2009 Races [2] that Reese's is scheduled to be the primary sponsor:
Atlanta - 3/8
Kansas - 10/4
Richard Childress said on 6/19/2009 that he has NO plans to run the #3 in the near future
Contract Status: Driver: 2010; Sponsor: 2010
#29 Team Past News and Rumors
(NOTE: some older links may not work)
RCR, no wins at Homestead: Homestead has been a bit of an Achilles Heel for Richard Childress Racing and is one of the few race tracks where team owner Richard Childress hasn’t earned a Sprint Cup Series victory. As a company, RCR’s best finish at HMS came in 2003 and in 2008 when Kevin Harvick finished second. In 29 starts, RCR has four top-five and 13 top-10 finishes at the mile-and-a-half, progressively-banked oval with drivers Dave Blaney, Clint Bowyer, Burton, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Green, Harvick and Mike Skinner. Auto Club Speedway, Kansas and Las Vegas are the other tracks on the current schedule where RCR has yet to visit Victory Lane.(RCR)(11-19-2009)
RCR cars to support "call 811":
Richard Childress is a strong advocate for safety and protecting the community and environment. All four Richard Childress Racing (RCR) teams are supporting the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) and its “Call 811” initiative this week in Homestead to help educate fans about the importance of calling 811 before doing any digging or excavation activity. A quick and easy call to 811 helps to protect people from unintentionally hitting underground pipelines, infrastructure and utility lines, which can put the community and environment at risk. As part of the race teams’ support, the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy will feature a logo on the deck lid that will read, “811 Know what’s below. Call before you dig.” In addition to support from RCR and Shell, CGA is also working with driver Joey Logano to help communicate the “Call 811” message at an appearance during race weekend.(RCR)(11-17-2009)
Kevin’s Krew One Last Time: This will be the final Kevin’s Krew [#29-Kevin Harvick] gathering of at-risk children for the 2009 season. Sponsored by Shell-Pennzoil, the group of school-age children will be treated to raceday at the track, lunch, Shell hat and T-shirt and a personal meeting with Harvick prior to driver introductions in the PIR Victory Lane area.(RCR)(11-14-2009)
Three drivers attempting triple duty at Phoenix: Two drivers will be aiming to make history this weekend by becoming the first to win in all three NASCAR national series at Phoenix International Raceway — Kyle Busch [#18 Cup, #18 NNS, #51 CWTS] and Kevin Harvick [#29 Cup, #33 NNS, #4 CWTS]. And Kevin Conway is attempting to make all three races [#70 Cup, #26 NNS and #71 CWTS]. Busch came close to scoring the feat last weekend at Texas when he won both the NASCAR Camping World Truck and NASCAR Nationwide Series races, but fell just short when he ran out of gas a few laps short of the checkered flag in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race, relegating him to a 11th-place finish. Both Busch and Harvick have won at Phoenix in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Conway will be attempting to make his Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series debuts. Conway is guaranteed a spot in the NNS race, the Cup and Trucks race, he needs to qualifying by speed to make the races.(11-11-2009)
RCR Promotes Joe Foss Institute’s Veterans Program: Richard Childress Racing will run decals on its race cars this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway promoting the Joe Foss Institute’s Veterans Inspiring Patriotism program. The Joe Foss Institute, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization inspired and founded by Medal of Honor Recipient, General Joe Foss and his wife, Didi Foss. Its vision is to encourage an informed patriotism and to be nationally recognized as the premier organization promoting patriotism through personal contact in schools and with youth groups. The Veteran's Inspiring Patriotism program is designed to inspire patriotism, public service, integrity and an appreciation for America's freedoms. The program’s emphasis is on the freedoms, liberties and rights which are protected under the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. This educational program is designed for grades K-12 and consists of a 30-50 minute presentation that includes a video, a personal testimony from a veteran and a question & answer period. This program is delivered at no cost to schools and does not promote any political, religious or military organization or agenda. In addition, all schools are eligible to receive free American flags for their classrooms and copies of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. For more information visit www.jfiweb.org.(RCR)(11-7-2009)
Forsyth Tech names motorsports school after Childress: The motorsports technology program at Forsyth Technical Community College has been renamed Richard Childress Race Car Technology at Forsyth Tech. Richard Childress Racing has a long-standing relationship with Forsyth Tech and employs a number of its graduates. Forsyth Tech has been named a Center of Excellence for Motorsports by the North Carolina Motorsports Consortium. Childress was on-hand for the announcement held on the campus in Winston-Salem, N.C.(RCR PR)(10-28-2009)
Berrier to be Burton's new crew chief? UPDATE 2: Crew chief Todd Berrier has been mentioned as a candidate to replace Scott Miller on the #31 Chevy at Richard Childress Racing. Berrier is currently crew chief for RCR's #07 team.(FoxSports)(10-11-2009)
UPDATE - decision on crew chief is near: #31-Jeff Burton met with members of the media at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and discussed his thoughts on the status of his team: HOW CLOSE WOULD YOU SAY YOU GUYS ARE TO RESOLVING THE CREW CHIEF SITUATION ON THE #31 FOR NEXT YEAR? “We’re real close. I don’t have a definite date but we’re real close to having all that figured out. There’s a lot of things that are changing at RCR. There’s a new way of doing business going into next year and in the midst of that crew chief search for the #31. We’re really optimistic that we have that put to bed and we’ll be able to talk about that fairly soon.”(Chevy Racing)(10-16-2009)
UPDATE 2: Richard Childress Racing continues to retool team leadership with its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series teams. Following this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, Todd Berrier will take over the crew chief duties of the #31 Caterpillar team with driver Jeff Burton while Doug Randolph assumes Berrier’s duties on the #07 Jack Daniel’s team with driver Casey Mears. Starting this week at Memphis Motorsports Park, Dan Deeringhoff will replace Randolph in his return to the #29 Holiday Inn team with drivers Burton, Clint Bowyer and Stephen Leicht in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Scott Miller, who has led the #31 team since 2005, will move fulltime to the director of competition position he was named to in September. Minimal changes will also be made among crew members for the #07 and #31 teams. The crew chief position for RCR’s development program will be named later. “I said previously that RCR would continue to adjust our team lineups in order to have the right personnel in place and this is the next step in that process,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Todd, Doug and Dan are all proven winners so the goal of these moves is to put them in the best situations to continue that success. I’m confident that making these changes now will be a benefit to the teams for the rest of this season as well as in preparing for 2010.”
Berrier’s RCR career began as a fabricator in 1994. The Kernersville, N.C., native has earned 19 victories as a crew chief in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. He is one of a select few crew chiefs to post victories in all three series. He won the 2001 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship, the 2003 Brickyard 400 and the 2007 Daytona 500, all with driver Kevin Harvick.
Randolph began his stock car racing career in 1984 and has been a crew chief in either the Sprint Cup Series or Nationwide Series since 2000. The Morristown, Tenn., native had earned two Nationwide Series victories, in 2003 with driver Scott Riggs, before joining RCR in May 2009. He has two Nationwide Series victories this season – July 3 at Daytona International Speedway and September 26 at Dover International Speedway – both with Bowyer behind the wheel. The #29 team is currently sixth in the 2009 owner point standings.
