2010 Races [9] that BB&T is scheduled to be the primary sponsor:
Atlanta - 3/7
Bristol - 3/21
Martinsville - 3/28
Talladega - 4/25
Richmond - 5/1
Charlotte Motor Speedway (Sprint All-Star Race) - 5/22
Atlanta - 9/5
Martinsville - 10/24
Talladega - 10/31

2010 Races [3] that The Hartford is scheduled to be the primary sponsor:
Darlington - 5/8
Pocono - 8/1
Auto Club Speedway - 10/10

2010 Races [1] that Wheaties was the primary sponsor:
Indy - 7/25

2010 Races [1] that Zaxby's was the primary sponsor:
New Hampshire - 6/27

Childress wins Sporting News award: Richard Childress, who oversaw a resurgence of Richard Childress Motorsports, is the Sporting News owner of the year, the magazine announced Wednesday.
RCR made a remarkable turnaround in 2010. After all four of Childress’ drivers missed the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2009, the organization consolidated to three teams this year with drivers Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer. All three qualified for the Chase, and Harvick was in contention for the Cup championship until the final lap at Homestead. Bowyer won two of the 10 Chase races, at New Hampshire and California.(Sporting News)(12-2-2010)

Roland DGA Partnership with RCR: A whole new look is in store for Richard Childress Racing (RCR) thanks to wide-format inkjet printing technology from Roland DGA Corp. A partnership between the two companies, announced, establishes Roland DGA as the exclusive printer manufacturer for RCR, home to three of the top 2010 Sprint Cup Series Chase finishers, including #29-Kevin Harvick, #31-Jeff Burton and #33-Clint Bowyer. The partnership equips RCR's new state-of-the-art Graphics Center with Roland's most advanced wide-format inkjet printers and printer/cutters. Through the partnership, RCR will open its campus-like facility located in Welcome, NC, to Roland for training classes, dealer meetings, product demonstrations and other events, and will offer additional support to Roland advertising and marketing campaigns. Since opening the RCR graphics studio, Roland printers have been working around the clock to wrap RCR's extensive inventory of racing cars and trucks, show cars and delivery vehicles.(Roland DGA PR)(12-2-2010)

RCR Shop Takes Green to next level: In the first program of its kind, designed to prevent the unnecessary disposal of aerosol spray cans still containing chemical solutions that can eventually leak into the environment, Safety-Kleen and Richard Childress Racing are teaming up to make sure those cans are empty and recycled. "We've been helping keep NASCAR events and teams 'green' for years by properly managing a wide range of recyclable fluids used in their shops and cars," said Eric Zimmer, executive vice president of branch sales and service for Safety-Kleen. "Now we're taking that to the next level by focusing in on some of the less obvious potential sources of environmental contamination – such as spray cans – and we're proud to be undertaking this industry-leading effort with Richard Childress Racing." Many businesses simply throw used aerosol cans in the trash, which is perfectly legal, without even thinking about the fact that those cans are not completely empty and that the contents will eventually find their way into the environment. The better option is to make sure the cans are completely empty and then have them recycled, but that has not been easy to do. Now, using a new drain system developed by Safety-Kleen partner Justrite Manufacturing, businesses can easily get all of the material out of an aerosol can, simultaneously preparing the can for recycling and collecting the liquids for recycling or proper disposal. The Childress Racing teams will now be pioneering the use of these machines in their shops.(PRNewswire)(12-1-2010)

Some Spotters on the move: Silly season is just starting for NASCAR spotters.
Keith Barnwell goes from #1-Jamie McMurray to spotting for #56-Martin Truex Jr.
Lorin Ranier goes from the #6 Ford of David Ragan to the #1 team and McMurray.
Brett Griffin, fomerly Elliott Sadler's sponsor on the #19 RPM team that will close, replaces Rocky Ryan as the spotter for the #31
Chevy of Jeff Burton and is expected to continue his spotter duties with Elliott Sadler in the Nationwide Series.
Rocky Ryan could be a possible replacement for Ranier on the #6 car with David Ragan.
Kevin Hamlin started spotting for #33-Clint Bowyer at Texas in November.(FoxSports)(11-19-2010)

Couple of NASCAR drivers to appear on Price is Right: #33-Clint Bowyer and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie Austin Dillon wii appear on The Price is Right for a special NASCAR-themed episode, Monday, Nov. 15 (11:00 am-12:00 pm/et; 10:00-11:00 am/pt) on the CBS Television Network. Bowyer and Dillon will present two NASCAR-themed showcases, featuring a trip North Carolina to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a trip to Miami to see the season-ending races in all three National Series at the end of November and a Chevy Impala LS.
Bowyer is one of three Sprint Cup Series drivers for Richard Childress Racing and currently pilots the #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy in the Sprint Cup Series and the #21 Zaxby’s Chevy in the NASCAR Nationwide Series part time. Austin Dillon, grandson of RCR team owner Richard Childress, is in his first full-time season, driving the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevy full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The Price is Right, the longest-running game show in television history, is hosted by Drew Carey.(RCR)(11-10-2010)

Bowyer wins at Talladega: #33-Clint Bowyer won the AMP Energy Juice 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway for his 2nd win of 2010 and the 4th win of his career. #29-Kevin Harvick finished second followed by #42-Montoya, #00-Reutimann, #20-Logano, #56-Truex, Jr., #48-Johnson, #24-Gordon, #11-Hamlin, and #12-Keselowski.
The race ended under caution after a big wreck just past the start-finish line on the white flag laps. NASCAR reviewed video tape before declaring Bowyer the winner. Harvick overcame a mid-race accident that tore up the front of the car, but the team was able to repair it. There were 87 lead changes [one behind the record of 88 set at Talladega in April] among 26 drivers and 7 cautions for 19 yellow flag laps. The attendance was reported at 110,000 down from 2009 which was 127,500.
See race results, awards, laps led and more on Jayski's Talladega Race Results/Awards page.(10-31-2010)

BB&T returns to Bowyer's car: The burgundy, white and gold paint scheme of BB&T, the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based corporation, will adorn Clint Bowyer's #33 Richard Choldress Racing's Chevy for the first of two consecutive weeks, beginning with this weekend's race at Martinsville and again next week at Talladega (RCR), see images of the scheme on my #33 Team Schemes page.(10-23-2010)

Crew swap for the #29 & #33: #29-Kevin Harvick and #33-Clint Bowyer met with the media at Martinsville Speedway on Friday, and it was mentioned by both that Richard Childress Racing, has swapped crews beteern the #29 and #33 teams, with the full pit crew [not crew chiefs] being swapped,, the transcripts, in part:
Q) HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES YOU'VE HAD ON PIT ROAD? IF THEY DON'T GET ADDRESSED, ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTEND OVER THE NEXT FIVE RACES?
Harvick: "Those issues have been addressed and I believe everything will be fine this week. Richard (Childress) made some huge changes this week."
Q) YOU ARE RUNNING A BLACK PAINT SCHEME SOME NEXT YEAR, IS THAT A TRIBUTE OR SIGNIFICANCE TO DALE EARNHARDT?
Harvick: "Nope."
Q) KEVIN WAS IN HERE EARLIER TALKING ABOUT PIT CREW CHANGES AND I UNDERSTAND THAT ALSO INVOLVES YOUR TEAM—COULD YOU ADDRESS THAT? WHAT’S GOING ON?
Bowyer: “There is no question that my team is arguably the best team at RCR—they’ve been together the longest. With us being out of the championship deal; Kevin is the last shot at RCR at basically bringing a championship home. We owe it to everybody involved—all the employees who try to bring that championship back home. Certainly I’m going to miss them, but we’ve got a brand new racecar built for here, it’s an exact replica—as close as we could get it—to the New Hampshire car so it should be fast again. I think we can win with his pit crew as well. There is certainly no slouch with what he had, and if he needed my crew to be better I was going to give it to him. I owe it to him as a teammate.”
Q) IS THIS A PERMANENT SWITCH?
Bowyer: “We’ll see. Obviously if he is out of the championship contention then I’ll get them back, but as long as he’s in that thing and he can win a championship for RCR, why not?”
Q) HOW HARD IS IT AS A DRIVER WHEN YOU SWITCH PIT CREWS—IS IT MORE OF AN ADJUSTMENT FOR THOSE GUYS THAN IT IS FOR YOU IN THE CAR?
Bowyer: “Well, the ones that it is hard for is the guys that have been with him all year long and with five races to go you turn your back on them—that’s who it is hard for. It’s difficult for those guys, but it is what it is. We’re in this business to win championships and if he thought that he needed that to win a championship then we’ve got to give it to him. A championship is a huge thing and that is our only shot a doing so.”
Q) ARE SOME OF KEVIN’S OLD CREW MEMBERS ON THE TEAM TODAY, OR IS THAT A HIRED CREW THAT YOU BRING IN?
Bowyer: “They’re the guys that I plan on winning this race with, so I’m fine with it. We’re just switching the whole crew. It is what it is. That was the decision that was made and I’m fine with it. I’ll get my guys back, I know that. A lot of my guys work and build my racecar, so we all work together week in and week out at the race shop and at the race track. I wanted to be the one. They called and told me that that is what they wanted to do and I owed it to those guys to go in and tell them that. On Tuesday morning, I went in myself and got my guys together and I told them what was going to happen, and that I thought we owed it to all the employees—there are 400 employees at RCR, not just those over the wall guys—we owed it to everybody at the engine shop that has been doing an awesome job all year long, from the fab shop to everybody involved, even the guy that mows the grass. We owe it to them guys to bring a championship home and do everything we can do to that.”(Team Chevy PR)(10-22-2010)

