Richard Childress Racing
Encyclopedia
RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR
team based in Welcome, North Carolina
, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress
. The team currently fields the #27 Menards
Chevrolet for Paul Menard
, the #29 Budweiser
/Jimmy John's
Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick
, and the #31 Caterpillar Inc.
/General Mills
Chevrolet for Jeff Burton
in the Sprint Cup Series. In the Nationwide Series, the team fields the #2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Impala for Elliott Sadler
, the #3 AdvoCare
Chevrolet for Austin Dillon
, and the #33 Rheem
/Menards
Chevrolet for various drivers. In the Truck Series, the team fields the #3 Bass Pro Shops
Chevrolet Silverado
for Ty Dillon
and the #22 Rip It
Chevrolet Silverado for Joey Coulter
in the Camping World Truck Series. RCR also runs developmental drivers in the ARCA Racing Series, fielding the #31 Chevrolet for Tim George, Jr.. RCR has fielded cars for notables such as Dale Earnhardt
, Ricky Rudd
, and Neil Bonnett
. RCR has had at least one car in every Cup race since late 1972, the longest such active streak.
drive this car on a limited basis during that season as part of a transition from the Busch Series to Winston Cup for 2002, but after Dale Earnhardt's death
Harvick was moved into RCR's primary car and 2000 Busch Series champion Jeff Green
was selected to drive the car in his place. The team debuted at the NAPA Auto Parts 500
at California Speedway, with Green finishing 21st. The team qualified for six more races that season, with Green earning a pole at the Sharpie 500
at Bristol in August, and went full-time the next season as scheduled with Green behind the wheel.
Green posted six top-tens in the 2002 season, including a career best second at Loudon
in July and finished seventeenth in points. Although the team started 2003 with a Daytona 500 pole, Green and the team failed to jell as Childress had hoped and later that season, in what amounted to a trade between organizations, Green was replaced by the former driver of the #1 car at Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
, Steve Park
(Green took Park's ride at DEI following his firing). In 2004
, Childress promoted Johnny Sauter
to the ride, hoping he would work like Harvick. Sauter was released just 13 races into the season. After that, Dave Blaney
drove the car, only skipping Infineon Raceway
when Jim Inglebright
took the wheel. A couple of weeks after it was announced Blaney would be in the car for rest of the year, Jeff Burton
became available, and Childress knew he was too good to pass up, leaving Blaney out in the cold. Burton drove the car for the rest of the year, and when Robby Gordon
left to start his own team, Burton moved to his old ride at Car 31. With AOL leaving as sponsor, Childress had two voids left to fill. He decided to rehire Blaney, and signed Jack Daniel's
to sponsor the car, marking one of the first hard liquor sponsorships in NASCAR's history. The team also changed its number to 07 to commemorate JD's slogan "Ol' No. 7". Blaney posted just 2 top ten finishes during 2005, finishing 26th in the standings. As a result, Blaney moved to the #22 Bill Davis Racing
CAT Dodge in 2006. The following year Clint Bowyer
was placed in the #07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet for RCR. Bowyer not only put the 07 solidly in the 2007 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup
, but also took the first win for this team at the Sylvania 300
at Loudon
. Clint finished third in the final standings in 2007. In 2008 Clint got his second win at Richmond at the Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400
On August 23, 2008, Casey Mears
was announced as the driver of the #07 Jack Daniel's
Chevrolet
Impala SS for the 2009 season
. Bowyer will drive RCR's #33 car.
Jack Daniel's announced late in 2009 that they were pulling out of the sport, leaving the team without a sponsor. On January 30, 2010 RCR announced that they were selling the 07's owner points to Furniture Row Racing
and driver Casey Mears was released by RCR.
