2013 racing partners along with primary sponsor Menard's
Daytona - 2/24, Peak
Phoenix - 3/3, Serta
Las Vegas - 3/10, Schrock
Bristol - 3/17, Sylvania
Auto Club - 3/24, CertainTeed
Martinsville - 4/7, Pittsburgh Paint
Kansas - 4/21, Pittsburgh Paint
Richmond - 4/27, CertainTeed
Talladega - 5/5, CertainTeed
Darlington - 5/11, Pittsburgh Paint
rest TBA

2013 Races [4] that Quaker State Oil is scheduled to be the primary sponsor:
Texas - 4/13
Pocono - 6/9
Chicago - 9/15
Texas - 11/3

Contract Status: Sponsors: 2013; Driver: 2013

Richard Childress Receives Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from UNOH: In a ceremony held at Sapona Ridge Country Club in Lexington, NC, legendary NASCAR team owner Richard Childress received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) on Wednesday, May 15. With more than 100 people in attendance, including his wife Judy, daughter Tina Dillon, son-in-law Mike Dillon, and grandsons Austin and Ty Dillon, the 14-time championship race team owner was bestowed the honor by Dr. Jeffrey Jarvis, president of UNOH. Dr. Jarvis presented the degree based on Childress' achievements in the high performance/motorsports industry, his commitment to assist in the school's goal of achieving educational excellence and his lifetime achievements in the field of auto racing.(RCR)(5-16-2013)

"A Racer's Life: Richard Childress" debuts Sunday: 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 8:30pm/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 #3 Advocare Chevy 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. 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.(RCR)(5-11-2013)

Menard plans to stay with Childress: #27-Paul Menard says he is "close" to re-signing with Richard Childress Racing. Menard said he's "looking forward" to making an announcement soon that he will remain in the #27 Menard's Chevy. Menard, 32, is currently ninth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings. He's remained in the top 10 for seven of 10 weeks this season and earned three consecutive top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway earlier this year. Since Menard and crew chief Slugger Labbe joined RCR as a package deal in 2011, the driver has experienced the best three seasons of his Cup career, a stretch that includes a victory at the Brickyard 400. In 2012, Menard finished a career-high 16th in the points standings with an average finish of 15.5. Labbe signed an extension two weeks ago. His contract runs through 2016.(Fox Sports)(5-10-2013)

RCR receives Business Family of the Year Award from Wake Forest University: During a ceremony at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Thursday night, Richard Childress Racing received the Family Business of the Year Award, Large Business Category, from the school's Family Business Center. The award was based off the economic impact and contributions RCR has made in their community through the years. RCR was recognized for the race team's efforts, plus the Childress Winery, Sapona Ridge Country Club and Childress Institute of Pediatric Trauma. "It is an honor and privilege to accept this award on behalf of our entire Childress and Dillon family," said Judy Childress, wife of RCR's president and CEO Richard Childress. "Wake Forest University stands for leadership and progress for our future. Only in America can those dreams come true. Wake Forest is building our leaders for tomorrow, and generations to come through a four-year plan. We are doing the same thing at RCR, but we try to get it done in 500 laps." The ceremony was held at the Porter B. Byrum Welcome Center on the WFU campus.(RCR)(5-3-2013)

RCR Teams to Honor Memory of ECR Engines Co-Worker: Richard Childress Racing's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series teams will carry decals honoring the memory of an ECR Engines co-worker this week at Kansas Speedway. Joey Padgett, a valve train specialist at ECR Engines, passed away April 15 after suffering a heart attack. He was 57. Padgett had an extensive engine building career in NASCAR. He plied his craft with various companies including Ernie Elliott, Inc., Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, and Penske Racing before moving to ECR Engines in September 2012. He was also the owner/operator of Checkered Flag Fuels in Concord, N.C., where he was a lifelong resident. Memorials may be made to Cabarrus Pets Society, P.O. Box 5042, Concord, N.C. 28027. Online condolences may be left at wilkinsonfuneralhome.com. Wilkinson Funeral Home is serving the family.(RCR)(4-17-2013)