RCR’s #33 Honor Coal Miners Rescued in Chile: Richard Childress Racing’s #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy will carry a decal for Saturday night’s Sprint Cup Series 400 mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, honoring the 33 coal miners who were rescued October 13 in Chile. The coal mine, located a mile beneath the Chilean desert, collapsed August 5 and the 33 miners spent the next 70 days in the underground chamber before being rescued via a custom-built escape capsule. “The rescue of the 33 miners in Chile is an incredible story,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Their perseverance to overcome the odds is something we can all learn something from so we decided to run a decal on the #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet to honor them and their successful rescue.” The decal [shown above] is affixed on the lower B post of the #33 Chevy.(RCR)(10-16-2010)

Bowyer’s Crew Wins Tissot Pit Road Award at California: Clint Bowyer’s crew captured the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Auto Club Speedway. It was the third win of the season for the #33 crew, which moved into a four-way tie for second place in the overall Tissot standings with six races remaining. Jeff Gordon’s #24 crew continues to hold on to a one-race lead with four wins. Along with $5,000 going to the weekly winning pit crew, the team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver. Bowyer’s #33 The Hartford Chevy spent the least amount of time on pit road during the Pepsi Max 400 – 290.065 seconds. Coming in a close second was Ryan Newman’s #39 Tornados Chevy at 290.355 seconds and third was Jimmie Johnson’s #48 Lowe’s Chevy at 293.442. Bowyer’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Jason Pulver (front-tire changer), Austin Craven (front-tire carrier), Dustin Necaise (rear-tire changer), Matt Kreuter (rear-tire carrier), Nick Terry (jackman), Bryan Smith (gasman) and Michael Hodges (catch can). The pit crew coach is Matt Clark.(Tissot), see standings and race by race winner on my 2010 Pit Crew News page.(10-13-2010)

California Dreamin’ for The Hartford 200 National Winner: The perks keep coming for Laura Burba of Pineville, N.C., who was recently crowned the national winner of The Hartford 200, a program from The Hartford that celebrates the deep connection that Americans have with their cars and their personal stories from the road. On Sept. 22, Richard Childress Racing driver Clint Bowyer surprised Burba with a new Chevrolet Equinox in a special event held outside the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. This weekend, The Hartford, Bowyer and his No. 33 team will serve as hosts for the 68-year old and her husband, Roger, as they enjoy a VIP race experience in Fontana, Calif. This will be the couple’s first experience at a race track. Burba’s essay detailed how important her car is to her, as she drives a group of retiree tap dancers called the MsSteps to multiple weekly performances at senior centers and events across the region. She beat out four other national finalists selected from thousands of entries. Sunday will mark The Hartford’s third Sprint Cup Series race as primary sponsor of the #33 Richard Childress Racing team this year. The other primaries where at Darlington (May 8) and Pocono (Aug. 1). The Hartford is also an associate sponsor for the remaining 2010 events, as well as an associate sponsor for Bowyer’s RCR teammate, #31-Jeff Burton.(Catalyst)(10-10-2010)

Miller serving as Bowyer's crew chief: Richard Childress Racing's Director of Competition Scott Miller is now listed as crew chief for #33-Clint Bowyer this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. He is expected to serve that position until Shane Wilson's 4 race suspension is over.(10-7-2010)

National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel Statement - #33 Penalty Upheld, adjustments made: Following an appeal hearing earlier today in Concord, N.C., the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer has upheld the penalty for the #33 Chevy in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, with the following revisions:
Crew chief Shane Wilson’s fine has been reduced from $150,000 to $100,000 and Wilson and car chief.
Chad Haney’s race suspensions have been lowered from six to four. Both are suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 3 and are on probation until Dec. 31.
The loss of 150 championship owner and driver points remains intact.
The #33 car was penalized by NASCAR on Sept. 22 as a result of rule infractions discovered during post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center following the Sept. 19 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Specifically, the car body location specifications in reference to the certified chassis did not meet NASCAR-approved specifications of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book. “After reviewing all the data, presentation and factors involved, I am ruling NASCAR was correct in its decision to levy penalties,” said John Middlebrook, the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer who presided over the hearing. “I believe that the revisions that have been made to the penalties are consistent and fair to both parties involved.” – John Middlebrook, National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate.(NASCAR)(10-5-2010)
UPDATE - Richard Childress Racing Statement: The following is a statement from Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing, regarding the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer's final ruling on the penalty of the #33 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team following the September 19 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
"I'm disappointed that the results are not what we wanted, but I feel we received a fair hearing today. The final step in the appeals process is very good, and I can assure you we would not have taken our case to the chief appellate officer if the first step in the process had been as fair as today's. I want to thank all of the fans for their support. I'm proud to be a part of this sport and proud to represent RCR's partners. We all need to put this behind us and get back to racing. There are seven races remaining in the Chase, and Richard Childress Racing will continue our focus on winning the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship."(RCR)(10-5-2010)

Clint Bowyer's final appeal Tuesday [today]: The final appeal on the penalties given to #33-Clint Bowyer's Sprint Cup team following his win in the Chase opener at New Hampshire will be heard on Tuesday. It will be the first ruling for NASCAR's new chief appellate officer, John Middlebrook. The National Stock Car Racing Commission voted 3-0 against the initial appeal made by Richard Childress Racing last Wednesday at NASCAR's Research and Development Center in Concord. Team owner Richard Childress insisted he had proof that Bowyer's car was out of tolerance because of a push from a wrecker after running out of gas following the victory burnout. He immediately paid the cost of the final appeal to be heard by Middlebrook, who took over as the chief appellate officer this year. Bowyer was fined 150 points and crew chief Shane Wilson was suspended for six weeks and fined $150,000, although he has yet to sit out a race while the process is under appeal. Childress hopes reconstruction analyst Dr. Charles Manning will be able to sway Middlebrook where he couldn't the commission.(ESPN)(10-5-2010)

Analyst critical of NASCAR's logic UPDATE NASCAR responds: The reconstruction analyst who testified that Clint Bowyer's New Hampshire Sprint Cup car was knocked out of tolerance by a wrecker labeled NASCAR's arguments against his findings as nonsense. Dr. Charles Manning of Raleigh, N.C.-based Accident Reconstruction Analysis said two tests of a wrecker pushing a car set up the same as Bowyer's winning #33 in the Chase opener showed the left rear end moved upward 40 thousandths of one inch. Testifying Wednesday on behalf of Richard Childress Racing, Manning told the National Stock Car Racing Commission that heard the appeal that his scientific study "clearly" explains the 39,000th of an inch NASCAR told RCR officials the car was beyond tolerances.
"They came out this morning and claimed it was negated by the telemetry which didn't show a very sharp impact," Manning said Thursday. "We didn't have any sharp impact, either. We pushed it easily. They said the visual inspection of the car showed nothing in the way of damage. Well, after we got through testing none of the cars showed anything of note or damage. They said the visual inspection of the postrace push showed they pushed very gentle. We pushed more gentle ... between six and 10 miles per hour. So what they said was a bunch of malarkey." Manning said the only way he can have more exact data than what he collected during the reconstruction at Charlotte Motor Speedway using a duplicate of Bowyer's car and a wrecker similar to the one at New Hampshire is to inspect the car in violation. He said NASCAR has not let him or RCR officials look at the car. "All we get from them is the stuff from behind closed doors," said Manning, whose company helped CMS win its case when a pedestrian bridge collapsed after a race in 2000. "I've been doing this for 45 years. When we go to court I've got photos and measurements. We haven't seen any photos. We haven't seen any measurements." NASCAR officials said they can't release specific data used to defend their case until the final appeal is heard.(full story and quotes at ESPN.com)(10-1-2010)
UPDATE: NASCAR is disputing allegations by Richard Childress Racing’s top witness that the team was prevented from examining Clint Bowyer’s Chevrolet in the days following his disputed win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. NASCAR’s Managing Director of Corporate Communications Ramsey Poston bristled at those accusations Saturday at Kansas Speedway, calling them “patently untrue.” After consulting with Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton and Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby, Poston said, “Dr. Manning never asked to see the car at any time.” Poston also revealed that Richard Childress Racing was free to examine the car “anytime they want” and was well aware of that open-door policy.(Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway)(10-4-2010)

