO 27 | CAL 33 | TEX 19 | BRI 35 | RCH 35 | TAL 30 | CLT 9 | DOV 20 | POC 6 | MCH 14 | IOW 26 | DAY 9 | KEN 39 | NHA 17 | IND 13 | IOW 13 | GLN 9 | MOH 7 | BRI 30 | ROA 5 | DAR 13 | RCH 21 | CHI 13 | KEN 14 | DOV 10 | CLT 11 | KAN 13 | TEX 17 | PHO 32 | HOM 13 | 17th | 685 |
For 2012, RCR took over the No. 2 truck of KHI that won the Owners Championship in 2011. The truck was split byTim George Jr. running twelve races withApplebee's sponsoring, with a best finish of ninth,Brendan Gaughan in seven races with a best finish of second,[106] and Harvick at both Martinsville races and Dover, winning at the spring Martinsville race. George Jr. was set to run another partial season in 2013, but he decided to move toWauters Motorsports instead.[109]
Austin Dillon ran the No. 2 truck at Eldora in 2014 with sponsorship fromAmerican Ethanol.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Brendan Gaughan | 2 | Chevy | DAY 20 | CLT 12 | TEX 4 | CHI 2* | BRI 5 | LVS 4 | TEX 17 | PHO 23 | ||||||||||||||||
| Kevin Harvick | MAR 1* | DOV 3* | MAR 12* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tim George Jr. | CAR 16 | KAN 17 | KEN 24 | IOW 15 | POC 15 | MCH 21 | ATL 28 | IOW 22 | KEN 18 | TAL 9 | HOM 18 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Austin Dillon | DAY | MAR | KAN | CLT | DOV | TEX | GTW | KEN | IOW | ELD 10 | POC | MCH | BRI | MSP | CHI | NHA | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | ||||
In the infant years of the CWTS (then known as the SuperTruck Series), RCR fielded its own truck team, the No. 3 Goodwrench Chevy. 37-year-old driverMike Skinner was signed to drive the truck for the1995 season. Skinner won the series' inaugural race atPhoenix International Raceway, passing Winston Cup driverTerry Labonte on the final lap of the race.[110][111] He went on to win eight races, and won the series first championship by a 126-point margin.[3][110][111] Skinner won eight more races and finished third in points in 1996.[110][111] Skinner scored a total of sixteen wins and fifteen poles over two seasons.[111]
After Skinner moved onto the Cup series,Jay Sauter hopped on board, winning four times and finishing in the top 10 in points all three years. He was the last driver to win for RCR in theNASCAR Truck Series, until July 11, 2010, when Childress's grandson,Austin Dillon, won theLucas Oil 200 atIowa Speedway. After 1999, Childress moved the program up to the NASCAR Busch Series.[citation needed]
The truck team returned during the 2009 season as the No. 3Chevrolet Silverado driven by Childress's grandson,Austin Dillon for the inaugural race atIowa Speedway. Dillon would start ninth and finish twelfth despite an early spin.
In2010, Dillon drove the No. 3 truck full-time sponsored byBass Pro Shops. Austin won an impressive five poles, two wins (Iowa and Vegas), and had fifteen top-tens en route to a fifth place finish in the championship and the 2010 ROTY award.
In 2011, Dillon drove the No. 3 truck to two wins at Nashville and Chicago, winning the championship overJohnny Sauter.
After winning the Truck Series championship, Austin moved up to the Nationwide Series, passing down the No. 3 truck to his brotherTy Dillon for 2012. Ty would take his first win at Atlanta and nearly won the championship at Homestead before crashing while battlingKyle Larson. Ty finished fourth in the standings.
In the 2013WinStar World Casino 350K, Dillon won the 100th victory in NASCAR for a No. 3.[112]
Ty Dillon returned to the No. 3 truck withBass Pro Shops for the dirt race at Eldora in 2014. After the Eldora race, Austin Dillon then won with the No. 3 at Pocono, withYuengling as a sponsor.