Deeringhoff is in his second stint at RCR, where he has been a crew chief since December 2005. His first tour of duty began in 2001 and culminated in 2003 as the car chief for the #21 team that earned the Nationwide Series’ owner championship with drivers Harvick and Johnny Sauter. The Walla Walla, Washington, native also led Bowyer and the #2 BB&T team to the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship. He began the 2009 season as the crew chief for the #29 Holiday Inn team before assuming similar duties with RCR’s driver development program in May.(RCR)(10-21-2009)
RCR making big changes; #07 team could go away: Team owner Richard Childress, speaking on Saturday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, addressed the struggles of Richard Childress Racing and the possible departure of Kevin Harvick when the driver’s contract expires at the end of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. “All I’ve got to say is we are making a lot of changes,” said Childress. “We’ll probably be announcing more changes next week coming. We’re using these last races to get prepared for 2010. We know we have to be better. We’ve seen some improvements. I think if you look, we’ve been up front with the different [RCR] cars in the last few weeks. This [new] car is very touchy and right now Hendrick [Motorsports] is right up on top of it. They’ve got it figured out for the most part. Kevin’s going to be with us next year and [sponsor] Shell’s going to be with us. “We’ll just see how everything plays out in the future. I didn’t see his interview [at California]. I’ve heard some comments on it but whatever happens, happens. We just move forward.” Moving forward may not be an option with #07 entry of RCR’s Casey Mears without sponsorship for 2010. The departure of Jack Daniel’s, which has revealed its intentions to leave the company at the end of the season, leaves Mears without a sponsor. Without sponsorship in place by the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the #07 team will likely go away next season. “Right now we’re meeting with companies. We’ve had several meetings,” Childress said. “As you know, the economic times are tough right now for sponsorship. We’ve got interest in it. We’re wanting to run it. We can’t turn it into a park and start. I don’t want to do that. We’ve got some sponsorship for a few races next year but to be competitive that isn’t the way to do it, so we’re kind of weighing our options to see what we’re going to do.” Childress seemed pleased with the progress of Mears, who joined the organization this season. Despite being 19th in the standings, Mears has notched three top-15s in his last four starts. “We’re working hard,” Childress said. “We’re doing a lot of capital investments moving into next year on some new stuff. We’re making changes in our personnel, we’re going to be making more changes in the next weeks to come.”(SceneDaily)(10-17-2009)
Burton says Harvick is expected to leave RCR: Richard Childress Racing driver #31-Jeff Burton acknowledged on Thursday that teammate #29-Kevin Harvick is expected to leave the company when his contract runs out at the end of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Burton, speaking at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, was asked about Harvick’s comments in a prerace television interview last Sunday at Auto Club Speedway where the 2007 Daytona 500 winner indicated he doesn’t plan to compete for RCR beyond 2010. “I think that everybody is behaving in a very professional manner, and everybody is understanding that Kevin has a year left on his contract and he’s going to do everything in his power to do the best job for RCR [and] RCR’s going to do everything in their power to do their best job for him,” Burton said. “[Teammate] Clint [Bowyer] and I are going to continue to work with Kevin the same way we always have, and I think we’re going to work together better actually – not because he’s leaving but because we need to. And things change. Kevin may look around eight months, 10 months from now and say, ‘You know what: Things have really changed here, and I really think this is the place that we’re going.’ By his interview he indicated that wasn’t going to happen, but you never know.“ Harvick, who has been with RCR’s Cup program since being tabbed to replace Dale Earnhardt following the seven-time series champion’s death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, hasn’t won a points-paying event since his Daytona 500 triumph in the 2007 season opener. Harvick missed the Chase this year and is 21st in the standings.(SceneDaily)(10-15-2009)
RCR Honors Fallen Winston-Salem Police Officer: Richard Childress Racing will run a memorial decal on its race cars [#'a 07,29,31,33 in Cup] this weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in honor of Sgt. Mickey Hutchens, the Winston-Salem, N.C., police officer who passed away October 12, 2009, after being critically wounded October 7 in the line of duty. RCR will donate $1 to the Hutchens family for every mile completed by its four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams and one NASCAR Nationwide Series team. A total donation of $2,300 will be made if each team completes every lap, 500 miles per Sprint Cup Series team and 300 miles for the Nationwide Series team.(RCR)(10-15-2009)
Childress Honoring Chevy's Manufacturer's Championship: A decal honoring Chevy's 2009 Manufacturer's Championship in NASCAR's premier division will be affixed to all four Richard Childress Racing entries [#07, #29, #31, #33] for this weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway. Chevy earned its 33rd Manufacturer's crown when Tony Stewart won last weekend's Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway, and continues to lead all other manufacturers in the sport with the most championships. The congratulatory decals are prominently displayed on all RCR-prepared Sprint Cup Series Chevrolet's above the B post, directly behind the driver's name.(RCR PR)(10-10-2009)
RCR looking for first California win: Richard Childress Racing has earned a Sprint Cup Series victory at 18 of the 22 tracks on the 2009 schedule. The only tracks on the current schedule where RCR hasn't earned wins are Auto Club Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Additionally, RCR has Sprint Cup Series wins at 21 tracks overall, including North Wilkesboro (N.C.), Riverside (Calif.) and Rockingham (N.C.) which are no longer on the schedule.(RCR PR)(10-8-2009)
Harvick to sport different colors at Kansas: Reese’s, a major associate sponsor of RCR’s #29 Chevy that Kevin Harvick drives, kicks into high gear this weekend in Kansas as Harvick and the #29 team transform their bright yellow-and-red Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet into a bright orange Reese’s racing machine for the Price Chopper 400. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are peanut butter-filled chocolate cups. They were created in 1928 by H.B. Reese, a former dairy farmer and foreman for Milton S. Hershey. The H.B. Reese Candy Co., established in the basement of Reese’s house in Hershey, Pa., went on to merge with The Hershey Company in 1963 due to the popularity of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Today, Reese’s has become the No. 1 selling candy bar in the United States and the Reese’s brand is the most successful brand owned by The Hershey Company.(RCR), see images of the scheme on my #29 Team Schemes page.(10-1-2009)
Harvick to meet with firefighter foundation: Prior to Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway, #29-Kevin Harvick will make an appearance in Dover International Speedway’s Hospitality Tent Village to meet members of the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation. This marks the second year the track is hosting members of the organization at an NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. The NFFF exists to help the families and colleagues of the nearly 100 firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty each year across the country. Harvick’s father, Mike, is a retired firefighter.(RCR)(9-24-2009)
PRS Guitars donates guitars to drivers: This year’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 marks the fifth year that one winning NASCAR driver will walk away with a four foot tall, fifty pound trophy custom designed and built by PRS [Paul Reed Smith] Guitars from Stevensville, Maryland. In addition, this year six drivers will leave the track with their own PRS guitar that will help aid many more people down the road.
Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer have each won a race in Richmond under the domain of Chevrolet. To honor their success and their efforts, PRS held a special press conference Friday at Richmond International Raceway, during which PRS President, Jack Higginbotham presented the aforementioned drivers with a PRS Corvette guitar for their individual charities. Jack Higginbotham, President of Paul Reed Smith Guitars, said, “It is our hope that each of these guitars will develop its own story and have a positive effect on the lives of others. Whether it is cancer research, shelter for the needy or assistance for underprivileged children, each driver has a passion for their cause, and we are honored to help them in their mission.”