Bowyer comments on appeal loss: Clint Bowyer, #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy met with members of the media at Kansas Speedway on Friday and discussed the appeal decision, the transcript in part:
Q) WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE DECISION BY THE APPEALS COMMITTEE AND DID YOUR FANS ASK YOU ABOUT IT?:
Bowyer: “Everyone of them, obviously they’re your fans and everyone of them supports you on it and wish you the best. Just like anybody else, they don’t understand, you know. I’ll just save everybody’s breath in asking me. Here’s my answer to that – I’m very disappointed, not surprised at all. I’ll just leave it at that. I’m looking forward to getting that behind me. This is an important weekend. I made some mistakes on the track last week that were uncharacteristic of myself, we made some mistakes as a team that were uncharacteristic and our heads weren’t 100 percent in the game. I don’t want this mess to bother us anymore. I’m at my home track, I’m having fun and that’s what I aim to do.”
Q) DO YOU STILL THINK YOU CAN GET IN THE CHASE BEING 235 POINTS BEHIND THE LEADER AT THIS POINT?:
Bowyer: “No, I think the championship hopes are done for myself. The thing that I have to do is be the best teammate I can be. We have to bring a championship home. We still have two shots at that, but for myself and our race team, I’ve never finished out of the top-five in the Chase and I want to continue that streak and want to continue that consistency in the Chase and I think that’s an attainable goal. The biggest thing is to be the best teammate I can be.”
Q) WOULDN’T IT BE EASY TO TEAR A TEAM APART AS A DRIVER IN THIS SITUATION?:
Bowyer: “Absolutely and that’s what I’m trying to say is I’m not going to let that happen. I’ve told Richard (Childress, team owner), it’s not worth fighting. In my opinion, their (NASCAR) minds are made up, it is what it is and if you want to be a part of this great thing we call a sport, you better just go on and enjoy what it is. He’s fighting hard and I’m proud of the case that they put together. I think they worked very hard on it, they put a lot of time and energy and money into presenting a case that could prove less than a 16th of an inch how that car could be out. At the end of the day, if you’re going to pick that, it is what it is.”(Team Chevy)(10-2-2010)

RCR Statement Regarding NASCAR Penalty Appeal Ruling: The following is a statement from Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing, regarding the September 29 decision of the NASCAR appeals committee to uphold the penalty on the #33 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team following the September 19 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
"I am disappointed but not surprised by the decision knowing how the appeal system is structured. We proved beyond a reasonable doubt how the car was found to be out of tolerance after the race. Knowing how the system works, I brought a check with me to cover the cost of the appeal hearing and we have already submitted our request to appeal to the chief appellate officer. That being said, we will not let this be a distraction to the primary goal of one of our teams winning the Sprint Cup Series championship. We owe it to our fans and our sponsors to stay focused and bring the championship back to RCR. We will have no further comment on the matter until the appeal is final."(RCR)
STATEMENT: See info on the appeal and the full NASCAR response / release to the penalty on my 2010 Penalty News Page.(9-30-2010)

RCR Statement Regarding NASCAR Penalty Appeal Ruling: The following is a statement from Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing, regarding the September 29 decision of the NASCAR appeals committee to uphold the penalty on the #33 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team following the September 19 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
"I am disappointed but not surprised by the decision knowing how the appeal system is structured. We proved beyond a reasonable doubt how the car was found to be out of tolerance after the race. Knowing how the system works, I brought a check with me to cover the cost of the appeal hearing and we have already submitted our request to appeal to the chief appellate officer. That being said, we will not let this be a distraction to the primary goal of one of our teams winning the Sprint Cup Series championship. We owe it to our fans and our sponsors to stay focused and bring the championship back to RCR. We will have no further comment on the matter until the appeal is final."(RCR)
STATEMENT: See info on the appeal and the full NASCAR response / release to the penalty on my 2010 Penalty News Page.(9-30-2010)

NASCAR Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel Statement: On September 29, 2010, the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel heard and considered the appeal of Richard Childress Racing regarding four penalties issued by NASCAR relative to the #33 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car. This stemmed from post-race inspection following a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Raceway on September 21, 2010.

The penalties concern Section 12-1 of the NASCAR Rule Book “Actions detrimental to stock car racing.”; Section 12-4-J: “Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the Race Equipment used in the Event does not conform to NASCAR Rules”; and Section 20-3: “The car body location specifications in reference to the certified chassis does not meet the NASCAR-approved specifications.”

The penalties assessed were:

-Loss of 150 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Car Owner points for owner, Richard Childress

-Loss of 150 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Driver points for driver, Clint Bowyer

-$150,000 fine; suspension from the next six (6) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Events; suspension from NASCAR until November 3, 2010; and probation until December 31, 2010 for crew chief Shane Wilson

- Suspension from the next six (6) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Events; suspension from NASCAR until November 3, 2010; and probation until December 31, 2010 for crew member Chad Haney

The Appellants requested and were granted a deferral of the suspensions and fine until such time as this hearing could be convened.

The Appellants did not contest that the car measured out of specifications upon inspection.

The Appellants argued that, having received a warning about the car body of the #33 car being “too close” following the Richmond race, that it was inconceivable that they would bring a non-conforming car to New Hampshire.

They argued that the left rear frame member was actually bent upward as a result of the car being pushed towards Victory Lane by a wrecker after the post-race burnouts, which resulted in the left rear measurement “hard point” being too high. To this end, they also presented an accident reconstruction specialist to demonstrate that a wrecker might bend up the left rear strut in the trunk under certain conditions. The specialists, however, indicated that such an occurrence would strictly affect the left rear because of the match-up between the wrecker pushbar and the angle of the racecar’s rear bumper. He went on to say that the corresponding right rear measurements should not be affected, in his view, nor the frame member deformed as a team representative had alleged.

The Appellants also contested the severity and timing of the penalty.

Claims that the wrecker caused the infraction were negated by the telemetry from the car which did not show a sharp impact spike; by the fact that the rear template still fit snugly across the entire rear of the car; by a visual inspection of the rear of the car which showed nothing of note in the way of damage; and a visual review of the videotape of post race assistance tendered by the wrecker which appeared as relatively gentle pushing.

Of significance to the Panel were some additional facts which came to light during the hearing. Particularly of note were the facts that both rear hard points, left and right, were high, and that the rear of the body was offset on the frame.

The Panel found that the penalties were consistent for infractions of this magnitude.

Therefore, it is the unanimous decision of the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel to uphold the original penalties.

The periods of suspension shall be adjusted from the date of the hearing.

The Appellants have the right under Section 15 of the Rule Book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer. The Appellants submitted such a request and the fee immediately after the conclusion of the hearing.

John Capels
Lyn St James
Waddell Wilson
George Silbermann - Appellate Administrator and non-voting member.(NASCAR)(9-29-2010)

RCR's appeal of #33 penalty denied: The National Stock Car Racing Commission on Wednesday upheld NASCAR's punishment for the Sprint Cup team of Clint Bowyer. The governing body penalized Bowyer 150 points because the car that won the Chase opener at New Hampshire didn't meet specifications. Crew chief Shane Wilson was suspended for six weeks and fined $150,000. Richard Childress was docked 150 owner points. Childress said he was disappointed in the decision and plans to appeal to chief appellate officer John Middleton, who will have the final say. No date was given for that appeal. "We have proof," Childress said.
Childress brought in Dr. Charles Manning, who owns Accident Reconstruction Analysis in Raleigh, N.C. Manning said he has no doubt that Bowyer's car was knocked out of tolerance the sixty-thousands of an inch that NASCAR claimed by the wrecker that pushed it after it ran out of gas following the win. Manning said he duplicated the incident with a wrecker and car of the same specifications.
"They [the commission] paid no attention, which says something about what's going on in there," said Manning, noting his company, founded in 1979, has been used many times to prove cause in a court of law. "What we brought was positive proof that the damage was caused by the tow truck pushing the car." Manning was whisked away before further comment.
Bowyer had moved from 12th to second in points with the victory that ended an 88-race losing streak. The penalty knocked him from 35 points behind leader Denny Hamlin to 12th and 185 out. He finished 25th this past weekend at Dover to fall to 235 points out.
The three-member commission made its ruling after meeting with RCR and NASCAR officials at the Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. The five-hours of deliberation took so long that Childress placed a sign in a window that said, "Order Pizza & Budweiser." Bowyer's team and Richard Childress Racing were warned on Tuesday after the car that finished sixth at Richmond to clinch a spot in the Chase barely passes inspection. The New Hampshire car passed post-race inspection at the track, but upon further review at the R&D Center they discovered issues with the back end tolerances. Childress claimed the illegal tolerance -- the car was too high in the back -- was the result of Bowyer's car being pushed by a wrecker.(ESPN)(9-29-2010)