The fourth team's car will be revived for the 2011 season, as Paul Menard
was signed by RCR on August 11, 2010 to drive it and will carry his Menards
sponsorship over to the team. The car will use the number 27. Former TRG Motorsports partner Tom Pumpelly will be listed as the owner of the #27 and the #35th place owner's points will be given to Menard. Menard won the Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com
at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
on July 31, 2011
as a 1968 Chevy numbered 13. Childress himself drove the car, finishing 23rd after suffering axle
problems. In 1972, the team came back to run fourteen races with Childress driving again, but didn't go fulltime until 1976 when he would begin using the #3. Childress earned eleven top-10 finishes and finished eleventh in points that year. Over the next few years, he posted many top-10s and twice was among the highest top 10 points earners, but he never was in serious contention to win. In 1981, he decided to end his career before the season ended, and handed his #3 ride to the defending Winston Cup champion, Dale Earnhardt
, who brought his Wrangler
sponsorship with him.
After posting six-top tens, Earnhardt left to drive for Bud Moore
, and Ricky Rudd
took his place for the 1982 season, with Piedmont Airlines
becoming the sponsor. Rudd drove the car for both 1982 and 1983 finishing 9th in points both years, and winning twice the latter. But after the season was over, Rudd was replaced by none other than Earnhardt himself, with Wrangler back as sponsor (in perhaps an odd twist of fate, Rudd moved to Earnhardt's old ride, the #15 Bud Moore Engineering
Wrangler-sponsored Ford Thunderbird, which actually kept its sponsorship despite Earnhardt leaving). This time, Earnhardt was back for good, winning six championships over the next two decades, with crew chiefs Kirk Shelmerdine
and Andy Petree
, and Goodwrench replacing Wrangler as sponsor after 1987. During the latter part of the 90's Earnhardt's performance began to slow down, and went through 1997
without a single victory. In 1998
, he won the Daytona 500
after 20 starts, all ending in losses. The next year, he was able to capture wins at Talladega
, as well as cause more controversy, after he spun Terry Labonte
to win on the last lap at Bristol Motor Speedway
. In 2000
, he looked like he was finally regaining his old form, winning twice and finishing runner-up to Bobby Labonte
in points, and his many fans hoped he was gearing up for his record-breaking eighth championship. Sadly, this was not to be. On February 18, 2001, on the last lap of the Daytona 500, Earnhardt was tagged from behind and crashed head-on into the turn 4 wall. He did not survive and was pronounced dead at 5:16 pm. NASCAR was numb with grief. Deciding to carry on, Childress changed the number of the car to 29, changed the paint scheme from black to white, and chose his Busch Series
driver Kevin Harvick
to drive the car.
After three races Harvick beat out Jeff Gordon
by mere inches to win the Cracker Barrel 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
, dedicating the win to Earnhardt. After posting another win at Chicagoland Speedway
, Harvick won NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors. In 2002, Harvick's infamous temper escalated after announcing on his radio he would intentionally wreck another racer during a Craftsman Truck
race. In response, NASCAR benched Harvick for the next race, and was replaced during that time by Kenny Wallace
. Since then, Harvick has won eight races, including the prestigious Brickyard 400 and Daytona 500 while scoring a (at the time) career-best points effort of 4th in both 2006 and 2008. Despite a win early in the season, back-to-back seasons of missing "The Chase for the Nextel Cup" with 14th-place efforts proved to be frustrating, as Harvick threatened to leave the team if performance did not improve. A series of strong runs near the end of 2005 seemed to satisfy him, however, and he was be back in the car in 2006 with Reese's as a new co-primary sponsor. After a somewhat slow start, Harvick hit his stride in April, with a string of Top 10 finishes, including a win at Phoenix. He eventually made the chase and led the standings for the first time in the first week of the chase. This helped RCR to be a dominant force in NASCAR again. After weeks of speculation as to where Kevin would drive starting in 2007, he and RCR announced a new three-year deal, with Kevin driving for Childress until 2009.