PRS’s extensive involvement in racing began with a sponsorship of the world dominating factory Corvette C6.r racing team in 2003. During the past six years, PRS’s involvement in racing has ranged from being a part of large-scale NASCAR events to its own grassroots “Laps For Life” charity event helping support the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland.(PRS Guitars site)(9-12-2009)
RCR cars to honor Fallen Heroes of 9/11: A decal honoring the fallen heroes of 9/11 from the City of New York Police Department, the City of New York Fire Department and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is affixed to the five Richard Childress Racing entries [4 Sprint Cup, 1 NNS] in this weekend’s NASCAR races at Richmond International Raceway. Police Officer Victor Dipierro, of the NYPD’s 47th Precinct, has provided the Fallen Heroes decals to RCR each year since 2003 to mark the anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy. Part of the 47th Precinct’s 9/11 Memorial contains sections of sheet metal from the three RCR cars which carried the decals in the Fall 2003 race at Richmond International Raceway.(RCR)(9-12-2009)
Kevin’s Krew to meet students: #29-Kevin Harvick is scheduled to meet with 40 students from local high schools in Victory Lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Sunday, September 6, before the running of the Pep Boys Auto 500. The group is part of “Kevin’s Krew,” a Shell-supported program designed to reach underprivileged and at-risk students and expose them to the racing industry. The students, who normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to a NASCAR event, are treated to a unique experience while attending a Sprint Cup Series race. Started by Colton, Calif. Police Officer Todd Smith two years ago, the “Kevin’s Krew” program has expanded this year to eight events. In addition to this weekend’s race, “Kevin’s Krew” events were held at Auto Club Speedway, Infineon Raceway and Michigan International Speedway earlier this season. The remaining events for 2009 include; California Speedway on October 11, Lowe’s Motor Speedway on October 17, Texas Motor Speedway on November 8 and Phoenix International Raceway on November 17.(RCR)(9-3-2009)
RCR reorganizes management: Richard Childress Racing has reorganized the management of its competition department to provide its race teams and sponsors with consistent improvement in on-track performance. “This reorganization is the result of a process that took place over the past few months to improve our performance,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “On-track performance is the lifeblood of RCR and everything we do is impacted by how competitive our cars are week-in and week-out. Our common goal remains the same: win races and compete for championships. The creation of these new processes and priorities, with greater accountability, will improve our performance and every aspect of our organization. “
Mike Dillon retains his position as vice president of competition, but with revised responsibilities. His primary focus will continue to be competition department oversight. He reports directly to Childress.
Scott Miller, crew chief for RCR’s #31 Caterpillar Racing team with driver Jeff Burton in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been named to the revised position of director of competition. His primary responsibility is oversight of the key areas of race car performance: speed, handling and durability. Miller reports directly to Dillon and will continue his dual responsibilities until the conclusion of the 2009 season. The crew chief position for the #31 team will be filled at a later date.
Kent Day, RCR’s technical director of competition, now reports directly to Miller. Day’s primary responsibility is in setting the technical direction of race car development.
Will Lind, an employee of RCR since 1982 and the director of competition the past two seasons, will assume the new role of business director of competition. Lind will continue to report directly to Dillon.
“Scott’s experience as a team engineer and a crew chief gives him a solid foundation in both disciplines and provides a unique perspective on the direction the sport is taking from the competition side,” said Childress. “We’ve also shifted some responsibilities in other areas of the competition department to maximize performance and efficiency. RCR has some of the best people in the business and they will only become better by working within this new structure.”(RCR)(9-2-2009)
Harvick returning to the #29 in 2010: Kevin Harvick will drive Richard Childress Racing's #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy in 2010 for his 10th season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series despite rumors to the contrary. "Rumors about Kevin not driving for RCR next season have been flying around the garage area and in the media," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "We want to put the rumors behind us by stating together that Kevin will drive RCR's #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. RCR continues to work on the overall performance of the No. 29 team, like we are with all of our teams, and the plan is to end the season on a high note. Kevin and the No. 29 team are also preparing for next season with the goal of making a run at the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship."(RCR PR)(8-31-2009)
Changes at RCR? Changes are coming at Richard Childress Racing. "We're getting ready to make a lot of changes to hopefully change [the performance]," Team owner Richard Childress said last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. He wouldn't get any more specific, but those close to the situation said there will be some major restructuring announced early this week that hopefully will improve performance. The organization already has made some changes within the teams to put the best at-the-track personnel with Clint Bowyer, the only one of RCR's four drivers with a shot at the Chase. Bowyer is 15th in points, 112 points out with two races remaining before the field is set. Jeff Burton is 18th, Casey Mears is 20th and Kevin Harvick is 24th. Childress has already switched the crew chiefs of Harvick and Mears in an attempt to improve performance, so any further changes likely will come in a shakeup of managerial or engineering structure.(ESPN)(8-24-2009)
NASCAR Drivers Help Assemble Care Packages For Military: Some seven hours before Saturday night's Sharpie 500, NASCAR drivers #07-Casey Mears and #31-Jeff Burton weren't thinking about how they would travel the fine line between making their living and risking their lives. Rather, Mears and Burton were inside a bustling Jack Daniel's tent some 500 yards outside the Bristol Motor Speedway, helping more than 100 volunteers pack 10,000 huge plastic bags of supplies – lotion, tissue, trail mix, shaving razors, puzzle books, cotton swabs, camouflage pouches, candy, raisins, beef jerky, packets of powdered orange drink and more – bound for American military troops serving overseas. In the hours before the Sharpie 500, Mears and Burton weren't obsessing over how to win a race and lift their arms in victory. Rather, they were making a sacrifice – of time, attention and hands – to lift the morale of those far away, bearing arms in combat. "It means something to me to do this, because I know how much getting these means to those soldiers," Mears said, stuffing items, one after another, into bags that kept steadily coming his way. Added Burton: "Spending some time doing this doesn't compare to the work those troops are putting in over there. So, I don't feel like this is a sacrifice for me at all. If it is one, I'm happy to make it."(Bristol Herald Courier)(8-23-2009)
To be displayed on the RCR
cars at Watkins Glen
#07 to honor Jack Daniel's Master Distiller: Jimmy Bedford, former Master Distiller for Jack Daniel’s, passed away suddenly on Friday, Aug. 7, at his home in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Bedford is one of only seven Master Distiller’s the company has ever had; a position he held for 20 years from 1988 to 2008. Bedford, 69, was born and raised in Moore County, the home of Jack Daniel’s, and worked for the distillery for 41 years. In his memory, the Old #07 Jack Daniel’s Chevy, driven by Casey Mears, will carry a special decal with the famous Jack Daniel’s logo on it for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International. In addition to the logo, the decal will say “In Memory of Jimmy Bedford.” The other three Sprint Cup Series cars of Richard Childress Racing; Kevin Harvick in the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, Jeff Burton in the #31 Caterpillar Chevy and Clint Bowyer in the #33 Hamburger Helper/Cheerios Chevy, will carry a black and white decal [see above] with the saying “In Memory of Jimmy Bedford.”(RCR)(8-8-2009)
“In My Own Words: Kevin Harvick” Special airs on SportSouth: Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick traces the history of his career in a new special that debuted on SportSouth, Friday, July 31. “In My Own Words: Kevin Harvick” is a 30-minute interview special focused on the 33 year-old driver, who pilots the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The special chronicles how a kid from a blue-collar background in Bakersfield, California, began racing go-karts at age five, and developed his passion for cars into a successful racing career. Produced by SportSouth Originals, the interview portion of the special was filmed in January at the RCR shops in Welcome, N.C. “In My Own Words: Kevin Harvick” debuts on SportSouth, Friday, July 31 at 11pm/et, with additional airings on August 1 at 1pm/et, August 2 at 11:30am/et, August 16 at 7pm/et and August 22 at 7pm/et.(RCR)(8-1-2009)
Harvick in 2010...."focused on this weekend": #29-Kevin Harvick sat on a stack of tires outside his garage stall at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday willing to talk about what has been the most frustrating season of his Sprint Cup career. He was not ready to commit to driving for Richard Childress Racing next season. Despite a contract and sponsorship that runs through 2010 and a statement by owner Richard Childress that he expects both deals to be honored, Harvick went out of his way to be noncommittal.