Chip Ganassi selling to John Menard? UPDATE: One of the hottest stories in the garage Thursday was intense speculation that veteran team owner Chip Ganassi may be considering selling his two-team NASCAR operation to John Menard. Menard, who owns the Midwestern home improvement chain Menards, is a long-time racer, and he is currently sponsoring his son Paul's NASCAR team, part of the Richard Childress organization. Ganassi and Childress are both Chevy men. Childress supplied Ganassi's two teams (with #1-Jamie McMurray and #42-Juan Pablo Montoya) with engines until this season, when Ganassi switched to Hendrick motors. Of the sport's top eight team owners, Ganassi this season ranks seventh in finishes. Of particular disappointment is Montoya, who is averaging a 27th place finish; Montoya's last top-10 was at Michigan last June, and his last tour win was at Watkins Glen in the summer of 2010. McMurray's seventh at Martinsville last weekend was his best finish in over a year.(MikeMulhern.net)(4-12-2013)
UPDATE: Don't put too much stock in John Menard to buy Ganassi team rumors. Ganassi likes competing in various series and his NASCAR teams are showing a little improvement in recent weeks. That's not to say that Paul Menard couldn't end up taking his sponsorship to Ganassi, but he could pick other stronger operations to bring his money.(Sporting News)(4-15-2013)

RCR honors Warner Hodgon: Richard Childress Racing will honor former NASCAR track and team owner Warner Hodgon, who passed away March 20, with a memoriam decal [on thr RCR's Chevy's] at this weekend's NASCAR events at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Hodgon was also president of Black Gold Oil Company, a RCR sponsor in the late-1970s when Richard Childress was both owner and driver of his #3 Chevy. "Warner was a great friend and partner who helped change the landscape of NASCAR team ownership in the late 1970s," said Childress. "I learned a lot about business from the advice he gave me over the years. He was there to help me with sponsorship from Black Gold when I really needed it. Warner was an entrepreneur with a great vision for where stock car racing could go and we stayed in touch long after his time in racing ended. He was a great friend and will be missed."(RCR)(3-22-2013)

Menard's Future at RCR: #27-Paul Menard enters the season in a contract year with Richard Childress Racing. After a disappointing 2012 effort, he needs a much better performance to ensure his Sprint Cup Series future. But Menard is not concerned about the business aspect of the sport right now and remains focused on simply improving his effort. "I'm sure those questions will be coming throughout the year," Menard said. "I hope by the middle of summer, we'll have an answer for everybody." Despite the advantage of having his family's home improvement warehouse company's funding for sponsorship, Menard says he hasn't discussed joining any other team with or without crew chief Slugger Labbe. "Honestly I haven't had discussions with anybody," he said. "Slugger is a great friend and a hell of a crew chief." Menard thinks the off-season changes in personnel that took place at RCR will pay dividends on the track. The hiring of Dr. Eric Warren as competition director and the addition of more engineers are two reasons for Menard's confidence in his team and the new Cup car. "Getting everybody on the same page and working in the same direction has translated to this 2013 car, trying to get everything we can to build up a notebook from all the testing we've done," he said. "We've got good speed. I think the test at Las Vegas in a couple weeks is going to be one of the biggest tests of the year, just to understand what these cars do."(Motor Racing Network)(2-15-2013)

Mark McArdle works for Furniture Row & RCR: Even before this season, Furniture Row Racing had a close relationship with Richard Childress Racing. Furniture Row gets its engines and chassis from RCR. The partnership was strengthened recently when Mark McArdle, managing director of competition at Furniture Row, took on a dual role as director of racing operations at RCR. With Furniture Row based in Denver, Colo., and RCR in Welcome, N.C.. The new opportunity for McArdle resulted from a standing offer by Furniture Row owner Barney Visser and general manager Joe Garone and hit critical mass when RCR hired Eric Warren as director of competition late in 2012. McArdle and Warren worked together at Evernham Motorsports. "Joe and Barney offered up my services to RCR if they could use me in any way to help that situation that they have there," McArdle told the NASCAR Wire Service. "Eric Warren and I had worked together for eight years at Evernham's. When he heard about that offer, he took us up on it and has asked me to operate as director of racing operations. The Cup teams, the Nationwide teams and the truck teams all report up through me. I report to Eric." With three Cup teams at RCR and one at Furniture Row, McArdle is spending more time in North Carolina as the organizations develop the Gen-6 car. "Right now, because of the intensity of the changeover process at RCR, we're doing kind of a two thirds/one third," McArdle said. "Two thirds of any given calendar month is being spent here in North Carolina, and about one third in Denver at this point. We hope that, as things become more stabilized and settled, that that will become more 50-50. Eventually the hope is to be able to train someone at RCR to step into that role."(NASCAR Wire Service)(1-24-2013)