For 2007 the team had a significant change in sponsorship. GM Goodwrench would become an associate sponsor on the #29, while Shell Oil Company
and Pennzoil
took over primary sponsorship. Harvick's 2007 season started out on a high note with a win in the 2007 Daytona 500
in a close finish with veteran Mark Martin
. Harvick would score another win at the All Star
, holding off Jimmie Johnson
. Harvick entered a slump during the summer, and was involved in a trackside altercation with Juan Pablo Montoya
. However, Harvick and his team held off a struggling Dale Earnhardt Jr. to make the Chase for the Cup. Harvick's Chase performance would not be a repeat of 2006, and he would finish 10th in the points. Harvick won the 2009 Budweiser Shootout
and finished second in the Daytona 500
.
After not making the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup
, it was expected that Harvick would leave RCR after his contract ends at the conclusion of the 2010 season. However, after a strong start to the 2010 season, Harvick signed a multi-year extension to his RCR contract in May, 2010. Harvick went on to finish 3rd in points for the 2010 season, the highest finish of his career. The team's sponsor, Shell Oil Company
and Pennzoil
, left after the 2010 season and joined Penske Racing
. Budweiser
replaced it as the car's primary sponsor beginning in the 2011 season.
, as #22 and Rodney Combs
driving, finishing dead last. Ironically, when Bill Elliott
's backup car failed during practice for the pit crew championship, Elliott drove that backup car for his #9 team to do the competition pit stop. The car wasn't seen again until 1993, as #31 and Earnhardt's longtime friend Neil Bonnett
driving at Talladega Superspeedway
. In this race, Bonnett, already on a comeback, was involved in a horrifying accident, but made it out okay. After driving another race that year for RCR, Bonnett died testing Phoenix Racing
's #51 Country Time Lemonade car for the 1994
Daytona 500
.
In 1996, the car returned with defending Craftsman Truck Series
champion Mike Skinner
driving with Realtree sponsoring the car in four of the five races it ran. Skinner had three-top starts that year, including one on the outside pole. The team finally ran full-time in 1997, with Skinner driving and Lowe's
as the sponsor. Skinner won the pole position for both of the races at Daytona
, and defeated what has turned out to be a very scant field of drivers for rookie of the year. He suffered some injuries in 1998, and Morgan Shepherd
and Childress' son-in-law Mike Dillon
filled in for him. Teamed with crew chief Larry McReynolds
, 1999
was his best season ever, winning the pole position twice, and finished tenth in points after being the championship leader at one point earlier in the year. However, Skinner was never able to win a points-paying race, although he won two exhibition races in Japan
, at Suzuka
and Twin Ring Motegi
, respectively, as well as some other non-point events. In 2001
, he suffered injuries in the opening laps at the inaugural race at Chicagoland
. Robby Gordon
filled in for him, and struggled heavily, failing to post any top-10 finishes. Skinner returned at Bristol
, but he just wasn't the same, and Gordon took his place for him. Late in 2001, it was announced Gordon would drive the car the next year, to the puzzlement of many. Gordon was engaged in a closing-laps battle later in the year with Jeff Gordon to win the season finale at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Armed with a big surge of momentum and a new sponsor in Cingular Wireless
had five top-ten finishes and finished 20th in points the following year. 2003
was even better, as he swept both road course events and improved four spots in points. After his performance dipped down in 2004, Gordon decided to leave and start his own team, the #7 with Robby Gordon Motorsports
, and Jeff Burton
was tabbed as his replacement. Burton had 3 top 5 and 6 top 10 finishes in 2005, finishing 18th in points.
In 2006, Burton finished seventh in the 2006 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup
. He also won four poles and got his first win in 175 races at Dover. Because of the merger of AT&T
and BellSouth
the Cingular brand was eliminated. It's sponsorship for the 31 car ended in 2008 due to this and the prohibition of cellular phone sponsors in Sprint Cup. The change of names would constitute a new sponsorship. In June 2008, Caterpillar Inc.
announced that it would leave the #22 Bill Davis Racing
Toyota to sponsor the #31 starting in 2009.