RCR makes case for Clint Bowyer: Richard Childress Racing is arguing to have #33-Clint Bowyer's 150-point penalty reversed before a NASCAR appeals committee. Bowyer and his RCR team were penalized last week when the car Bowyer drove to victory at New Hampshire failed inspection. The win came in the opening race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship and pushed Bowyer to second in the standings, 35 points behind leader Denny Hamlin. The penalty dropped Bowyer to 12th in the standings, and he trails Hamlin by 235 points with eight Chase races remaining. RCR is appealing the decision to the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel [today]. The appeal is a longshot. According to NASCAR, of the 132 appeals heard in the past decade, 92 of those decisions were upheld. Only 10 penalties were overturned.(ESPN/AP)(9-29-2010)

RCR appeal to be heard on Wednesday: UPDATE: According to a tweet by Ramsey Poston, NASCAR's Communications Manger, "Appeal hearing for the #33 team is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 29.(9-25-2010)
UPDATE: According to NASCAR, since 1999 there have been 132 appeals of penalties. The outcome? 88 were upheld (66%), 42 were reduced or overturned (32%) and 2 were increased (2%).(9-25-2010)

Bowyer and Childress respond to penalty: #33-Clint Bowyer came to the Dover International Speedway media center red-in-the-face fired up Friday. He came with a piece of yellow legal pad paper filled with notes he wrote at 6 a.m. and a quarter that he pulled from his pocket to show just how far NASCAR claimed his car was off after Sunday's victory at New Hampshire. He came to say he was wronged. But not everybody agreed. "This is not two weeks old," #11-Denny Hamlin pointed out sometime after Bowyer reminded us that Hamlin's car and Jimmie Johnson's car had to go through tech twice at New Hampshire before passing height inspection. "They were warned, and they were warned before Richmond. Everyone in the garage knows that. They [Bowyer's team] wanted to get everything they could. You can't fault them for that." A lot of people still want to know what NASCAR is talking about. A lot of people still are angry. People are wondering: If Bowyer's car can be found sixty-thousandths of an inch beyond the tolerances the governing body allows, how many other "illegal" cars are there in the garage? Crew chiefs up and down the garage will agree they're pushing the tolerances. They'll tell you that if more cars were taken to the R&D center, there'd be a lot more penalties. They'll also tell you they're paid to push the envelope. There's a lot of gray here. And when you consider that the # 33 team had been warned, that owner Richard Childress gave everybody what Bowyer called a "butt chewing" before New Hampshire, that the team was told the car would come back to the R&D center for review regardless of what it did at New Hampshire, then you're at least left wondering whether something happened to create this. Richard Childress claims the violation could have been the result of the tow truck pushing the car to the garage after it ran out of gas during a victory burnout. Bowyer on his yellow paper noted that possibility, as well as hard knocks by Tony Stewart during the race and the congratulatory bump by Dale Earnhardt Jr. afterward. Could that have happened to Bowyer's car? NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton hasn't seen such a case in his 30 or so years in the sport. He defends NASCAR's decision and the inspection process, saying there's no reason to bring 12 Chase cars or all 43 cars home for inspection. If Bowyer were king, he might blow up the R&D center. "I don't like the R&D center," he said. "I think what you bring to the racetrack is what they inspect." He went on to say that the cars are torn down at R&D to the point that they don't resemble what's on the track.(ESPN.com)(9-24-2010)

NASCAR won’t inspect more Chase cars after races: NASCAR has considered taking all 12 Chase For The Sprint Cup cars following each race for more thorough inspections, but hasn't seen widespread issues that would require such extensive follow-up, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Friday. NASCAR takes the race-winning car and at least one other car to its research and development center in North Carolina after every race to make sure the car and how the body sits on the frame meets NASCAR regulations. It was in that inspection at the research and the development center that it found the race-winning car of Clint Bowyer to be illegal on Wednesday, three days after he won the first Chase race at New Hampshire. The failure of his car has prompted talk that NASCAR should take more Chase cars, and possibly all 12, following each event in the Chase. "We've done several hundred cars, and if a team has an issue, problem or [is] headed in the wrong direction, we talk about it and they go fix the problem," Pemberton said prior to practice Friday at Dover International Speedway. "We haven't had anything [illegal] in almost two years and that was light sheet metal. We haven't really had a problem. … If someday it winds up being there, fine. But right now our processes work quite well. We feel like the majority of the garage has done things correctly. From time to time, we find things that are not out of the box but are to the zero-margin. It hasn't been an epidemic in any way shape or form." The equipment used to conduct the complicated frame inspections cannot easily be moved to the track and that's one of the reasons why it is done at the research center. The plates the cars sit on during the inspection weigh thousands pounds and all of the equipment would need to be recalibrated if moved off site, Pemberton said. He said there are no plans to try to do those inspections at the Chase-determining race at Richmond nor the season finale at Homestead.(Scene Daily)(9-24-2010)

Wilson staying as crew chief during appeal: Shane Wilson will remain #33-Clint Bowyer's crew chief "for as long as he can," a Richard Childress Racing official said Friday at Dover. Wilson was suspended for six weeks and fined $150,000, and Bowyer was fined 150 points after NASCAR ruled the car that won last Sunday's Chase opener at New Hampshire did not meet specifications. Team owner Richard Childress announced he plans to appeal the decision, which means Wilson can remain the crew chief until the appeal is heard. NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton expects an appeal to be heard next week. (ESPN.com)(9-24-2010)

BB&T on the #33 at Dover: The burgundy, white and gold paint scheme of BB&T, the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based corporation, will adorn Bowyer's #33 Chevy for this weekend's AAA 400.(RCR), see an image of the car on my #33 team paint schemes page.(9-23-2010)

NASCAR looking at Bowyer’s New Hampshire car: UPDATES: Two people familiar with the inspection process say NASCAR is taking a closer look at Clint Bowyer's race-winning car from New Hampshire. The #33 Chevy passed its initial inspection following Sunday's victory, but the people familiar with the situation say NASCAR discovered issues with the car in a more thorough inspection at its research and development center. They requested anonymity because the car is still being inspected. On Tuesday, NASCAR told RCR officials that Bowyer's chase-clinching car from Richmond came very close to failing inspection. Though NASCAR does not typically strip wins from drivers, a car that fails inspection would lead to a significant points penalty. Bowyer's wins pushed him to second from 12th in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, 35 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.(Associated Press/ESPN.com)(9-22-2010)
UPDATE: NASCAR has issued penalties, suspensions and fines as a result of rules infractions discovered this week during post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center following last Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The #33 team was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-3 (car body location specifications in reference to the certified chassis did not meet NASCAR-approved specifications) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book. As a result, crew chief Shane Wilson has been fined $150,000, suspended from the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Car chief Chad Haney has also been suspended from the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Driver Clint Bowyer and owner Richard Childress have been penalized with the loss of 150 championship driver and owner points, respectively. (NASCAR), the penalty drops Bowyer from 2nd in the driver point standings to 12th.(9-22-2010)
UPDATE 2: RCR Statement: "First of all, I'd like to apologize to our sponsors, our fans and everyone at RCR for the situation that has resulted from this ruling. RCR has a long-standing reputation of integrity on and off the race track. We pride ourselves on working within the rules established by the sanctioning body. NASCAR informed us after the Richmond race that we were very close to their maximum tolerances. They also told us they were going to take our New Hampshire car to the NASCAR Technical Center after that race. It doesn't make any sense at all that we would send a car to New Hampshire that wasn't within NASCAR's tolerances. I am confident we fixed the area of concern and the New Hampshire car left the race shop well within the tolerances required by NASCAR. We feel certain that the cause of the car being out of tolerance by sixty thousandths of an inch, less than 1/16 of an inch, happened as a result of the wrecker hitting the rear bumper when it pushed the car into winner's circle. The rear bumper was also hit on the cool down lap by other drivers congratulating Clint on his victory. That's the only logical way that the left-rear of the car was found to be high at the tech center. We will appeal NASCAR's ruling and take it all the way to the NASCAR commissioner for a final ruling, if need be."(RCR)(9-22-2010)

Bowyer's Crew Wins Tissot Pit Road Award at New Hampshire: Clint Bowyer's pit crew won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday's Sylvania 300 Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The #33 team out of the Richard Childress Racing stable also won the race with Bowyer claiming victory in the first of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. Bowyer's Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet spent the least amount of time at the Loudon, N.H. track -139.513 seconds. Bowyer's crew consists of: Jason Pulver (front-tire changer), Austin Craven (front-tire carrier), Dustin Necaise (rear-tire changer), Matt Kreuter (rear-tire carrier), Nick Terry (jackman), Bryan Smith (gasman) and Chad Haney (catch can). Shane Wilson is the crew chief and Matt Clark is the pit crew coach. The weekly-winning crew receives $5,000 from Tissot plus a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver. With nine Sprint Cup races remaining in the 2010 season, Jeff Gordon's No. 24 crew leads the Tissot standings with four wins. The crews for #17-Matt Kenseth and #1-Jamie McMurray are tied for second with three wins.(Tissot)(9-22-2010)