In 1999, RCR fielded the No. 8 truck forMike Dillon atWatkins Glen andMilwaukee. He finished 30th at the Glen and 32nd at Milwaukee.Jim Sauter run the No. 8 atMichigan. He finished tenth.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Mike Dillon | 8 | Chevy | HOM | PHO | EVG | MMR | MAR | MEM | PPR | I70 | BRI | TEX | PIR | GLN 30 | MLW 32 | NSV | NZH | ||||||||||||
| Jim Sauter | MCH 10 | NHA | IRP | GTY | HPT | RCH | LVS | LVL | TEX | CAL | ||||||||||||||||||||
Childress' second truck entry debuted in 2009 withTim George Jr. behind the wheel of the No. 22 truck part-time.
In 2011 withJoey Coulter was tabbed as the driver behind the wheel of the No. 22 truck. Coulter stayed consistent throughout the year, having the least DNF's among all other rookies. Coulter would eventually prevail overNelson Piquet Jr. andParker Kligerman to win Rookie of the Year. Coulter would get his first win in thePocono Mountains 125 atPocono Raceway, his first win in 36 attempts in the Camping World Truck Series.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Tim George Jr. | 22 | Chevy | DAY | CAL | ATL | MAR | KAN | CLT | DOV | TEX | MCH | MLW | MEM | KEN | IRP | NSH | BRI | CHI | IOW | GTW | NHA | LVS | MAR | TAL | TEX | PHO 29 | HOM | ||
| 2010 | DAY | ATL | MAR | NSH | KAN | DOV | CLT | TEX | MCH | IOW | GTY | IRP | POC | NSH | DAR | BRI | CHI | KEN | NHA | LVS | MAR | TAL | TEX | PHO 23 | HOM | |||||
| 2011 | Joey Coulter | DAY 34 | PHO 9 | DAR 28 | MAR 17 | NSH 24 | DOV 6 | CLT 16 | KAN 5 | TEX 5 | KEN 7 | IOW 5 | NSH 10 | IRP 7 | POC 6 | MCH 18 | BRI 6 | ATL 13 | CHI 12 | NHA 11 | KEN 13 | LVS 22 | TAL 20 | MAR 5 | TEX 6 | HOM 5 | ||||
| 2012 | DAY 18 | MAR 30 | CAR 6 | KAN 14 | CLT 7 | DOV 11 | TEX 3 | KEN 7 | IOW 8 | CHI 15 | POC 1 | MCH 7 | BRI 4 | ATL 7 | IOW 13 | KEN 4 | LVS 3* | TAL 14 | MAR 3 | TEX 7 | PHO 3 | HOM 3 | ||||||||
In 1995, RCR fielded the No. 31 truck part-time for Bill Cooper atSonoma. He finished 25th.Dave Marcis drove the No. 31 at season finale atPhoenix. He finished seventh.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Bill Cooper | 31 | Chevy | PHO | TUS | SGS | MMR | POR | EVG | I70 | LVL | BRI | MLW | CNS | HPT | IRP | FLM | RCH | MAR | NWS | SON 25 | MMR | |||
| Dave Marcis | PHO 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
In 1997, RCR fielded the No. 33 truck part-time forMike Dillon atPhoenix. He started 29th and finished 26th.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Mike Dillon | 33 | Chevy | WDW | TUS | HOM | PHO | POR | EVG | I70 | NHA | TEX | BRI | NZH | MLW | LVL | CNS | HPT | IRP | FLM | NSV | GLN | RCH | MAR | SON | MMR | CAL | PHO 16 | LVS |
In 2013 RCR purchased the No. 39 owners points fromRSS Racing to field the truck forAustin Dillon in theinaugural Mudsummer Classic atEldora Speedway, with sponsorship fromAmerican Ethanol. Dillon led a race-high 63 laps, and won after a green-white-checker finish.[113][114] The truck, the trophy and the famed piece of dirt track are on display at theNASCAR Hall of Fame.[113] The No. 39 owners points were then sold back to RSS Racing.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Austin Dillon | 39 | Chevy | DAY | MAR | CAR | KAN | CLT | DOV | TEX | KEN | IOW | ELD 1 | POC | MCH | BRI | MSP | IOW | CHI | LVS | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM |
For 2013, Truck Series veteranBrendan Gaughan drove the truck, now numbered 62, for the full season. Gaughan would come close to finding victory lane on multiple occasions, scoring ten top-fives and thirteen top-tens to finish seventh in points. Gaughan and the No. 62 team moved up to the Nationwide series in 2014.[106]
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Brendan Gaughan | 62 | Chevy | DAY 29 | MAR 12 | CAR 3 | KAN 4 | CLT 2 | DOV 5 | TEX 5 | KEN 25 | IOW 31 | ELD 5 | POC 9 | MCH 8 | BRI 16 | MSP 18 | IOW 24 | CHI 25 | LVS 8 | TAL 11 | MAR 2 | TEX 4 | PHO 3 | HOM 4 |