Here's a snapshot of how ESPN's David Newton's interview with Harvick went:
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: "Right now we're focused on this week. We have a good car this weekend and the focus is on this weekend's race."
Q: You talked to Childress this past week. What kind of conclusion did you guys come to?
A: "Our focus is we brought a new car here and everything has gone well since we unloaded it. Our focus is to do what we need to do on the track and go from there."
Q: Childress says you two are all good for next season. Is that correct?
A: "I think everybody has talked."
Q: Have you asked out of your contract?
A: "We're focused on this weekend."
Q: Do you want to be at RCR in the future?
A: "Right now we're here to race and do what we need to do from a driver's standpoint. Everybody is working well together. ... Right now I'm the driver of the Shell Pennzoil #29 RCR Chevy. That's my job and that's what I intend to focus on. All the rest of that stuff will take care of itself."
Q: Will you be at RCR next year?
A: "All of us drivers and crew chiefs, we're not going to drag this thing through the mud. We're going to put our heads down and make it as good as we can."
Q: I know you're not happy with the performance of the team, but are you happy with RCR?
A: "That's the same question, just a different way of asking it. We're all focused on a week-to-week basis on what we need to do at the racetrack. Nothing has changed from that point."
Q: You easily could say you'll be back next season. Why not?
A: "I told you, we're here to race this weekend and do the best we can, and we'll continue to do that on a week-to-week basis."
He reportedly is interested in moving to Stewart-Haas Racing and joining Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, two of his closest friends in the garage. If Harvick doesn't want out, this could be his way of trying to force Childress to elevate the performance of the entire organization that has no driver in the Chase hunt after putting three in the past two seasons. All that's known for sure is that Harvick is focused on this weekend. "Richard and I, no matter what happens in the end, Richard and I will always be friends," Harvick said. "We have gone through a lot of good times and hopefully we'll go through a lot of great times together as we go forward."(ESPN)(7-26-2009)
- Harvick wants out at RCR? UPDATE RCR Statement Kevin Harvick has told Richard Childress he would like to leave after this season, according to multiple sources. Harvick has one year remaining on his contract with RCR, but the Shell/Pennzoil sponsorship deal on the #29 Chvey ends at the end of this season, and Harvick is trying to move with it to Stewart-Haas. Tony Stewart has said his team is interested in running a third car in Sprint Cup in 2010. Childress is in a tough spot. He could hold Harvick to the contract and try to re-sign Shell/Pennzoil, but in a performance-based business, the Stewart-Haas option, undoubtedly, is more appealing to the gas and oil company. If Shell/Penzoil decides to leave, Childress has to find $15 million to $20 million in sponsorship to replace it -- a very difficult prospect in this economy. Harvick would also bring additional Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series capability to the organization, joining the JR Motorsports operation owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick. Kevin Harvick Inc. competes in both series.(Sports Illustrated)(7-14-2009)
UPDATE: The following is a statement from Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing, regarding recent reports about RCR team sponsor Shell-Pennzoil and Kevin Harvick, driver of the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: “Richard Childress Racing has a multi-year contract with Shell-Pennzoil that includes the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Shell-Pennzoil remains a great partner for RCR and Kevin Harvick as well as our sport overall. RCR also has a multi-year contract with Kevin Harvick that includes the 2010 season. That said, Shell will be the sponsor and Kevin will be the driver of RCR’s No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS in 2010.”(RCR site)
UPDATE 2:Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick would like to be released from the final year of his contract that expires in 2010, a source close to the situation said on Wednesday. "He's making that evident," the source said. The SI.com report said Shell's contract expires after this season, but multiple sources told ESPN.com the deal runs through 2010. Sources added that it is unlikely RCR owner Richard Childress would let both the driver and sponsor go, particularly in today's economic climate. A spokesman for Harvick had no comment when contacted by ESPN.com.(ESPN)(7-15-2009)
- Taylor Earnhardt Completes First Runs in RCR #3 Chevy: Taylor Earnhardt, daughter of Dale and Teresa Earnhardt, completed two hillclimb runs in the first day of the 17th annual Goodwood Festival of Speed driving the Richard Childress Racing #3 GM Goodwrench Chevy. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is held on the grounds of Goodwood House in West Sussex, a place of significant British motorsports history. This year's gathering includes a number of NASCAR stock cars in honor of the 50th anniversary of Daytona International Speedway that will participate in both demonstration and competition runs up the nine-turn, 1.16-mile hillclimb circuit. The car was prepared and is being taken care of at the Goodwood Festival of Speed by former #3 team crew members Danny Lawrence and Rich Burgess. Lawrence is currently the assistant head engine builder/trackside manager for Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines and Burgess is the shop manager for RCR's #31 Caterpillar team in the NSCS.(RCR PR)(7-4-2009)
- Different look for Harvick at Daytona: Instead of the usual yellow and red Shell-Pennzoil colors, Kevin Harvick’s #29 RCR Chevy will carry a special silver design in this weekend’s Coke Zero 400 to promote Pennzoil Platinum. Pennzoil Platinum is full synthetic engine oil with superior Active Cleansing Agents that continuously attacks potential and stubborn deposits to help keep the engine clean. Pennzoil Platinum is designed to provide the ultimate cleansing under the most severe driving style or conditions to maximize engine responsiveness.(RCR), see image of the scheme on the #29 Team Schemes page.(7-2-2009)
- RCR #3 Chevy to Participate in Goodwood Festival: UPDATE: The Richard Childress Racing #3 GM Goodwrench Chevy that seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt earned his 76th and final victory in will participate in this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in England on July 3-5, 2009. Taylor Earnhardt, 20, Earnhardt’s youngest child, will drive the car in demonstration runs during the three-day festival. It is her inaugural turn behind the wheel of a stock car. She will be accompanied by her mother, Teresa Earnhardt, president and CEO of Dale Earnhardt, Inc., founded in 1980 with her legendary husband. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual event held since 1993 at the Goodwood House in West Sussex, a place of great British motorsports history. Race cars old and new will participate in both demonstration and competition runs up the nine-turn 1.16-mile hillclimb circuit. This year’s gathering will include a number of NASCAR stock cars in honor of the 50th anniversary of Daytona International Speedway. The car was prepared by and will be cared for at the Goodwood Festival of Speed by former #3 team crew members Danny Lawrence and Rich Burgess. Lawrence is currently the assistant head engine builder/trackside manager for Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines and Burgess is the shop manager for RCR’s #31 Caterpillar team in the NSCS.(RCR)
AND: and a couple drivers with NASCAR connections will attend the festival with Mike Skinner driving a Red Bull Racing Toyota and Rusty Wallace in a NASCAR Dodge Charger. More info on the festival at goodwood.co.uk.(6-30-2009)
UPDATE: Four cars and drivers with NASCAR connections will participate the annual Festival of Speed at Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, England. Held since 1993, the Festival celebrates historic cars from all forms of racing. The three-day event, hosted by the Earl of March at his family’s estate, features a 1.16-mile hill-climbing competition for all classes and types of race cars and motorcycles, plus a 2.5-kilometer course for historic rally cars. This year’s Festival runs from July 3-5.