driving. The car was sponsored by AOL
9.0, and the car was numbered 90 for marketing purposes. In 2004, it was announced that Kerry Earnhardt would drive a #33 Richard Childress Racing Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet in 5 NASCAR Nextel Cup events in 2004. Mike Skinner
would run the first race in the car at the Daytona 500
, finishing 22nd. Kerry Earnhardt drove the car in the other three restrictor plate
races with Bass Pro Shops
sponsoring, his best finish being 24th. Earnhardt attempted all of the restrictor plate races again in 2005
, finishing 17th at Talladega. In addition, road course ringer Brian Simo
brought home a 10th-place finish at Infineon Raceway
. Clint Bowyer
, Childress' Busch Series driver in the Busch Series
, made his Nextel Cup debut in this car with Sylvania
sponsorship at Phoenix in April 2005.
On May 2, 2008, The team attempted and failed to qualify for the 2008 Crown Royal presents the Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond, with Nationwide Series Driver Scott Wimmer on board, and the Holiday Inn Sponsorship. RCR expanded to 4 full time Sprint Cup teams in 2009 with sponsorship from General Mills' Cheerios and Hamburger Helper brands on the #33 Chevrolet. ESPN has reported that Bobby Labonte who was rumored to be moving to RCR after the 2008 season has agreed to a contract extension with Petty Enterprises. On August 23, 2008, RCR driver Clint Bowyer
was announced as the driver of the #33 General Mills
Chevrolet
Impala SS for the 2009 season. Casey Mears
took over Bowyer's previous car, the #07 Jack Daniel's
Chevrolet
Impala SS. In his first race in the car, Bowyer finished fourth in the 2009 Daytona 500
.The Hartford
was a sponsor of the #33 during 2010. In 2011, the team struggled with consistency and failed to make the Chase.
, moving the entire team from the Craftsman Truck Series. Kevin Harvick was the first driver of the #2 AC Delco Chevy, winning three races and winning Rookie of the Year, despite missing the spring race at North Carolina Speedway
. He went on to win the championship in the Busch Series in 2001
while running full time in Winston Cup as well. In 2002
, rookie driver Johnny Sauter won at Chicagoland, and finished 14th in points. The next year, Ron Hornaday
drove the car full-time, winning once and posting a third place finish in points. Hornaday followed up that performance with another win and a drop to 4th in points the following year. In 2005
, Clint Bowyer
took the reins, in a program headed up by veteran crew chief Gil Martin
, winning at Nashville Speedway and Memphis Motorsports Park, finishing second in points. Bowyer was back in the #2 car in 2006 with crew chief Dan Deeringhoff, while Martin moved up to run the 07 Jack Daniels program. Bowyer ran the full Nextel Cup schedule for RCR in the #07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet, also running the full BGN season with the #2 car where he finished 3rd in points. 2006 was the final year for AC Delco, as the 2007 sponsor for the #2 will be BB&T
. Bowyer will run about 17 races in the #2 for the 2007 season and he will run full-time in 2008 season. Kenny Wallace
drove for the team in a one-race deal at Gateway International Raceway
, sponsored by sandwich chain Jimmy John's
. In 2008, Bowyer won the NASCAR Nationwide Series Drivers Championship. In 2009 this car ran a partial schedule Sean Caisse
and Austin Dillon
sharing the ride. The team shut down in 2009. In 2012, team will return after Kevin Harvick
sold his to Childress in late 2011. Elliott Sadler
will be the driver.