Red Kap Joins RCR/ECR Engines: Richard Childress Racing has partnered with Red Kap, a division of VF Imagewear, Inc., as the official workwear outfitter for RCR and ECR Engines employees. Red Kap has been creating comfortable, durable workwear since starting out as a family business in 1923. Today they outfit 16 million Americans in a wide variety of industries.(RCR)(1-23-2013)

Richard Childress Notes from the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour: The media was late getting to Richard Childress Racing in Lexington NC due to an accident on I-85, some notes:
Richard Childress said #29-Kevin Harvick will do well at Stewart Haas Racing in 2014.
Harvick didn't deny reports he will move to SHR in 2014 or offer up plans for 2014. Harvick is only talking about 2013 and making it his best season but said iy has been a good run (at RCR) and sometimes you need a change of pace. Childress said he knew Harvick wasn't returning in 2014 when story broke in Phoenix but it wasn't supposed to be let out before banquet.
Richard Childress said he has no current plans to run the #3 in the Sprint Cup Series, at least for 2013. Childress said fan reaction has left him more open minded to using the #3 in the future.
Richard Childress says he hired his first engineer in 1989 and now has around 30.
Austin Dillon is named the spokesperson for COPD.(compiled from many Twitter feeds)(1-21-2013)

RCR Adds New Staff to Team Communications Programs: Richard Childress Racing has added two members to its communications staff. Andrea Cleveland has been named manager of communications in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the #27 Menards Chevy team and driver Paul Menard. Jeff O'Keefe has assumed a similar position with RCR's NASCAR Nationwide Series program with the #2 Shore Lodge Chevy team and driver Brian Scott. Cleveland begins her new responsibilities immediately while O'Keefe joined RCR's communications staff in December 2012.(RCR)(1-21-2013)

Richard Childress Signs on as Ambassador for TAG Heuer Eyewear: Richard Childress Racing president and CEO Richard Childress has signed a multi-year agreement with TAG Heuer Eyewear, joining grandsons Austin Dillon and Ty Dillon as ambassadors for the France-based eyewear company. The RCR team owner can be seen at race tracks across the country wearing TAG Heuer's L-Type Lightweight Alligator model glasses exclusively, in both clear and sunglasses. The Dillons both became TAG Heuer spokesmen in 2012 as part of a multi-year deal designed to bring exposure to the TAG Heuer brand and aid in retailer development. The Dillon brothers will continue to display the TAG Heuer eyewear logo on the visor of the racing helmet each wears during NASCAR competition, as well as in other forms of motorsport.(RCR), TAG Heuer is scheduled to sponsor Austin Dillon at Las Vegas in the #51 Phoenix Racing Chevy.(1-21-2013)

2013 silly season notes for #27-Paul Menard / Richard Childress Racing Supposedly driver Paul Menard and sponsor Menard's are both signed thru 2013. No word if Menard will re-sign with RCR. Crew chief Slugger Labbe returns. RVR hired a new competition director in Eric Warren late last season. See more about other teams on my 2013 Team / Driver Silly Season Chart.(1-16-2013)

Dodge and RCR? What's it going to take to get Dodge Motorsports interested in NASCAR again? How about an organization such as Richard Childress Racing? One of the reasons cited for Dodge's departure from NASCAR at the end of the 2012 season was the inability to secure an organization equal to Penske Racing's stature. Although Dodge representatives flirted with Furniture Row Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports and Andretti Racing, nothing materialized from the meetings. However, what if Dodge could secure an organization that boasts six Cup titles, three Nationwide Series championships and two Truck titles? "I haven't talk to anybody," team owner Richard Childress said on Friday. "No one has approached me yet." Still, the rumor persists.(FoxSports)(1-12-2013)

RCR makes promotes Rick Penn: Richard Childress Racing has promoted Rick Penn to the newly created position of Vice President, Business Development. Penn joined RCR in 2009 as Director of Business Development and was promoted to Managing Director of Business Development in 2010. He has overseen the growth of the business development department, from one to four people. His responsibilities include developing long-term partnerships for all of RCR's teams and growing new revenue channels. Penn has been instrumental in establishing new partnerships with Budweiser, Growth Energy, AdvoCare, WESCO and Husky Liners. "Rick has done an outstanding job for RCR since he joined us in 2009," said Ben Schlosser, chief marketing officer for Richard Childress Racing. "He has assembled a terrific team for our business development efforts, implemented solid strategies to attract new partners to RCR and has helped drive B2B activities for many of our current partners. Rick has been instrumental in forging new relationships with companies like AdvoCare, Growth Energy, WESCO, Husky Liners and a few others which we have not yet announced."(RCR)(11-8-2012)