RCR has featured a strong development program since the 1990s that has groomed severalNASCAR regulars, most notably 2014 Cup Series ChampionKevin Harvick[2] and Richard Childress' own grandsonsAustin andTy Dillon. Other notable former development drivers includeJohnny Sauter,Mike Skinner,Clint Bowyer,Timothy Peters,John Wes Townley,Joey Coulter, andRyan Gifford.[11]
RCR fielded a 31 car in theARCA Racing Series in 2006, withKevin Harvick Incorporated driverBurney Lamar running three races and RCR development driverTimothy Peters running one. The car returned in 2007 in six races, with Peters,Alex Yontz, andTim McCreadie, scoring three top-ten finishes.[115]
In 2008,Austin Dillon ran the fullCamping World East Series schedule in the No. 3 Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet. Initially driving for Andy Santerre Motorsports,[116] Dillon moved under the RCR umbrella after four races.[117] Dillon scored a win in his series debut atGreenville-Pickens Speedway (afterPeyton Sellers winning car was disqualified)[118] and finished second in points. Dillon also ran a singleARCA Racing Series event atRockingham Speedway, finishing seventh in the No. 31 Chevrolet.
The 3 car ran five East Series races in 2009 sponsored by longtime RCR partner Mom N' Pops, with Austin Dillon running two races and brotherTy Dillon running three.Ryan Gifford ran four races in the East Series in the 29Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet with three top-tens, and made one start in theWest Series.[119] Austin also ran three ARCA races in the No. 31, with two second-place finishes. Kyle Grissom, son ofSteve Grissom, drove the car atRockingham to a 16th-place finish.
Ty Dillon ran eight of the ten K&N East Series races in 2010, scoring a win atGresham Motorsports Park. Dillon also ran three ARCA races, scoring two victories in the No. 41 Chevrolet.[120] The team also fielded the No. 31 Chevy full-time in ARCA forTim George Jr.,[121] finishing 9th in points with five top 10 finishes. Dillon moved full-time in the ARCA Series in 2011[120] along with George Jr. Dillon won the ARCA championship with an impressive seven wins and seven poles.[122] George improved to 7th in points and scored a weather-shortened win at Pocono.[123]
RCR has had numerous sponsor relationships over the years. From 1988 to 2007, GoodwrenchGM Certified Service was a primary sponsor, finally ending its sponsorship in 2007.[124] Starting in 2001, Cingular Wireless began a four-year sponsorship with RCR,[125] which led to a sponsorship controversy after Cingular was merged withAT&T.[126] Starting in 2001,The Hershey Company became an RCR sponsor with its candy brands such asReese's Fast Break,Hershey's Kissables,Ice Breakers candy andReese's Peanut Butter Cups Big Cup.[127]
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ECR Engines, also known asECR Technologies[128] and formerlyEarnhardt-Childress Racing Technologies,[129] is the engine department for Richard Childress Racing, located on the RCR campus in Welcome, North Carolina. The company builds Chevrolet engines for RCR and several teams in the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, Truck Series, and ARCA Racing Series. It also produced engines for allCadillac DPi-V.Rs in theIMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series from years 2017-2022. Current ECR clients includeBeard Motorsports,Trackhouse Racing,Our Motorsports,Jordan Anderson Racing andBig Machine Racing Team.[130] Former clients includedFurniture Row Racing,Wayne Taylor Racing,JTG Daugherty Racing,Tommy Baldwin Racing,Leavine Family Racing,StarCom Racing,Germain Racing,Richard Petty Motorsports,Legacy Motor Club,Action Express Racing,Chip Ganassi Racing,JDC-Miller MotorSports,Juncos Racing, andKaulig Racing.[128][129][131][132]