NASCAR warns RCR about Bowyer's Richmond car: NASCAR warned Richard Childress Racing that Clint Bowyer's car came close to failing inspection after his Chase-clinching drive at Richmond. NASCAR scheduled a Tuesday meeting with RCR officials to go over the #33 Chevy and determine if the team had not made a mistake in its own calculations. "They were in the box, but getting close to some of the tolerances and we asked them to come in to see if they aren't getting off on one of their build sheets," NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton told The Associated Press. "We have had their cars in quite a bit, and they were always spot-on. This one just seemed to be different, and we felt we owed it to them to make sure they just aren't off in one area." Bowyer's car was chosen by NASCAR for random inspection following his sixth-place finish at the Sept. 11 race. The run gave him the 12th and final spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, which began Sunday in New Hampshire. But as his team celebrated the victory, rival teams began to gossip about a potential problem with Bowyer's car from the week before. NASCAR on Tuesday confirmed that once the car got back to its North Carolina research and development center, it was discovered that the back end of the Chevy was very close to the mandated tolerance levels. NASCAR still has the car in its possession, and won't give it back to RCR until the team meets with the sanctioning body. Even if Bowyer's car had failed inspection, it wouldn't have changed the Chase field. The penalty for failed inspections runs anywhere from 50-to-100 points, and Bowyer had a 142-point cushion over Ryan Newman at the end of the Richmond race.(Associated Press/ESPN)(9-21-2010)

Bowyer repeats: If #33-Clint Bowyer is experiencing some deja vu, he needs to look no further than three years ago for the reason why. Bowyer leaped from 12th to second in 2007 after a win at New Hampshire. He went on to finish third in the Chase.(Concord Monitor)(9-20-2010)

Bowyer wins at New Hampshire: #33-Clint Bowyer won the Sylvania 300 Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for his 1st win of 2010 and 3rd of his career. #14-Stewart led with 2 laps to go and ran out of gas, coasting to 24th. #11-Hamlin finished second followed by #1-McMurray, #88-Earnhardt Jr., #29-Harvick, #24-Gordon, #00-Reutimann, #39-Newman, #18-Busch and #77-Hornish Jr. Pole sitter #12-Keselowski finished 18th.
The win is the first for a car #33 since Joe Nemechek won at Rockingham in Nov 2001, the 21st win for the car #33. It is the first win for sponsor Cherrios since it came in to the sport with Roush Racing on the #26 car, moved to the #43 car from 2000-2008, and came to RCR's #33 starting in the 2009 season.
There were 21 lead changes among 8 drivers and 8 cautions for 34 yellow flag laps. The attendance was reported at 95,000, down from last years 101,000.
Scheduled Race Re-Airs are ESPN2, Monday, September 20 at 3:30am; and SPEED, Wednesday, September 22 at 12:00pm/et.
See race results, awards, laps led and more on Jayski's New Hampshire Race Results/Awards page.
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(9-19-2010)

Menard moving to Richard Childress Racing: UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing and Menards, the third-largest home improvement company in the United States, have signed a multi-year partnership agreement for the Eau Claire, Wisconsin-based company to become the primary sponsor of RCR's fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team beginning in 2011 with driver Paul Menard. "Paul has developed into a very good race car driver, and we see his move to RCR next year as an opportunity for him to continue that progress," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "At the same time, we feel Paul will contribute to the continued progress and success of RCR. Paul will fit in perfectly with our team of drivers at RCR, and they are all looking forward to working with him. We're also very proud to be aligned with Menards, one of the great family business success stories in American history." Further announcements about the program will be forthcoming.(RCR)(8-11-2010)
UPDATE: Richard Petty Motorsports issued the following statement in regards to the announcement that Paul Menard, driver of the #98 Menards Ford, will depart the team in 2011. "We have enjoyed having Paul Menard and the Menard family as a part of the Richard Petty Motorsports team this season," said NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Richard Petty. "Paul is in the middle of his best season of competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and we feel like our strong commitment to him and that team in addition to the great support from Ford Racing has been a major part of that," added Foster Gillett, managing partner and team owner. "With 14 races to go, we expect the #98 team to finish just as strong as it started this year."(RPM)(8-11-2010)

4th team for RCR? Menard? UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing is looking at possible expansion to four teams in the Sprint Cup Series in 2011 and is in the process of finalizing a deal to run next year's Nationwide Series program through Kevin Harvick Inc. Team owner Richard Childress said an announcement on the deal with KHI should be made soon. The plan is for RCR to supply engines to KHI for the Nationwide program and for RCR to field two teams in the Truck Series where Childress' grandson, Austin Dillon, drives the #3. RCR Cup drivers Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick would run KHI cars when in the Nationwide Series. Childress would not comment on speculation that Paul Menard, who drives for Richard Petty Motorsports, would be his fourth driver. But he did say that a fourth team is a possibility. "We're looking at it," Childress said Sunday at Pocono Raceway. RCR had four teams in 2009, but returned to three this season after sponsorship for the fourth team and Casey Mears could not be found. Menard would bring the family business, Menard's, with him as a sponsor if he made the move. RPM does not have a deal with Menard for 2011, but has been in talks with Marcos Ambrose to drive either the #9 being vacated by Kasey Kahne or #19 currently driven by Elliott Sadler. Team officials are optimistic that AJ Allmendinger will be back in the #43 next season even though Allmendinger has talked to other teams.(ESPN)(8-1-2010)
UPDATE: Frontstretch is reporting #98-Paul Menard has agreed in principle to move to Richard Childress Racing for 2011. Sponsorship would continue to come from his father’s company, Menards, with a car number and crew chief to be announced. No word on an official announcement yet from either side, but the team would expand to four cars while retaining their current driver lineup of #31-Jeff Burton, #29-Kevin Harvick, and #33-Clint Bowyer.(Frontstretch)(8-5-2010)

‘Survivor' winner teams up with Bowyer: There may be one person who can offer “survival” pointers to the Chase drivers currently on the bubble heading into this weekend’s race at Pocono Raceway -- Tom Westman, the winner of Season 10 of CBS’ reality television series, “Survivor: Palau” along with its $1 million prize. This past season, Westman, 46, a former 20-year FDNY Lieutenant, reprised his “hero” role participating in “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.” Now, The Hartford employee and Long Island native will put his skills to the test Sunday in an attempt to survive his latest challenge – “Survivor: Pocono” – serving as an honorary pit crew member of The Hartford No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and driver Clint Bowyer, who currently sits in the 12th and final position in the points standings.(Catalyst PR)(7-31-2010)

Wheaties Fuel on the #33 at Indy: Clint Bowyer and the #33 team will bring a specially painted black and orange Wheaties-FUEL themed Chevy to Indianapolis. Wheaties FUEL, the breakfast for champions, by champions, was developed in 2009 with the help of Peyton Manning, triathlete Hunter Kemper, Kevin Garnett, gold medal-winning decathlete Bryan Clay, Albert Pujos and sports nutritionist Dr. John Ivey.(RCR PR),see an image of the car on my #33 team paint scheme page.(7-22-2010)

Zaxby's to Sponsor Bowyer at NHMS: Zaxby's,the southeast favorite for Buffalo wings and chicken fingers, will sponsor Richard Childress Racing's #33 Chevy, with driver Clint Bowyer, in the June 27 LENOX Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. Zaxby's is also a primary sponsor of RCR's #21 Chevy in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. "Involvement at the Sprint Cup level is an excellent opportunity for Zaxby's to connect with NASCAR fans," said Jeff Hood, financial projects manager for Zaxby's Franchising, Inc. "Zaxby's is looking forward to being onboard with Clint and RCR's No. 33 Chevrolet in New Hampshire." The #33 will return to its primary Cheerios/Hamburger Helper paint scheme next week for the July 3 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.(RCR), see an image of the scheme on my #33 Team Schemes page.(6-21-2010)

RCR Street Performance Group Unveiled: Pennzoil announced the start of the “Get Your Key to Clean” promotion to celebrate the launch of Pennzoil’s best cleansing portfolio of products ever. The promotional sweepstakes provides consumers the opportunity to win a VIP weekend at the Bank of America 500 in October, as well as a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS2, a piece of automotive history, the first vehicle produced by the newly formed RCR Street Performance Group. The special edition 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS2 is the first of its kind and has been up-fitted and enhanced with numerous performance upgrades that are befitting one of the most successful NASCAR teams, Richard Childress Racing, and the maker of some of the most technologically advanced motor oils available, Pennzoil®. Additions to the vehicle include a carbon fiber body kit to increase downforce and performance, a completely reupholstered interior using the iconic colors of Pennzoil® and RCR, and a completely revamped suspension and supercharged engine for NASCAR-inspired performance. More info on the promtion at RCR's website.(RCR/Pennzoil PR)(5-30-2010)

