Personal account of team owner’s life to air at 8:30 p.m. ET
WELCOME, N.C. (May 10, 2013) – Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing, will be featured in the next installment of SPEED TV’s on-going series, “A Racer’s Life: Richard Childress” this Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The hour-long show takes viewers for an in-depth and personal account of the driver-turned-championship-owner’s life and career. He talks about how he got into racing, the glory years with Dale Earnhardt, and after, and the growth of Richard Childress Racing to where it is today.
The interview was conducted in four different places with four different people. Austin Dillon, Childress’ grandson and driver of RCR’s No. 3 Advocare Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and former RCR driver, Ricky Rudd. A rare interview with Judy Childress, Richard’s wife, adds even more of an in-depth and first-hand account of the 14-time championship team owner, family man, outdoorsman and businessman.
Childress and host Steve Byrnes head to where it all began for the Winston-Salem, N.C. native at Bowman Gray (N.C.) Stadium. After talking about his early battles – on and off the track – they conduct another segment in a place near and dear to the RCR owner, his personal “trophy room” at his home. Also featured is the picturesque Childress Vineyards in Lexington, NC and the RCR Museum on the RCR campus in Welcome.
“I’ve been around Richard Childress for 28 years and I learned things about him through this that I didn’t know — who and what inspired him to go into racing and how he became a man at a very young age when his father died,” Byrnes said. “When we started talking about Dale, he got really emotional. When Dale was starting his own race team, he had lots of organizational questions and always called Richard for advice. Dale would say, ‘I know you’re sitting down having a glass of wine, but I have some questions for you.’
“Richard said that to this day, at a certain time of night, he looks at his watch and waits for that phone call, but it hasn’t come since 2001. I’d always respected him as a self-made man, but didn’t really know how hard he had to work to make it. Judy was great about recounting those tough times and helping us understand just how much they lived race-to-race. His truly is a rags-to-riches story.”
In the program, Childress details his path to NASCAR greatness through key milestones, including his first visit to the track to his stint as an independent NASCAR racer; the difficult decision to hang up his helmet and put Earnhardt in his car; hiring Rudd; Earnhardt’s return to RCR and his and Childress’ triumphs and eternal bond; Childress’ vision for the future of RCR; and his regrets over the years.
Viewers tuning in to SPEED TV at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 12 will hear it all during the 60-minute show, “A Racer’s Life: Richard Childress.”
About Richard Childress Racing:
Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 championships, including six in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Its 2013 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s/Rheem Chevrolet) and Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar/Cheerios Chevrolet). Its Nationwide Series program includes Brian Scott (No. 2 Shore Lodge/Armour Vienna Sausage/Fast Fixin’/Charter/Husky Liners Chevrolet), 2012 Nationwide Series rookie of the year Austin Dillon (No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet) and an all-star driver lineup on the No. 33 Menards/Rheem/WESCO/Armour Vienna Sausage/Hunt Brothers Pizza/Fast Fixin’ Chevrolet team. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series program features 2012 Camping World Truck Series rookie of the year Ty Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Brendan Gaughan (No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet).