RCR hires Warren as Competition Director: Richard Childress Racing has hired Dr. Eric Warren as its new director of competition in hopes of righting the ship. Warren replaces Kent Day, who served in an interim role after Scott Miller left the company last September for Michael Waltrip Racing. Miller's loss has been felt dramatically at RCR, particularly at the Sprint Cup level. Warren, 43, has a PhD in Aerospace Engineering. The Mt. Airy, N.C.-native has been involved in the motorsports industry since 1997. Warren worked as the chief aerodynamicist at Penske-Kranefuss Racing. In 2002, he became the technical director at Evernham Motorsports and advanced to vice president of the organization, then accepted a similar role at MWR. After a short-lived attempt with the U.S. Formula 1 effort, Warren joined Richard Petty Motorsports in 2010 as technical director, overseeing all engineering.(Fox Sports)(10-16-2012)

RCR Minority Partner Considering Selling Equity Position: Richard Childress Racing has advised its employees, drivers and key sponsors that Chartwell Investments is considering exiting its minority equity position in RCR. "Since 2003, I have had a minority partner at RCR in Chartwell Investments," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "Like any private equity business, Chartwell has a duty to its investors to return capital and maximize profits in a reasonable timeframe. With my support, they have determined that now is an appropriate time to exit their investment in RCR. Chartwell has been a great partner and I will always be appreciative of our partnership. We will remain good friends. We have informed the key people and sponsors of RCR about Chartwell's decision and assured them this will have no impact on the current affairs at RCR or our continued vision for strong performance on and off the track. We have advised them that if a new investor comes on board as RCR's new partner they will be strategically chosen to help RCR continue to grow. Our family of corporate partners has all been very appreciative of our letting them know and remain committed to moving forward. I love what I do and plan to be involved in NASCAR and in running RCR for many years to come."
"RCR is one of the elite NASCAR organizations and we are honored to be a part of the RCR family and partners with racing icon Richard Childress for close to ten years," said Michael Shein, Managing Partner of Chartwell Investments. "During this period, RCR has continued to prosper, more than doubling the size of its business. We are equally optimistic about RCR's future performance both on and off the track, remaining confident in NASCAR's long-term potential. We have engaged The Raine Group to explore the potential sale of our interest in RCR in order to monetize our investment." The Raine Group is a global merchant bank focused exclusively on the digital, media & entertainment and sports & lifestyle sectors.(RCR)(7-16-2012)

Childress may buy Bowman Gray Stadium: Winston-Salem State University's effort to buy Bowman Gray Stadium from the city was snuffed out Thursday when state lawmakers killed the university's request for permission to borrow $7.5 million to buy the stadium. The legislative move  sponsored by Sen. Don East, R-Surry, and pushed by Winston-Salem entrepreneur Harold Day  opens the door wider to another potential bidder: Richard Childress, the NASCAR icon from Winston-Salem who sold peanuts as a child at Bowman Gray and started his racing career there in the 1950s. Bill Patterson, an executive vice president at Richard Childress Racing, met with Martha Wheelock, an assistant city manager, recently to talk about costs related to the stadium, he said. Bowman Gray has sentimental value for Childress. It's a landmark stock-car racing stadium and more could be done with it, Patterson said, though he declined to provide further information about what else could be done. "We do have an interest in it," he said.(full story at the Winston Salem Journal)(6-15-2012)

Childress joins Growth Energy Board of Directors: On the opening day of its 2012 Executive Leadership Conference, Growth Energy announced that Richard Childress, President and Chief Executive Officer of Richard Childress Racing, has agreed to join the organization as a member of its Board of Directors. Growth Energy represents 75 U.S. ethanol producers and 63 associated companies. Through grassroots support, media relations and advocacy efforts, Growth Energy promotes reducing harmful emissions, creating American jobs and strengthening national security through increased use of ethanol. In 2011, Growth Energy, partnering with the National Corn Growers Association and others, agreed to a marketing partnership with NASCAR under the American Ethanol brand. In the 2011 racing season, NASCAR used Sunoco Green E15 racing fuel in all of its vehicles, proving in more than 1.5 million miles of racing, qualifying and practice laps that E15 (15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline) is a safe and effective fuel blend for today's automobiles. American Ethanol has an agreement with RCR Racing to use Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 American Ethanol Chevy, as a spokesman for the industry.(RCR)(3-10-2012)