RCR: no plans to swap sponsors: Team owner Richard Childress says his organization doesn’t plan on moving sponsorships around among his three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams as it attempts to find a replacement for Shell/Pennzoil. “We’ve done that in the past,” Childress said Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “[But] we don’t have any plans to [do that].” Shell’s departure at season’s end to join Penske Racing leaves Childress searching for funding for the group’s #29 Chevrolet, driven by Kevin Harvick. General Mills currently sponsors teammate Clint Bowyer, through its Cheerios brand, while Caterpillar provides backing for the #31 of driver Jeff Burton. At least one potential scenario mentioned following the Shell announcement dealt with moving Cheerios to Harvick and attempting to obtain a sponsor, such as Budweiser, for Bowyer. In addition to Cheerios, Bowyer has additional sponsorship from BB&T and The Hartford. Budweiser currently sponsors Richard Petty Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne, but with Kahne departing for Hendrick Motorsports, it’s not known whether Budweiser will remain at RPM or go elsewhere. “I think General Mills is happy with Clint,” Childress said. “Clint is happy driving the Cheerios car. There are a lot of different rumors swirling [around]. We’re working with a lot of different companies right now, some new companies that aren’t in the sport. We’ve been getting a lot of positive response about the future with Kevin and RCR.”(SceneDaily)(5-30-2010)

RCR/ECR Employees to Distribute Donations to Nashville Relief Effort: Employees of Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines will deliver and help distribute donated cleaning supplies May 25 for residents of the Nashville, Tenn., area who were adversely affected by last month's devastating flooding. An RCR Promotions show car trailer filled with donated cleaning supplies departed Monday from RCR headquarters in Welcome, N.C., headed for Cat Financial headquarters in Nashville. Tuesday morning, May 25, nearly two dozen RCR and ECR Engines employees will fly from Smith-Reynolds Airport, in Winston-Salem, to Nashville International Airport. The group will meet and divide the cleaning supplies at Cat Financial before making stops at United Way distribution centers in the area. RCR began collecting donations May 13 at the RCR Museum. "We wanted to do more than just drop off a trailer full of cleaning supplies in Nashville," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "People's lives were turned upside down by the flooding so we wanted to join our partners at Cat Financial to do something personal that shows how much we care. I want to thank everyone who donated and I'm very proud of all of the RCR and ECR employees who are helping distribute those supplies." Cleaning supplies collected over the past two weeks included bleach, scouring pads, dust masks, work gloves, heavy duty trash bags, paper towels, insect repellent and hand sanitizer.(RCR)(5-25-2010)

Wheaties Fuel Makes Introduction into Motorsports: Wheaties Fuel, Clint Bowyer and the #33 Richard Childress Racing team are hoping that new colors will help fuel them to a win in Indianapolis this summer. Today, the team announced that a black and orange Wheaties Fuel-themed #33 Chevrolet will be the primary colors for driver Clint Bowyer during the annual Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 25. This is the first time that Wheaties Fuel will be a primary sponsor in the Cup Series. “Wheaties FUEL was engineered to deliver long-lasting energy,” said David Clark, vice president for Wheaties. “It’s a perfect match to bring the Wheaties Fuel colors to Indianapolis this summer to help Bowyer and the #33 team compete in one of the most prestigious races of the season.” Wheaties Fuel, which was developed with the help of Peyton Manning, triathlete Hunter Kemper, Kevin Garnett, gold medal-winning decathlete Bryan Clay, Albert Pujols and sports nutritionist Dr. John Ivy, was designed to help meet the nutritional needs of today’s champion athletes. “RCR was honored to run a Wheaties paint scheme on the #3 car in 1997, and we’re equally honored to have Clint Bowyer run the Wheaties Fuel scheme on the #33 this year,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “It’s great to be connected with such an iconic brand, creating a new identity with a new generation.”
“Indianapolis is one of the most historic venues in all of motorsports, where only the best of the best have earned victories,” said RCR driver Clint Bowyer. “Everyone in the garage wants to win this race. The #33 team, fueled by Wheaties Fuel, is prepared to give it their all so we can be the ones kissing the bricks after the checkered flag waves.” For more information on Wheaties and the Wheaties FUEL evolution visit www.Wheaties.com.(General Mills/RCR PR), see images of the scheme on my #33 Team Schemes page.(5-17-2010)

Clint Bowyer trades in racing helmet for hard hat: Richard Childress Racing (RCR) driver #33-Clint Bowyer traded in his racing helmet for a hard hat on Thursday, when he joined Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and city street repair crews to help fill potholes on a stretch of roadway as part of a community initiative by the driver’s associate sponsor, The Hartford Financial Services Group. “The Hartford Pothole Patrol” is a program designed to help create a smoother commute for Dallas-area residents. Clint Bowyer, who is in town to compete in this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS), along with The Hartford executive, Alison Clark, presented the mayor with a The Hartford-branded #33 hard hat to kick off the event in a ceremony at City Hall Plaza. From there, Clint Bowyer and one repair crew traveled to their first stop, where the NASCAR driver received instruction, then with hard hat on and Jackhammer in hand, went to work. Bowyer helped the crew fill the potholes, including putting the finishing touches on the freshly-laid asphalt by utilizing the sealing machine. The Hartford, which donated the funds for materials, labor and time for all of the city’s repair crews for the day, is the primary sponsor of RCR’s #33 Chevy for three races this season, as well as an associate sponsor for all remaining 2010 events.(Catalyst PR), see images of the #33 Hartford schemes on my #33 Team Schemes page.(4-16-2010)

Wheaties scheme for Bowyer at Indy: #33-Clint Bowyer is scheduled to run a Wheaties Fuel paint scheme at Indy in the Brickyard 400 on July 25th. General Mills [also makes Cheerios] launched Wheaties Fuel earlier this year, considered the next evolution of Wheaties. See an image of the scheme on my #33 Team Schemes page.(4-13-2010)

Bowyer’s Crew Wins Tissot Pit Road Award in Martinsville: Clint Bowyer’s over-the-wall crew won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Monday’s rain-delayed (March 29) Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the historic Martinsville Speedway. The #33 crew helped Bowyer reach a seventh-place finish at the .526 mile paper clip-shaped oval, the shortest racetrack on the Sprint Cup schedule. Bowyer’s BB&T Chevrolet Impala spent the least amount of time on pit road – 329.414 seconds – during the 508-lap overtime race. Carl Edwards’ #99 Aflac Ford Fusion was second (331.563) and Jeff Gordon’s #24 DuPont Chevrolet was third (332.340). Bowyer’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Jason Pulver (front-tire changer), Austin Craven (front-tire carrier), Dustin Necaise (rear-tire changer), Matt Kreuter (rear-tire carrier), Nick Terry (jackman), Bryan Smith (gasman) and Chad Haney (catch can). The team’s pit crew coach is Matt Clark. The winning pit crew in each Sprint Cup race will earn $5,000 and a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver. After six races Martin Truex Jr.’s #56 crew leads the Tissot standings with two wins. Four teams are tied for second with one win.(Tissot)(3-31-2010)

Childress spends time in Washington D.C.: Team [#29, #31, #33] owner Richard Childress spent the better part of March 2-3 in Washington, D.C. Childress, a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s board of directors, attended a March 2 dinner hosted by the bipartisan organization. On March 3, he had a full schedule of morning and afternoon meetings with members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives on behalf of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma. Childress then attended the sixth Annual Armed Forces Foundation Congressional Gala that evening with drivers Bowyer and Burton before flying home to North Carolina.(RCR)(3-4-2010)

New colors for Bowyer at Atlanta, visits plant: Clint Bowyer’s Chevy will sport new colors this weekend when the burgundy, white and gold paint scheme of BB&T adorn the #33 for the first of nine events where the Winston-Salem, N.C., corporation will be featured as the primary sponsor. Bowyer will pilot the #33 BB&T Chevy in the next three NCS races. Bowyer and the rest of the #33 team will visit General Mills’ Covington, Ga., facility on Thursday, March 4. The team members will be given a tour of the plant and interact with the factory’s employees. The Covington, Ga., facility makes several cereals, including Cheerios, Chocolate Cheerios [awesome!], Honey-Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cookie Crisp.(RCR), see image of the BB&T scheme on my #33 Team Schemes page.(3-3-2010)

RCR Forms Partnership with Hall of Fame Racing Owners: Richard Childress Racing has entered into a partnership agreement with a group led by San Diego Padres executives Jeff Moorad and Tom Garfinkel. Moorad, the Padres’ vice chairman and chief executive officer, and Garfinkel, the team’s president and chief operating officer, will assist RCR in its business development and growth opportunities, and cooperate on other strategic initiatives. They will also participate on RCR’s internal advisory group. “Over the past three years, Richard has become a trusted friend,” said Jeff Moorad. “We believe in NASCAR and this opportunity allows us to be a contributing part of a winning organization, led by someone who we respect and trust.” In 2007, Moorad, Garfinkel, and their ownership group purchased Hall of Fame Racing from NFL legends Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach. The team suspended operations after the 2009 NASCAR season. “I’ve gotten to know Jeff and Tom and feel that they can add a lot to what we’re doing,” said Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of RCR. “This allows us to bring our individual strengths together and benefit all involved. I have learned over the last 40 years that you have to keep innovating and improving to be successful. This new partnership will complement our already strong organization.”(RCR)(2-28-2010)