Four NASCAR teams will participate in the three-day event – Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Team Red Bull and Rusty Wallace Inc.
Landon Cassill, the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year, will drive Hendrick Motorsports’ “T-Rex” – the then-revolutionary #24 chassis that four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon drove to victory in the 1998 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
Taylor Earnhardt, the 20-year-old daughter of seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, will drive the #3 Richard Childress Racing chassis that her father drove to his last career win in October 2000.
Rusty Wallace Inc., is sending its namesake – 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace, whose organization currently fields two NASCAR Nationwide Series teams. Also an ESPN commentator, Wallace will drive a #2 chassis fielded by his long-time former team, Penske Racing.
Mike Skinner, the 1995 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, will drive a former NASCAR Sprint Cup chassis fielded by Team Red Bull, for whom he’s driven on a part-time basis while competing full time for another NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title.
Cassill, Earnhardt, Wallace and Skinner are among this year’s Festival-record 103 drivers and riders. Also attending the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed: Jim Hunter, NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications. Hunter has over 40 years of experience in the sport, as a journalist, promoter, track president and administrator.(NASCAR)(7-2-2009)
- Shell to Hendrick? Rick Hendrick may be in the running for the lucrative Shell-Pennzoil sponsorship for 2010, according to sources in the NASCAR garage. Car owner Richard Childress is in the third season of Shell sponsorship, but he has said little about the contract or any negotiations. Hendrick has had a long-standing sponsorship relationship with Quaker State, which is owned by Shell. If Shell were to move from the Childress camp to the Hendrick camp, it would apparently go on Mark Martin's car. NASCAR executives are expected to discuss the full range of sponsorship issues with key car owners and drivers in next week's planned annual post-Daytona 400 'seminar.' That private retreat each July was started by the late Bill France Jr., to get an inside look at the state of the sport from the owners' perspective.(MikeMulhern.net)(6-28-2009)
- RCR to scale back to two teams? UPDATE - Statement: There is speculation that Chevy team owner Richard Childress may have to cut back to a two-car operation next season, if the Shell [#29-Harvick] and Jack Daniels [#07-Casey Mears] sponsorships are not renewed. Childress says he intends to have four Cup teams again next year, but conceded sponsorship issues remain to be resolved. Childress, through the Winston-Salem law firm Womble, Carlyle, has filed legal papers over what he says is GM's non-payment of a bill of $2,538,750. Childress insists he's not suing GM over its failure to make that payment due June 15th. That bill would apparently be a scheduled quarterly payment, part of a $10 million a year Chevrolet sponsorship for Childress' four-team operation.(mikemulhern.net)(6-22-2009)
UPDATE: The following is a statement from Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing regarding allegations that RCR has filed a lawsuit against General Motors: “I would like to set the record straight that RCR has NOT filed a lawsuit against General Motors and I do not appreciate anyone suggesting otherwise. As is standard practice in bankruptcy proceedings, RCR has made a filing which is common among creditors in these situations. As previously stated as recently as this past weekend in Sonoma, RCR is proud to be associated with General Motors and we are working closely with them during these difficult economic times.”(RCR)(6-23-2009)
- Richard Childress Statement about General Motors: The following is a statement from Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing, regarding cutbacks by General Motors: “Richard Childress Racing is proud to be associated with General Motors and Chevrolet. I’ve been driving Chevys since I ran a Camaro in Talladega’s first Cup race in 1969 and I look forward to continuing that relationship. I’ve been fortunate to see some of the great new products General Motors has to offer, vehicles with great fuel mileage and styling. I’ve recently purchased a new Corvette and a Camaro and they’re two of the finest cars I’ve ever driven. RCR is honored to help showcase GM products to help sell them in the dealerships. These difficult economic times have forced all of us to evaluate our budgets closer than ever but I can assure you that this will not affect our competition on the track.”(RCR)(6-20-2009)
- How much does GM pay to teams? While no one is saying how much General Motors is cutting its financial support from teams, at least one court document puts a price tag on it. Try $2,538,750. And that's to one Cup team. A court document [click to view pdf] shows that GM was to have paid RCR Enterprises, LLC (i.e. Richard Childress Racing) that amount on June 15. Childress spoke Friday at Infineon Raceway about the GM situation. Asked if he received his June 15 payment from GM, Childress said: "That's kind of personal. I didn't ask you if you got your paycheck this week.'' If nothing else, that gives you a sense of some of the money that's out there and involved in this sport. Childress would not reveal what kind of cutbacks GM is making with his team. Asked if he would have to lay anyone off, Childress said: "I don't know really what all is going to happen. We're going to have to make cuts like everybody in the sport or in business. We don't want to cut performance. For sure, we're not going to cut performance. We'll cut a lot of other things before that.''(Virginian-Pilot)(6-20-2009)
- Richard Childress Elected to NRA Board of Directors" NASCAR championship-winning team owner Richard Childress [#'s 07,29,31,33] realized a long-time dream when he was recently elected to the board of directors of the National Rifle Association.
The NRA Board of Directors is elected by the Association’s four million members and has a broad spectrum of constituents with varying backgrounds, from law enforcement to competitive shooting, political activists to elected officials. Notable NRA Board members include Lt. Col. Oliver North, Karl Malone, Ted Nugent and Tom Selleck. The Board of Directors oversees the policies and programs developed by the organization. Childress, of Clemmons, N.C., is a lifelong supporter of the Second Amendment, a big-game hunter and an outdoor conservationist. The 12-time NASCAR championship-winning team owner is a Life Member of the National Rifle Association, Safari Club International, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Grand Slam Club/Ovis (Grand Slam #901). He was named a Board Member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation in 2008. Childress works with local, state and national agencies on wildlife/outdoor conservation efforts and many related charities. He worked with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in 2000 to reintroduce an elk herd into North Carolina for the first time in 200 years. His family recently teamed with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to create the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma.(RCR)(6-5-2009)
- Career start 300 for Harvick: #29-Kevin Harvick will make his 300th-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start this weekend at Pocono Raceway. Dating back to February 26, 2001 the Bakersfield, Calif., native has earned 11 wins, five poles, 58 top-five (19.3%) and 122 top-10 finishes (40.8%) in NSCS competition, in addition to one win each in both the Sprint All-Star Race (2007) and the Budweiser Shootout (2009). He has led 2,991 laps and earned close to $53 million in purse money. Over those 299 starts, Harvick has logged a 17.9 starting average and a 15.6 finishing average. The 11-time Sprint Cup Series winner has been running at the finish in 285 of those 299 races and finished on the lead lap 193 times.(RCR)(6-4-2009)
- Harvick wins Pennzoil Victory Challenge: Shell-Pennzoil’s own #29-Kevin Harvick emerged victorious in the second annual Pennzoil Victory Challenge held on the front stretch of Lowe’s Motor Speedway prior to Saturday’s All-Star events. Harvick claimed the $10,000 prize which will be donated to his charity of choice, the Victory Junction Gang Camp. A competition that pits some of NASCAR’s top drivers against one another, the Pennzoil Victory Challenge was created to showcase each driver’s best celebratory skills. This year's format allowed the drivers a longer freestyle demonstration without a specific course to run. Each driver took their turn in identically prepared Jeff Gordon Racing School stock cars and had 30 seconds to complete their respective runs. An all-star line-up that included Shell-Pennzoil driver Kevin Harvick, defending Pennzoil Victory Challenge champion Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon and former Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip, the Pennzoil Victory Challenge proved once again to be exciting and a fan favorite. A new facet to the 2009 Challenge included a panel of celebrity judges featuring 16-time World Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, NFL All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss, SPEED's own Jimmy Spencer, NASCAR spokesperson Kevin Costner plus Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry of the award-winning country music group - Montgomery Gentry.