, with Rockwell Automation
as the sponsor and Childress' son-in-law Mike Dillon
driving. Dillon posted two top 10 finishes and finished 23rd in points that year. Six races into 2001, Dillon was injured at Bristol Motor Speedway
, and it was announced at the time he would be out for the rest of the year. Since then, he has taken on other roles with the team. His replacement was Mike Skinner, but after his injury, Jeff Purvis
took over briefly, winning at Pikes Peak, before Skinner returned. After Skinner's release, Robby Gordon had the driving duties for the balance of the season. The next year, Jeff Green and Jay Sauter
drove the car. In 2003
, Childress decided to try to win the Busch Series' owner's championship with the #21, which would have been a first in the history of the series. Hershey Foods
became the team's sponsor through its PayDay
candy bar brand. Kevin Harvick and Johnny Sauter were tabbed to split the ride, with Harvick making as many starts as he could and Sauter picking up the remaining races. Childress' gamble paid off, as the #21 won the series owner's championship behind three wins from Harvick. Harvick has been the anchor driver ever since, with Clint Bowyer doing the co-driving honors in 2004 and Brandon Miller in 2005 and sponsorship from Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Jeff Burton drove the car at Bristol in 2005. In 2006, Harvick and Jeff Burton split the driving duties in the car with United States Coast Guard
sponsorship as Harvick attempted to run the entire Busch Series schedule in three different cars. Burton won at Atlanta, and Harvick won three more races, pulling out to an over 700-point lead in the points standings with 5 races to go in the 2006 season. AutoZone
replaced the Coast Guard sponsorship in 2007
, and Harvick drove along with development driver Timothy Peters
, until Peters was replaced by Sprint car driver Tim McCreadie
. Beginning in 2008 Bobby Labonte
will drive the 21 car for 15 races of the season. In May 2008, the team shut down due to financial problems but returned at the Emerson Radio 250
to debut Austin Dillon
, son of former driver Mike Dillon and grandson to Richard Childress.
In 2010 RCR hired John Wes Townley
as driver of car #21, with Zaxby's
as sponsor. On April 9 John Wes Townley was pulled from the #21 car after a practice crash at Phoenix. RCR said it was for precationary reasons, but Townley later returned to RAB Racing
. Clint Bowyer
took over driving duties at Phoenix. Scott Riggs
drove at Nashville and Kentucky in June. After the July Daytona race, Morgan Shepherd
stepped behind the wheel for several weeks, taking a break for Bristol to handle his own car for Faith Motorsports
, which didn't make the field. RCR and Shepherd formed Shepherd Racing Ventures on August 31 to keep the #21 running the rest of the year. Bowyer drove with Zaxby's sponsorship at Atlanta, Richmond, Charlotte
, and Texas
while Shepherd ran an unsponsored #21 car, the other 7 races. Shepherd returned to his Faith Motorsports operation full time and RCR shut this team down. RCR later transferred the #21 owners points to Shepherd. In 2011, RCR briefly restarted its Nationwide program, running a few races with development driver Tim George, Jr. and sponsorship from Applebees.
The 29 car was first run by Johnny Sauter
in 2003 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
as a thank you from Richard Childress for Sauter's help in winning the 2003 owners' championship.
The 29 car appeared in 2005 at Bristol Motor Speedway
as part of a promotion for Reese's Chocolate and Peanut Butter Lovers Cups. The promotion involved the 29 painted as the Chocolate Lovers car and the 21 painted as the Peanut Butter Lovers car. The plan was for Jeff Burton
to drive the 29 while Kevin Harvick
would drive the 21. Qualifying was rained out, so the entries were switched to assure that both cars would make the field (Harvick was a past champion and the #29 was not locked in). Burton drove the 21 while Harvick drove the 29. Harvick won the race in this car with Burton finishing second in the 21. Later in the season, Mayflower Transit
sponsored this car in at least one race run by Jeff Burton.
On March 17, 2006, Holiday Inn
announced its sponsorship of the 29 for ten races with Burton returning as its driver. The new car made its 2006 debut at Richmond. Burton finished in the top ten all four times the car raced in 2006, including a win at Dover
in June.
In 2007, the #29 went full-time and, like the #21 several years before, Childress set out to win the owners' championship for a second time without a full-time driver. Burton and Scott Wimmer
, who had just lost a Sprint Cup Series ride due to lack of sponsorship, shared the #29 with Holiday Inn
sponsoring. Burton won five times and Wimmer put together several strong finishes in his time in the car, and Childress had his second Busch Series owners' championship in which no full-time driver raced for the team.