Townley cited for underage possession of alcohol: Nationwide Series driver John Wes Townley [#21 Chevy] has been cited for underage possession of alcohol. Townley, who is 20, was cited Thursday. He apologized to NASCAR and his Richard Childress Racing team in a statement issued late in Saturday's race by his race team. "I made a big mistake and feel terrible about it," he said. "I have learned a valuable lesson and will do everything I can to make it up to those I have let down." Car owner Richard Childress said Townley made an error in judgment that will be handled internally at RCR. "Drivers are human and make mistakes like everyone else. However, we do not condone his behavior," Childress said. Townley finished 15th in Saturday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.(Associated Press)(2-28-2010)

The Hartford Renews Its Richard Childress Racing Sponsorship : The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., announced its 2010 sponsorship of Richard Childress Racing’s #33 Chevy and driver Clint Bowyer. For the second straight year, the company is the primary sponsor of the #33 Chevy for three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races and an associate sponsor for the remaining events. “The RCR sponsorship is a wonderful experience for our customers and employees,” said Mitch Jawitz, Vice President, The Hartford. “This year, we plan to offer even more ways for NASCAR fans to get involved with the racing experience. Just like Bowyer’s pit crew, The Hartford team is fanatical about keeping our driver’s lives moving forward uninterrupted.” The Hartford’s #33 primary paint-outs will run at Darlington Raceway on May 8, Pocono Raceway on August 1 and the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on October 10. Throughout the race season, the company, which celebrates its 200th anniversary this year, will highlight its bicentennial and provide opportunities for fans to engage with the Richard Childress Racing team. This will include contests, sweepstakes and giveaways, as well as exclusive promotions for members of The Hartford Racing Club. The Hartford will also be an associate sponsor of RCR driver #31-Jeff Burton in the Sprint Cup Series. Both Bowyer and Burton will serve as spokespeople for The Hartford focusing on the auto insurance program. For more about The Hartford’s commitment to racing and The Hartford Race Club please visit www.thehartfordracing.com.(RCR), see an image of the scheme on my #33 Team Schemes page.(2-24-2010)

TRG form alliance with RCR: TRG Motorsports announced a strategic alliance with Richard Childress Racing for its 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup program. In this new agreement, RCR will provide cars, chassis repairs and testing resources for TRG’s Sprint Cup Series operations. TRG will team with Stewart-Haas Racing for Pit Crew support to coordinate faster pit stops. “All of these new partnerships are really a great thing for us as an organization,” Team Owner Kevin Buckler said. “As a one-car team, our resources have been limited in the past. This is really the best of both worlds for us to work with strong, successful organizations like RCR and Stewart-Haas.” After its first full year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, TRG Motorsports begins 2010 with Championship-winning driver Bobby Labonte in the #71 Chevy, Crew Chief Doug Randolph, a new executive team led by Torrey Galida and Grand-American Championship-winning Driver/Owner Kevin Buckler, the organization will build on its winning history for a successful future and is poised as a serious competitor. Despite being a one-car operation in a sport filled with multi-car teams, TRG Motorsports brings a new business plan and organizational outlook, positioning itself to successfully go toe-to-toe with the powerhouses of NASCAR. With a solid strategic alliance with Richard Childress Racing and engine program through Earnhardt-Childress Racing Technologies, TRG will begin its second year of Cup competition with a strong stable of Chevrolet Impalas and a vision to succeed. Sponsor TaxSlayer.com makes its return to NASCAR with TRG as the primary sponsor for a portion of the 2010 season [13 races]. TaxSlayer.com made its debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series last year at Watkins Glen International Raceway and served as the primary sponsor of the #71 a total of six times in 2009.(TRG)(2-10-2010)

RCR Honors Former Crew Member D.J Richardson: Richard Childress Racing will honor former pit crew member and front tire changer D.J. Richardson with memorial decals during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. The #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy will carry the decals behind the front tires for the February 6 Budweiser Shootout. The helmets of the #29 Shell-Pennzoil over-the-wall crew members will also don special decals for the 2010 season. All three of RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries will carry the decals for the 52nd annual Daytona 500 on February 14, and its Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series entries will also carry the decals for their season-opening races. Richardson passed away December 25, 2009, from complications from the H1N1 virus. He joined RCR in July 2009 and finished the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy team. The 2005 Sprint Cup All-Star Rear-Tire Changer Champion began his Cup Series career with Andy Petree Racing in 1999. He also worked for Penske Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Braun Racing. The Leominster, Mass., native was 37. “D.J. should be jumping off the wall and changing tires for us again this season so we wanted to honor him in this special way,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “He was a valued member of the RCR family and is missed as we start the 2010 season.”(RCR)(2-6-2010)

Furinture Row, RCR expected to finalize alliance: UPDATE 2: #78-Furniture Row Racing will put the finishing touches on its technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing this week. A meeting is scheduled on Friday between principles of the two companies in hopes to strengthened the single car operation at FRR and in essence create a satellite fourth car for RCR. "While the team may look the same on the outside, eternally we're much stronger," said Joe Garone, general manager of Furniture Row Racing. "One of the assets with the alliance with Richard Childress is our ability to be secure in the top 35. "During the last quarter, we decided we needed to run the full season. Around May or June, we realized how much it hurt us not to run the full season. We can race on the Furniture Row sponsorship, but it wouldn't allow us to expand to a second car. Our primary goal is to have the #78 team run at 100 percent efficiency." FRR will continue its partnership with Kevin Harvick Inc., with the pit crew. FRR contracts the over-the-wall crew who work at KHI full-time and pit Harvick's Nationwide Series cars.(Fox Sports)(1-29-2010)
UPDATE: On the surface it looks basically the same. But behind the scenes it's a whole new look for the Furniture Row Racing team, which made significant personnel moves during the offseason as it readies to return to a full 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in 2010. The team's driver (Regan Smith), car number (78) and car manufacturer (Chevy) remain the same for the new campaign, which kicks off Sunday Feb. 14 with NASCAR's traditional season opener -- the Daytona 500. But when you get beyond the driver, car make and car number, the Denver-based Furniture Row team is quite different than it has been in recent years. For starters, more than 20 new employees were hired during the offseason, increasing the team's growing staff to more than 60. Along with the new hires, Furniture Row Racing went even a step further to enhance its program by forming a technical and engineering alliance with Richard Childress Racing. "Being a single-car team against the mega, multicar teams has put us at a huge disadvantage over the years," said Garone. "Now that we have formed an alliance with RCR, we will have the ability to be secured in the top 35 and keep a better pace with the other multicar teams. RCR has always been a leader and a winner, and we are proud to be affiliated with Richard Childress and his outstanding organization."(Furniture Row Racing PR)(1-29-2010)
UPDATE 2: Furniture Row General Manager Joe Garone told Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that as part of the team's new technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, Childress is now a owner of FRR. Garone said the details of the technical alliance are not fully ironed out, but will give the team a major boost in engineering. He confirmed that the team will not utilize Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines, choosing instead to continue their relationship with Hendrick Engines.(1-29-2009)

BB&T renews sponsorship with RCR: Richard Childress Racing has extended its partnership agreement with BB&T Corporation for the full-service financial institution to continue as a primary sponsor for eight races and the all-star race and a major associate sponsor of Clint Bowyer’s #33 Chevy for the remaining 28 races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The Winston-Salem, N.C.-based corporation will also retain its status as the Official Bank of Richard Childress Racing. The primary sponsorship races for BB&T on the #33 Chevy occur within BB&T’s primary branch banking footprint, which extended into Alabama while simultaneously increasing its market share in Florida last August. The #33 BB&T Chevy will compete March 7 and September 5 at Atlanta, March 21 at Bristol, March 28 and October 24 at Martinsville, April 25 and October 31 at Talladega, May 1 at Richmond, and May 22 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the annual Sprint All-Star Race. “The BB&T/RCR partnership has been successful both on the track and in the marketplace,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “BB&T has created winning activation programs for its customers and clients through its racing activities and RCR has been fortunate enough to take BB&T to the winner’s circle in the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series, as well as the head table at the Nationwide Series championship banquet. We appreciate their continued commitment to RCR and the sport as a whole.” The BB&T/RCR partnership began in 2007 with a partial Nationwide Series program with Bowyer. The program expanded in 2008, with primary sponsorship in the Nationwide Series and a two-race primary position with Bowyer’s Sprint Cup Series program. Bowyer & Company went on to capture the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers’ championship and won the Sprint Cup Series race in May at Richmond International Raceway. The program moved fulltime to the Cup Series in 2009.(RCR), see an image of the scheme on my #33 Team Schemes page and images from 2009 on my 2009 #33 Team Schemes page.(1-14-2010)