Harvick was the second driver to take to the course and earned 58 out of a total of 60 possible points claiming this year’s trophy. Kasey Kahne claimed the second position with Clint Bowyer coming in third. Four-time champion Jeff Gordon finished fourth with last year’s winner Gregg Biffle rounding out the top-five. Kyle Busch and Darrell Waltrip were both disqualified after Waltrip went off course and Busch knocked down the Pennzoil pillars along the course, much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd.(Pennzoil)(5-17-2009)
- Pennzoil colors for Harvick: Kevin Harvick’s #29 Chevy will sport a different look for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The 2007 All-Star race winner will transform his bright yellow and red Shell-Pennzoil Chevy into a special yellow Pennzoil Chevy. Pennzoil has been a sponsor in virtually every form of motorsports since the brand appeared as a sponsor of Russell Snowberger’s Indianapolis 500 race entry in the 1930’s.(RCR), see an image of the scheme on my #29 Team Schemes page(5-14-2009)
- RCR Kicks off 40th Anniversary Celebration Where it All Began: What began in September 1969 as a stroke of good fortune for a young driver with a dream has become one of the more storied franchises in sports history. Richard Childress Racing launched its 40th anniversary celebration today at Talladega Superspeedway, the track where Richard Childress made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut and where good fortune shined on his racing destiny. The RCR 40th Anniversary Celebration will continue through Nov. 1, 2009, the length of time between the two Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega. The cornerstone of the program will include the Pick the Greatest RCR Moment contest on RCR’s website, where fans will vote on one of a dozen great moments in RCR history, with one lucky fan winning RCR’s VIP prize package for two to the Oct. 30-Nov. 1 AMP Energy 500 weekend.
“I’ve been very fortunate in my racing career and I look forward to giving something back to the fans and sharing with them some of the great stories from the past 40 years,” explained Childress. “Talladega has always been a special place to me, from Mr. France (Bill France Sr.) allowing me to get my first Cup Series start there to some of the great runs Dale (Earnhardt) had to trying to win the race here this weekend. It just made sense to kick things off at Talladega. I’m looking forward to spending time with the winner of the Pick the Greatest RCR Moment contest in October.” Additional activities during the RCR 40th Anniversary Celebration will include a monthly breakdown of RCR highlights, from Childress’ driving career to the halcyon days with the legendary Dale Earnhardt and the famed black #3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolets to the current six-team operation with drivers Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears, Stephen Leicht and Austin Dillon. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native started 26th and finished 23rd in that first Talladega race. Childress drove a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro after competing in the same car the day before in a support race for the inaugural event at what was then known as Alabama International Motor Speedway. He only competed in the race when NASCAR founder Bill France asked him to help fill the field after the regular series drivers refused to drive on the brand new 2.66-mile high-banked facility. Childress invested the money he made that weekend in a small piece of land where he built a race shop and, as is so often said, the rest is history.(RCR PR)(4-25-2009)
- Fan to ride with Harvick in Pennzoil Victory Challenge: Pennzoil is taking the excitement around the 2009 Pennzoil Victory Challenge to an even higher level by allowing one lucky fan the chance of a lifetime to ride shotgun with Kevin Harvick in the 2009 Pennzoil Victory Challenge. The second annual event is set for May 16, 2009 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS) as part of the Sprint All-Star Race pre-event festivities. The Pennzoil Victory Challenge is NASCAR’s version of a “slam dunk contest” however this contest features the sport’s top talent showing off their abilities in post-race-win celebrations in classic NASCAR smoking donut style. The driver lineup has been expanded from five drivers to seven, and like in 2008, each driver will compete in identically prepared stock cars. However, this year the new format allows each driver a longer freestyle demonstration and the panel of judges will score their creativity. The driver with the highest score from the panel will be declared the winner, with $10,000 awarded to their designated charity and a reserved spot in the 2010 Pennzoil Victory Challenge. Joining the first driver announced, #29-Kevin Harvick, will be #16-Greg Biffle (winner of the 2008 Pennzoil Victory Challenge), #24-Jeff Gordon, #33-Clint Bowyer, #18-Kyle Busch and #9-Kasey Kahne. The Pennzoil Victory Challenge will be televised live during SPEED’s pre-race coverage on Saturday, May 16th prior to the NASCAR Sprint Showdown and NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. For more info on this contest and many other racing contests, see my Racing Contest page.(4-25-2009)
- Current longest-tenured driver/crew chief pairings:
After the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Saturday, Richard Childress Racing will swap crews and crew chiefs on the #07 & #29 teams, bringing and end to the second longest current driver/crew chief combination.
Driver / Crew Chief: Start Date
#48-Jimmie Johnson / Chad Knaus: October 2001
#29-Kevin Harvick / Todd Berrier*: March 2003*
#24-Jeff Gordon / Steve Letarte: September 2005
#88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. / Tony Eury, Jr.:September 2005
#11-Denny Hamlin / Mike Ford: October 2005
#31-Jeff Burton / Scott Miller: November 2005
* - Ending after Sunday's race at Talladega
(Sports Illustrated)(4-24-2009)
- RCR 40th Anniversary Announcement: Richard Childress Racing has scheduled a press conference for Saturday, April 25, at 9:30am in the infield media center at Talladega Superspeedway. The press conference will kick off RCR’s 40th anniversary celebration that will conclude at the fall races in Talladega, where Childress made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in 1969 in the track’s inaugural event.(RCR PR)(4-23-2009)
- RCR Swap Crew Chiefs and Crews of #29 & #07 Teams: Richard Childress Racing’s #07 Jack Daniel’s crew will become the #29 Shell-Pennzoil crew, and vice versa, immediately following this weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. Crew chief Gil Martin and his crew will move to the #29 team with driver Kevin Harvick while Todd Berrier and his crew will take over the #07 team with driver Casey Mears. In addition to the crew chiefs, the transition will include car chiefs, engineers, shock specialists, engine tuners, tire specialists, mechanics, transporter drivers and over-the-wall pit crews. Harvick and Mears, who will maintain their race spotters, are currently 16th and 22nd, respectively, in the Sprint Cup Series point standings after eight races. “The decision to interchange the 29 and 07 teams was made to make both programs stronger and more successful,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Our main objective has always been to have all four of RCR’s teams qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Neither team has had the success this season that we know they’re capable of, so we decided it was time to make a change to improve the two teams and the overall strength of RCR. We feel this change positions us to achieve that goal. Todd and Gil are proven winners who have strong and successful teams behind them. Chemistry is an important part of any successful organization and I felt it was time to change the makeup of these two teams. We’ve done this before with positive results.”(RCR PR)(4-22-2009)
