Sports Radio Interviews

Richard Childress: “We are looking forward to 2010 and getting 2009 behind us and maybe get up there and be a contender with Jimmie Johnson next year.”

Richard Childress is one of the most recognizable owners in NASCAR. He was a driver at one point in his career but retired from driving in 1981. He then decided to let Dale Earnhardt drive his #3 car and that formed one of the most potent combinations in all of NASCAR. They won six championships and Childress hasn’t looked back since. In the mid-1990’s, Childress decided to expand his racing empire and start racing in the Busch series as well as the Craftsman Truck Series. It didn’t take long for RCR to have success in the other racing series. Richard Childress Racing became the first team in NASCAR history to win championships in all three of NASCAR’s racing series.

This year RCR drivers haven’t had the success they are used to. Last year, three out of the four drivers made The Chase and finished in the top-6 and this year all of the RCR drivers were kept out of The Chase. That has got to drive Childress crazy. You would think after all of the testing they did during the offseason and do throughout the year, they would have been able to build upon where they left off last season. As you can imagine, this has frustrated his team and they have vowed to work harder than ever to keep Jimmie Johnson from winning number five next season.

Richard Childress joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta to talk about the luck his drivers have had this season, Jimmie Johnson’s dominance and whether it is good or bad for the sport, the difference in the teams and why Jimmie has been so successful, and his thoughts on Danica Patrick entering NASCAR and racing in the Nationwide Series.

On the luck his drivers have had this season:

“We have had so many crashes this year that we can’t even keep up with it. It has just been one of those years and we haven’t performed quite like we should either. We were the contenders for the championship with the Hendricks cars two years in a row and this year we missed it and we are working hard right now. The last four or five races our cars have been competitive. We have three in the top-ten last week and all of our cars led the race at Talladega. We are looking forward to 2010 and getting 2009 behind us and maybe get up there and be a contender with Jimmie Johnson next year.”

On Jimmie Johnson’s dominance and whether it is good or bad for the sport:

“Well I know how Mr. France would tell Earnhardt and myself: Boys you ain’t going to stink up my show. But he is not around to tell me that he is going to stink up my show. These guys are making history. They have done such a…that whole organization has done a great job. It just puts everybody back to work. It is up to us, the other competitors, from keeping him from winning those four in a row and having the year he is having or the years he has had. We have all got to work a little harder and get out there and beat him. Don’t complain about it, go and try and beat him.”

On the difference in the teams and why Jimmie has been so successful:

“Well I think all of the stars are lining up for him. He has got a great crew chief. Jim is a great driver. They have got a great organization and good people behind him. That is what it takes to win championships. We have been there. We have won our fair share of championships over the years and we are going to get back there. It just takes some time putting the right people in the right places.”

On the races in The Chase and how they favor Jimmie Johnson’s driving and how if that isn’t changed he could get five and six:

“Yeah I mean we are going to try our best at keeping him from five if he does get four. Those tracks do fall in line for him very well. Those are some of his better tracks but we can’t use that as an excuse to let him go out and beat us. Like I said again, the Rick Hendricks organization is just a super organization and our job now is to figure out how to go out there and beat him.”

His thoughts on Danica Patrick entering NASCAR and racing in the Nationwide Series:

“You know I had talked to Danica before, she came down and visited several teams. I think she has got to start over. I think she will do a really good job. She is a talented young lady and she would be great for our sport if we can get her in it and get her competitive. It would be a great thing. She has done a lot in the indy car racing league and I think she would do a great job for NASCAR as well. I just think to cup in the Cup or something it would be a little tough. I think she has got to start out at lower level and work her way up again.”

Whether he is going to resign Kevin Harvick or if Harvick will have his own team:

“Well we will know more about that after the first of the year. Kevin has been with us for team years and we have had a couple of years where we have been contenders for the championship and sometimes when things don’t work it is time for a change. I want the beat for Kevin whatever he decides to do I would like to see us get back competitive and win a championship with him but if it is not in the cards, I wish him well. Who knows what may happen next year. Things move and change and I am sure he has got several offers already for deals next year so he ill make that decision or we will make that decision on the direction that we want to go sometime in January for February maybe even March.”

Richard Childress on Pollack and Bell on 790 The Zone in Atlanta

Tags: Casey Mears, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt. Sr., Danica patrick in NASCAR, dominance, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, NASCAR, RCR, Richard Childress, Richard Childress Racing, The Chase