2009 Races [11] that BB&T is scheduled to be the primary sponsor:
Atlanta - 3/8
Bristol - 3/22
Martinsville - 3/29
Talladega - 4/26
Richmond - 5/2
Darlington - 5/9
Lowe’s Motor Speedway (Sprint All-Star Race) - 5/16
Atlanta - 9/6
Dover - 9/27
Martinsville - 10/25
Talladega - 11/1

2009 Races [3] that The Hartford is scheduled to be the primary sponsor:
Dover - 5/31
New Hampshire - 6/28
Pocono - 8/2

2009 Races [1] that Prilosec OTC is scheduled to be the primary sponsor:
Auto Club Speedway - 10/11

Clint Bowyer honored: NASCAR driver #33-Clint Bowyer has donated and raised thousands of dollars for good causes in his Kansas hometown in recent years, and now Emporia has shown its gratitude. Bowyer’s racing career began on a practice track at Flint Hills Towing on Emporia’s Graham Street. He was on hand Wednesday as the city unveiled a sign adding the honorary label “Clint Bowyer Boulevard” to Graham Street. “It’s very gratifying, very humbling to think back where this was where it all started, and to see your name on top of Graham Street,” Bowyer said. “It’s such an important street to me and my family, it means a lot to me.” Two years ago, Bowyer established the 79 Fund with the Emporia Community Foundation to aid the city and people in need. The fund has helped a city clean-up project and the city Arts Council’s building fund, and this month provided 20 Christmas trees to Emporia families and shoes for 85 children enrolled in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. “I love this town,” Bowyer said. “There’s no better people than right here in Emporia. We’re taking baby steps and looking at getting more money raised to put into the programs, and I’m looking forward to making (the fund) a bigger and better thing for the children and making the community a better place,” he said. Although Bowyer is famed as a driver, he has looked to another sport — golf — to help build the 79 Fund. A charity golf event and auction he hosted in 2008 brought in about $160,000; this year, the event raised $250,000. Bowyer and the 79 Fund’s board of directors are looking to the future and planning to make sure the fund can help as many people as possible. “We’re looking forward to building on what I consider a good first two years,” Bowyer said. “That’s the thing, you want to be able to give back and you want to make sure it goes to a good cause that people are getting a lot of good things out of.”(Kansan/AP)(12-26-2009)

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 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)

Final BB&T race for Bowyer: Talladega will mark the final race of the 2009 season where #33-Clint Bowyer's Chevy will sport the burgundy, white and gold paint scheme of Winston-Salem, N.C.,- based BB&T. The sponsor will once again support Bowyer's efforts for the 2010 season.(RCR PR), for an image of the car, see my #33 team paint scheme page.(10-28-2009)

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)

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)

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)

General Mills Donates Race Tickets to Local Charities: The Boys & Girls Club and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte have a special experience to look forward to. General Mills is donating 100 tickets for this Saturday night’s NASCAR Banking 500 only from Bank of America at Lowe’s Motor Speedway to each organization for them to enjoy racing under the lights. The Boys & Girls Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters are excited about the opportunity ahead. “The race will be a special time for the boys and girls to enjoy together,” said Marty Clary of the Boys and Girls Club. “I’m sure it will be something that the kids never forget. The Club aims to be safe place for kids to learn and grow – all while having fun. This event will fit right in with our ideals. We are very thankful to General Mills for providing us this opportunity.”(Breaking Limits)(10-15-2009)

Monsters scheme coming for Bowyer UPDATE: #33-Clint Bowyer is scheduled to run a special General Mills Monsters Cereal / Halloween paint scheme on October 17th at Lowes Motor Speedway.(7-23-2009)
UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing driver Clint Bowyer is getting in the spirit of Halloween early this year thanks to the help of fans who cast tens of thousands of votes for which spooky firesuit the Emporia, Kan., native would wear for the October 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 500-mile race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Fans were allowed to cast their votes on one of four firesuit designs – one each featuring Count Chocula, Franken Berry, Boo Berry or a suit that featured all three classic General Mills Monsters cereal characters - once a day, every day at www.Millsberry.com/vote. Voting commenced September 10 and ended September 16. When the votes were tallied, it was the Count Chocula firesuit that was declared the winner. In addition to wearing the winning “costume,” Bowyer will drive a special black and purple Scary Fast #33 Count Chocula Chevy that features the three monsters characters. Count Chocula was the first of a new line of monster cereals that debuted in March of 1971. Not only was it the first cereal of the new line, it quickly became the most popular. The Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry characters will be making appearances at Lowe's Motor Speedway through the entire race weekend. Count Chocula is scheduled to accompany Bowyer to driver introductions prior to the start of the 500-mile event. Boxes of Bowyer and Childress-signed Monsters cereal will be given out to the first 333 fans who buy $33 worth of Cheerios Racing merchandise from Bowyer’s at-track merchandise hauler at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.(RCR), see the scheme on my #33 Team Scheme page.(10-13-2009)

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)

Prilosec on the #33: This week at Auto Club Speedway #33-Clint Bowyer will pilot the Prilosec OTC - Walmart Chevy. It is chassis #267 from Richard Childress Racing's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This Chevy debuted in February at Auto Club Speedway where Bowyer finished 19th.(RCR PR)(10-8-2009)

Edwards, Bowyer to compete in support of Victory Junction in Kansas: NASCAR drivers #99-Carl Edwards and #33-Clint Bowyer will contest a race within a race when they compete in next Sunday's Price Chopper 400 Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway. Sprint announced a Stateline Challenge between Edwards, of Columbia, Missouri and Bowyer, of Emporia, Kansas. Sprint will present a check for $100,000 to Victory Junction Midwest in the name of the driver who finishes higher in the race. A $25,000 donation will be made in honor of the other driver. All proceeds from the race will help fund construction efforts for Victory Junction, a year-round camp for chronically ill children. The $35 million facility will be built on 71 acres in Wyandotte County, KS.(Kansas City Star)(9-29-2009)

Fans to Decide Bowyer’s Spooky Firesuit: Race fans can get in the spirit of Halloween early this year with Count Chocula, sponsor of Richard Childress Racing’s #33 Chevy and driver Clint Bowyer at the NASCAR Banking 500. Bowyer will run a special Scary Fast #33 Count Chocula Chevy at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on October 17. The black and purple paint scheme features the classic General Mills Monsters cereal characters Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry [hmm....marshmellows]. In addition to the Halloween-themed paint scheme, Bowyer will also sport a spooky firesuit for the final night race of the 2009 season – one that fans will have an opportunity to help select. Beginning September 10, fans can vote on one of four firesuit designs – one each featuring Count Chocula, Franken Berry, Boo Berry or a suit that features all three monster characters. “I think it’s pretty cool that fans will have the chance to decide which firesuit I’ll wear at Charlotte,” said Bowyer. “I remember how much fun it was, when my brothers and I were growing up, trying to decide what costume we’d want to wear. All the designs look cool and it’ll be fun to see which ones the fans pick for me.” No registration is required, and fans can cast their votes once a day, every day at www.Millsberry.com/vote until September 16.(RCR), see images of thew scheme on my #33 Team Schemes page.(9-15-2009)

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)

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)

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)

Bowyer in different colors at Bristo UPDATEl: Clint Bowyer's #33 Richard Childress Racing Chevy will replace its traditional yellow and red colors of Cheerios this weekend in Bristol for a black and red Hamburger Helper paint scheme.(RCR)(8-19-2009)
UPDATE Hamburger Helper and Richard Childress Racing’s #33 team are partnering up for a promotion at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. The “When Clint Wins, You Win” promotion will give 33,000 fans a free box of Hamburger Helper skillet meal if Bowyer is able to win the sold out Sharpie 500 this Saturday night. In addition to being featured as the primary sponsor of Bowyer’s Chevrolet for the 500-lap race, Hamburger Helper will also sponsor Bristol’s infamous Turn 4. Bristol’s high banked turn will be referred to as “High 4” in honor of Hamburger Helper’s Helping Hand. If Bowyer is able to pick up the win, the first 33,000 fans that register on HamburgerHelper.com will be able to sign up to receive a coupon for a free box of Hamburger Helper. The offer is limited to one winner per household. As part of their partnership with Bristol Motor Speedway, over 14,000 fans seated above the “High 4” turn will receive Hamburger Helper foam hands that they will be encouraged to wave on lap 33 to cheer on the #33 team. Additionally, all Bristol Motor Speedway “Helpers,” from ushers to gate and parking attendants, will wear Hamburger Helper foam hands as they greet fans throughout the weekend’s festivities.(RCR)(8-20-2009)

#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)

Monsters scheme coming for Bowyer: #33-Clint Bowyer is scheduled to run a special General Mills Monsters Cereal / Halloween paint scheme on October 17th at Lowes Motor Speedway. See the scheme on my #33 Team Scheme page.(7-23-2009)