The partnership was formed in May 2007 as a cooperation betweenDale Earnhardt, Inc. and Richard Childress Racing to develop and build common engines for the Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series teams campaigned by the two companies.[128][129] The partnership was inherited in 2008 by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, following the merger between DEI and Chip Ganassi Racing.[133][134] At the time, the Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series) and Truck Series engine departments were located at the DEI facility inMooresville.[135] The company is now known as ECR Engines, no longer connected with DEI or CGR.[136][137] In 2016, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of RCR.[128][138]
ECR Engines has secured 8 straightIMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Engine Manufacturers Championships from 2012 - 2018 with 5 overall wins at theRolex 24 At Daytona in years 2014, 2017–2020.[139][140]
RCR also holds technical alliances with several teams, includingOur Motorsports,Jordan Anderson Racing,Alpha Prime Racing, andBig Machine Racing Team in the Xfinity Series. Under these relationships, RCR provides engines, equipment, and technical support.[141][142][143][144] RCR's first alliance model was started in 1997 as RAD (Richard, Andy, and Dale) Racing engines, an aerodynamics program shared with DEI andAndy Petree Racing.[129] The Alliance concluded midway into 2004, when Petree shut down his team.
RCR previously held a successful alliance withFurniture Row Racing,[145][146][147]JTG Daugherty Racing,Leavine Family Racing,GMS Racing,Germain Racing,Richard Petty Motorsports,StarCom Racing, andKaulig Racing.
In 2021, RCR andHendrick Motorsports will formalize a joint venture focused on engine R&D and the establishment of a common Chevrolet engine specification. The effort will be led by Jeff Andrews of Hendrick Motorsports and Richie Gilmore of RCR and be referred to as HCD (Hendrick Childress Development).[148]
Following the2007 Daytona 500, the paint scheme ofKevin Harvick's winning No. 29 car infuriatedNASCAR fuel supplierSunoco, particularly the largeShell Oil logos on the car and team uniforms. Harvick had also worn his Shellfiresuit during theBusch Series race he won the day before. Sunoco believed its exclusive rights to provide fuel to the sport also gave them exclusive marketing rights togasoline, with other companies' limited to marketing secondary products such asmotor oil.[149] The 29 team altered its paint scheme the following week with smaller Shell decals, and larger emphasis of co-sponsorPennzoil.[150] It is to note that Sunoco sponsoredBilly Hagan's race team from 1989 to 1992 withSterling Marlin andTerry Labonte whileUnocal 76 was the fuel supplier. Shell/Pennzoil remains in the sport withTeam Penske's No. 22.
Meanwhile,AT&T had repeatedly requested that NASCAR allow them to advertise the AT&T Mobility brand on the No. 31 car following their merger with Cingular Wireless, but NASCAR refused to allow it, citing theSprint Nextel contract. Cingular andAlltel (the sponsor ofTeam Penske's No. 12) had been grandfathered in when Nextel entered the sport in 2004, with the drivers wearing white Nextel Cup Series logos on their fire suits, but the change in ownership of the former led Sprint to contest the sponsorship.[150] After trying and failing to get NASCAR to approve the addition of the globe logo to the rear of the car, AT&T filed a lawsuit against NASCAR on March 16, 2007.[151] On May 18, a federal judge ruled that AT&T should be allowed to replace the Cingular logos with AT&T logos, and said that AT&T was likely to win the lawsuit.[152] The AT&T logo ran on the No. 31 at the NASCAR Nextel Cup All-Star Challenge on May 19 and every race afterwards until NASCAR ordered the sponsorship off before the2007 Sharpie 500. RCR and Jeff Burton went a step further, with Burton showing up in a logo-less firesuit, and the black and orange car ran without Cingular or AT&T logos. A settlement before the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 was made where AT&T Mobility could sponsor the car until the end of 2008.[153]