Wimmer left the team following the 2008 season. After one additional season with Burton, Clint Bowyer
, and Stephen Leicht
driving, RCR shut down the team after Holiday Inn pulled its sponsorship.
along with 16 races. After he left, Jay Sauter
hopped on board, winning four times and finishing in the top 10 in points all three years. He was the last driver to win for RCR in the Camping World Truck Series, until July 11, 2010 when Childress's grandson, Austin Dillon
, won the Lucas Oil 200
at Iowa Speedway
. After 1999
, Childress moved the program up to the NASCAR Busch Series.
The truck team returned during the 2009 season as the #3 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Childress's grandson, Austin Dillon
for the inaugural race at Iowa Speedway
. Dillon would start 9th and finish 12th despite an early spin.
In 2010
, Dillon drove the #3 truck full-time sponsored by Bass Pro Shops
. Austin won an impressive 5 poles, 2 wins (Iowa and Vegas), and had 15 top tens en route to a 5th place finish in the championship and the 2010 ROTY award. Dillon will return for 2011.
In 2011, Dillon drove the truck to a Truck title at Homestead. But in 2012 he will move up to the Nationwide series. His brother, Ty Dillon
will drive in 2012.
.
AT&T
has repeatedly requested that NASCAR allow them to advertise the AT&T Mobility brand on the #31 car, but NASCAR refuses to allow it, citing the Sprint Nextel contract. After trying and failing to get NASCAR to approve the addition of the globe logo to the rear of the car, AT&T filed a lawsuit against NASCAR on March 16, 2007. On May 18, a federal judge ruled that AT&T should be allowed to replace the Cingular logos with AT&T logos, and said that AT&T was likely to win the lawsuit. The AT&T logo ran on the #31 at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup All-Star Challenge on May 19 and so far ever since then until NASCAR ordered the sponsorship off before the 2007 Sharpie 500
. A settlement before the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 was made where AT&T Mobility could sponsor the car until the end of 2008.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
team based in Welcome, North Carolina
Welcome, North Carolina
Welcome is a census-designated place in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,538 at the 2000 census. It is nationally known as the home of NASCAR's Richard Childress. The town motto is "Welcome to Welcome, A Friendly Place," as posted on the welcoming sign...
, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress
Richard Childress
Richard Childress is a former NASCAR driver and the current team owner of Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. As a business entrepreneur, Childress became one of the wealthiest men in North Carolina...
. The team currently fields the #27 Menards
Menards
Menards is a chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States.The privately held company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 262 stores in 13 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and...
Chevrolet for Paul Menard
Paul Menard
Paul Menard is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #27 Menards Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing and runs part-time for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is the son of Menards founder John Menard, Jr., whose company is his sponsor...
, the #29 Budweiser
Budweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
/Jimmy John's
Jimmy John's
Jimmy John's is a franchised sandwich restaurant founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983 and headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. The franchise has over 1000 locations in 39 states and has opened approximately 200 units per year for the last three years...
Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
, and the #31 Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
/General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
Chevrolet for Jeff Burton
Jeff Burton
Jeffrey Brian "Jeff" Burton , also referred to as JB or The Mayor, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver who drives the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala for Richard Childress Racing. Burton is the younger brother of Ward Burton, who is a former Sprint Cup driver...
in the Sprint Cup Series. In the Nationwide Series, the team fields the #2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Impala for Elliott Sadler
Elliott Sadler
Elliott William Barnes Sadler is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Impala for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is one of only 23 drivers to have won in each of NASCAR's top three series...
, the #3 AdvoCare
AdvoCare
AdvoCare International, L.P. is a nutrition, weight-loss, energy and sports performance products company. The company was founded in 1993 by Charles Ragus and employs around 247 people in the United States...
Chevrolet for Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon is an American stock car racing driver. He is the son of former driver and RCR general manager Mike Dillon and grandson of Richard Childress....
, and the #33 Rheem
Rheem
Rheem is a privately held manufacturing company that started in 1927 as a supplier of packagings to the petroleum industry.-Divisions:*Rheem Water Heating*Ruud Water Heating*Rheem Air conditioning*Ruud Air Conditioning Division*Solahart*Raypak...