- Harvick visits Luke Air Force Base: #29-Kevin Harvick, on Thursday, visited hundreds of airmen at Luke Air Force Base. Harvick, partially sponsored by the Veteran of Foreign Wars, plays a key role in the Salute to the Military program at Phoenix International Raceway that began four years ago. In Thursday's visit to the base, Harvick answered questions from the fans and signed autographs. "We've been fortunate to have a relationship with the VFW, and we've been able to do a lot of things like this," said Harvick, also a team owner in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series. "Today, it's obviously great to be a part of the people who make it happen for us to live our lives how we're able to live them. So we're all pretty fortunate to live in a country like we do, and to be able to support the people who make the sacrifices to make sure we have that is pretty neat just to be a part of." Col. Henry Reed was grateful for Harvick's presence and involvement. "It really connects our airmen in a sport that is generally very, very popular amongst military, so whenever we get the opportunity to have a great driver like Kevin come out and interact with our airmen and their families, sign autographs, talks to their kids and answer questions, it's a great morale boost," he said. "You add into the fact that PIR and VFW gave us 2,000 tickets for these airmen . . . I'm continually amazed by the outstanding community support that we have here at Luke, and we're blessed to have it." PIP President Bryan Sperber said supporting the military and giving back to the community is a common theme of NASCAR: "I can tell you every driver and their teams, in their own way, support the U.S. military even when the cameras aren't there. The entire sport is so proud of the job the U.S. military does, and it's very easy for us to want to do everything that we can to say thank you and support them."(Arizona Republic)(4-17-2009)
- Motor oil recycling featured on Harvick's car: To help spread the word about the importance of used motor oil recycling, Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Pennzoil are working together to raise awareness around the Pennzoil Clean Change Campaign in a special way. This Saturday, as Americans look forward to Earth Day, the deck lid of Kevin Harvick’s #29 Shell-Pennzoil car will feature the Pennzoil Clean Change Campaign logo and web site during the Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. The Pennzoil Clean Change Campaign is a nationwide initiative that encourages Do-It-Yourself oil changers to recycle their used motor oil and help maintain a clean environment. Improper disposal of the used oil from just one oil change can potentially contaminate up to one million gallons of drinking water. It is estimated that 185 million gallons of used motor oil is improperly disposed of each year in the U.S. -- dumped on the ground, tossed in the trash or poured down storm sewers and drains. Use of the deck lid during the April 18th NASCAR Sprint Cup race is just a part of the Pennzoil Clean Change efforts continuing throughout the year to help raise awareness of the importance of recycling used motor oil. Throughout the season, RCR and Pennzoil hope to gather more than 100,000 online pledges.(RCR/Pennzoil PR)(4-16-2009)
- Harvick set at RCR Thru 2010: #29-Kevin Harvick says rumors of his imminent free agency are greatly exaggerated. Although mentioned recently as a driver up for grabs after this season, "I have another year on my contract after this year [with Richard Childress Racing], so I'm not in the middle of all that stuff this year," Harvick said. "So you can go ahead and check my name off that list. We have an extension in my contract that we signed about a year and a half ago. It goes through 2010."(ESPN Insider)(3-31-2009)
- Congrats: Two members of the #29 Shell-Pennzoil RCR team of Kevin Harvick have recently welcomed new additions to their respective families. Shock specialist Chris Chase is the proud parent of twin girls, Hayden and Addison, born on Feb. 27. Engine tuner John Goodwin is the father of a baby girl, Ella Grace, born on March 12.(RCR PR)(3-18-2009)
- Realtree's Bill Jordan to Drive in Celebrity/Legends Race at Bristol: Realtree Founder and President Bill Jordan will drive a Team Realtree car, furnished by Richard Childress Racing, in the first annual Scotts Saturday Night Special Celebrity/Legends Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Jordan's role in the race is to run the first 15 laps against other celebrities to determine the starting positions for the legendary NASCAR drivers, who will complete the remaining 35 laps of the 50-lap event. Jordan's NASCAR legends teammate will be Terry Labonte. Jordan and Labonte's honorary pit crew will be comprised of current NASCAR drivers, many of whom hunt with Jordan and appear on the Driven to Hunt television show on ESPN2. These pit crew members will include Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, and Martin Truex, Jr. RCR president and CEO Richard Childress will serve as Jordan's spotter during the race. The First Annual Scotts Saturday Night Special Celebrity/Legends Race will air live on March 21 on ESPN2 following the completion of the Scotts Turf Builder 300 Nationwide Series race and will be followed by a 100-lap UARA late model event. Drivers will compete in late-model stock cars and $25,000 will be donated to the winning team’s charity of choice. The second-place team will have $10,000 given to the charity of its choice and $5,000 will go to the designated charity of the other entrants. Tickets, which include all three races, start at $45 and are available by calling the BMS ticket office at 423-989-6900 or by visiting www.bristoltix.com.(RCR PR)(3-14-2009)
- Philanthropists support the Childress Institute: News of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma and its needs has touched the hearts of many generous donors who have recently made significant contributions. Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has announced a $1 million commitment from John L. Morris, founder and chief executive officer of Bass Pro Shops, to the Childress Institute. An additional $1 million pledge has been made by an anonymous private family foundation. Another recent gift was made by the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Foundation, established by Eddie Smith, owner and CEO of Grady-White Boats Inc., of Greenville, N.C. The Smith Foundation made a $250,000 commitment to the Institute for research and expansion of programs in pediatric trauma care. To date, contributors have given nearly $2 million to the Childress Institute, and pledges total almost $8.5 million. On July 30, 2008, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and the Richard Childress family announced the formation of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma. The Childress Institute’s mission is to significantly improve survival rates of children nationwide who suffer serious injuries and reduce the lifelong impact of traumatic injuries in children. Richard Childress and his family have provided $5 million to the Medical Center to initiate the project. Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the Childress family are working with corporations and individuals to raise awareness and an additional $20 million to establish the Institute’s endowment fund. For more information on the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma visit www.childresspediatrictrauma.org.(RCR PR)(3-7-2009)
- No blown engine for Harvick UPDATE: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines employees discovered a punctured oil filter on the engine of Kevin Harvick’s #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy after hard contact with the outside wall of Auto Club Speedway on lap 208. The filter was replaced and the engine restarted but the damage done to the car prevented the team from returning to the race and ending Harvick's DNF streak at 81 [3 short of the all-time record].(RCR PR)
UPDATE: Kevin Harvick’s modern era streak of completing 81 races in a row ended at California, but Harvick tells PRN’s Garagepass it didn't have to happen. Harvick said, "The bad thing about the DNF streak is that the car was actually functional to go back on the racetrack. I thought the motor had blown up...I hit the fence and the oil was running across the racetrack and the oil streak all the way up to the wall...I thought the car had blown up. So, I left and the spotter left and they called and said hey we’re ready to go back out with about 15 laps to go...and (chuckles) I wasn't there...that’s the way it ended. The DNF streak is great but in the end it would be nice to have a win streak."(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(3-5-2009)
- Reese's colors for Harvick at Atlanta: Reese’s, a major associate sponsor of RCR’s #29 Chevy, kicks into high gear this weekend in Atlanta as Kevin Harvick and the #29 team transform their bright yellow-and-red Shell-Pennzoil Chevy into a bright orange Reese’s racing machine for the Kobalt Tools 500. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are peanut butter-filled chocolate cups. AMS was the site of Harvick’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win. He claimed the win by .006 second over Jeff Gordon, the third-closest margin of victory at Atlanta, on March 11, 2001. Reese’s is conducting a contest to find the “Perfect Fan” for more info see the Racing Contest page. To see an image of the scheme see the #29 Team Schemes page.(RCR PR)(3-4-2009)
- RCR..four tracks left: Richard Childress Racing has earned a Sprint Cup Series victory at 18 of the 22 tracks on the 2009 schedule. The only tracks on the current schedule where RCR hasn’t earned wins are Auto Club Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Additionally, RCR has Sprint Cup Series wins at 21 tracks overall, including North Wilkesboro, Riverside (CA) and Rockingham (N.C.) which are no longer on the schedule.(RCR PR)(2-26-2009)
- Did Not Finish Streak and stats: #29-Harvick HAD been running at the finish in 81 consecutive races which is the modern era [1972-current] record, BUT he lost and engine at Californa in Feb 2009. So #33-Bowyer has the longest streak now without a DNF at 75 consecutive races. The all-time record for the longest streak of NOT having an DNF is 84 races held by Herman Beam from April 30, 1961 thru March 10, 1963. Kevin Harvick held the modern era (1972-present) record at 58 (10/3/2002-8/1/2004) until he broke it himself in 2008. Next up was Jeff Gordon at 56 and then Dale Earnhardt at 53 [Indy in 1996 thru Martinsville in the spring of 1998.(2-23-2009)
- Special Decal for Harvick at Calif: UPDATE: The #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy driven by Kevin Harvick will feature a special decal on the deck lid this weekend for the running of the Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway. The Mater Dei High School (Evansville, Indiana) name will be featured on the deck lid of the Richard Childress Racing machine in honor of the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas winning student team. The Shell Eco-marathon, held at Auto Club Speedway each April, invites teams of students to design and build the most energy-efficient vehicle powered by either conventional or alternative fuels. The students from Mater Dei High School set a record for fuel efficiency during the 2008 competition with a rating of 2,843 miles per gallon. The team claimed a $10,000 prize for their victory and also beat the overall mileage record that was set in 2007 by Cal Poly.(RCR PR)(2-19-2009)
UPDATE: This is all in an effort to recognize the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas winners as well promote the upcoming 2009 Shell Eco-marathon Americas set to take place in Fontana, California on April 15 - 18 at Auto Club Speedway. The Shell Eco-marathon is a global forum for current and future leaders who are passionate about finding sustainable solutions to the world's energy challenge. Shell is committed to providing energy in a responsible way that addresses the realities of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. To learn more about the Shell Eco-marathon, go to www.shell.com/ecomarathon.(Shell PR)(2-22-2009)
- Time for a Clean Change: Richard Chiladress Racing and Pennzoil are working together in 2009 to raise awareness of the need to recycle used oil through the Pennzoil Clean Change Campaign. The nationwide campaign encourages do-it-yourself oil changers to recycle their used oil and help maintain a clean environment. Clean Change efforts will be ongoing throughout the year to help raise awareness of the importance of recycling used motor oil. Through the Pennzoil Clean Change Campaign, Pennzoil asks do-it-yourself oil changers to pledge to properly recycle used motor oil. Consumers can visit the campaign web site www.cleanchange.org to make the pledge, test their environmental prowess with a challenging quiz, and easily locate a certified used oil recycling facility nearest them. RCR and Pennzoil hope to gather more than 100,000 online pledges this season.(RCR PR)(2-11-2009)
- Childress receives Tribute Award: Richard Childress accepted the North Carolina Motorsports Association’s (NCMA) Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award Monday evening at the third annual NCMA industry awards ceremony at the Embassy Suites Convention Hall. Childress, who celebrated his 40th anniversary as a NASCAR Cup Series team owner in 2008, was recognized for his accomplishments in motorsports, his compassion and philanthropic efforts off the track, and for his individual integrity and character. Childress was introduced by last year’s recipient, “King” Richard Petty. The event also honored companies and institutions whose efforts in 2008 greatly impacted the motorsports industry in North Carolina in 10 distinct categories: 1. Education, Two-Year Central Piedmont Community College 2. Education, Four-Year Belmont Abby College 3. Workforce Diversity Winston-Salem State University 4. Marketing, Regional Food Lion Auto Fair 5. Marketing, National NASCAR’s Home Track Campaign 6. Event Facilities Z-Max Dragway 7. Economic Development Mooresville – South Iredell 8. Safety Innovation B.R.A.K.E.S 9. Small Company SRI 10. Large Company CV Products The NCMA is the voice of the motorsports industry in North Carolina, representing businesses that support more than 26,000 jobs in the state.(NCMA PR)(1-29-2009)
- Kevin Harvick Inc. to Cup? Kevin Harvick doesn’t know if or when Kevin Harvick Inc. would become a Sprint Cup team, but Harvick will be ready if the right time – and the right sponsor – comes for his organization to make that step. Harvick admits the time could be soon, especially considering the current economic climate and the merging of several teams leaving the door open for a young program to make races and establish itself. “You’re going to see some people come into the sport because it's an opportunity to try to get your Cup team started and try to make it work,” Harvick says. Do those people include KHI, which has competed in the Truck series since 2002 and in Nationwide since 2004? "You never can say no,” Harvick says. “I don't have any interest in driving my own car, I know that for sure, but I think it's something that you always think about." If Harvick and his wife, DeLana, do opt to go Cup racing, they will keep the same philosophy they've used in building their organization. They won’t field a program unless it has funding. Harvick did run some Truck races during the organization’s first year just to get the company off the ground but has resisted the urge to field a car without financial support. “It’s just going to take the right opportunity to get in [to Cup] from a sponsorship standpoint,” Harvick said. “I think the Trucks and the Nationwide cars have built a foundation for us to do that if the right opportunity ever came about. With the people and our shop – all the things are there to do it. It just has got to be timing and I’m not going to do something that is not right [with sponsorship]. Right now, you might have to beef a couple of things up but the foundation is laid for all that stuff.” For now, Harvick will listen to potential opportunities while also making sure that KHI continues to be run frugally.(SceneDaily)(1-25-2009)
- Teresa doesn't expect to see #3 run again: [DEI Team owner] Teresa Earnhardt doesn't believe anyone -- including her stepson, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- will bring the #3 the late Dale Earnhardt made famous back to Cup racing."Contrary to popular belief, everyone cannot be replaced," Teresa Earnhardt said. "Legends live on forever. I don't think the #3 will ever be driven by anyone else."
The rare public comment from Teresa Earnhardt comes from a one-hour television show, "NASCAR Five Years Later," that will air tonight on Speed Channel at 8:00pm/et. The #3 has not been used in the Cup series since Earnhardt's death. NASCAR controls car numbers and assigns them to team owners on an annual basis. Richard Childress has maintained control of the #3 since Earnhardt's fatal crash.
Earnhardt Jr., who drives the #8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc., the company his father formed and his stepmother now runs, said again recently he would like to drive the #3 before the end of his Cup career. "I really think that'll happen," Earnhardt Jr. told NASCAR.com. Earnhardt Jr. said his desire to drive the #3 does not mean he has any short-term plans to leave DEI. At the Speedweeks media day on Thursday, Earnhardt Jr. said he'd like to run DEI one day. "I'd love to take over at DEI," he said. "Teresa and I will talk about that when the time comes, but that's not in the near future." Earnhardt Jr. started JR Motorsports, which owns a team that plans to run in the Busch Series this year.(Thatsracin)(2-14-2006)
- #3 Back..as showcars..ONLY: Richard Childress announced a program on Wednesday that will resurrect the #3 — at least as a show car — to celebrate RCR's 20th anniversary with General Motors. But Childress added that RCR won't be running the #3 any time soon, even though Dale Earnhardt still sell the third-most souvenirs in the garage.(FoxSports)(2-17-2005)