/Menards
Menards
Menards is a chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States.The privately held company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 262 stores in 13 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and...
Chevrolet for various drivers. In the Truck Series, the team fields the #3 Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is a privately held retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise. Bass Pro Shops is known for a large selection of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear.-History:The owner, John L...
Chevrolet Silverado
Chevrolet Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado , is the latest line of full-size pickup trucks from General Motors.-History:...
for Ty Dillon
Ty Dillon
Ty Dillon is an American stock car racing driver. Son of former driver and RCR general manager Mike Dillon and grandson of Richard Childress, he drives for Richard Childress Racing in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, winning the 2011 series championship...
and the #22 Rip It
Rip It
Rip It is an energy drink that is produced and distributed by National Beverage Corp., maker of Shasta and Faygo. It is National Beverage Corp.'s first energy drink....
Chevrolet Silverado for Joey Coulter
Joey Coulter
Joey Coulter is an American stock car driver. He currently drives the #22 Chevrolet Silverado for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series-Early career:...
in the Camping World Truck Series. RCR also runs developmental drivers in the ARCA Racing Series, fielding the #31 Chevrolet for Tim George, Jr.. RCR has fielded cars for notables such as Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
, Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd is a former American NASCAR driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and Nationwide Series driver Jason Rudd. Rudd is known as the "Iron Man" of NASCAR; holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Rudd had made 788...
, and Neil Bonnett
Neil Bonnett
Lawrence Neil Bonnett was a NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. The Alabama native currently ranks 35th in all-time NASCAR Cup victories. He appeared in the 1983 film Stroker Ace and the 1990 film Days of Thunder...
. RCR has had at least one car in every Cup race since late 1972, the longest such active streak.
Car #27 history
What eventually became the #27 car at RCR was formed in 2001 as the #30 America Online Chevrolet. Childress originally planned to have Kevin HarvickKevin Harvick
Kevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
drive this car on a limited basis during that season as part of a transition from the Busch Series to Winston Cup for 2002, but after Dale Earnhardt's death
Death of Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt was an American race car driver who gained fame driving stock cars for NASCAR and winning seven championships. He was involved in a car accident during the last lap of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2001. He was taken to Halifax Medical Center,...
Harvick was moved into RCR's primary car and 2000 Busch Series champion Jeff Green
Jeff Green (NASCAR)
Jeffery Green is an American stock car driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He currently drives part time in the Nationwide Series for Tri-Star Motorsports in their #44 entry and the Sprint Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports in their #55 entry.Green's 1990 Nashville Speedway USA championship...
was selected to drive the car in his place. The team debuted at the NAPA Auto Parts 500
Auto Club 500
The Auto Club 400 is a long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Prior to 2005, the race was held in late April or early May, and until 2010, the race was run at a length of 500 miles. When the NASCAR Realignment of 2005 was made, the race...
at California Speedway, with Green finishing 21st. The team qualified for six more races that season, with Green earning a pole at the Sharpie 500
Sharpie 500
The Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. It is one of two Sprint Cup races held at Bristol, the other being the Food City 500, but it is by far the more popular of the two...
at Bristol in August, and went full-time the next season as scheduled with Green behind the wheel.
Green posted six top-tens in the 2002 season, including a career best second at Loudon
New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic...
in July and finished seventeenth in points. Although the team started 2003 with a Daytona 500 pole, Green and the team failed to jell as Childress had hoped and later that season, in what amounted to a trade between organizations, Green was replaced by the former driver of the #1 car at Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is a NASCAR team based in Concord, North Carolina, United States, owned by Dale Earnhardt's widow Teresa Earnhardt, Chip Ganassi, and Felix Sabates. This team was formed when Dale Earnhardt, Inc...
, Steve Park
Steve Park (NASCAR)
Stephen Park is a professional race car driver. Park is currently racing in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East....
(Green took Park's ride at DEI following his firing). In 2004
2004 in NASCAR
The 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup season began on Saturday, February 7 and ended on Sunday, November 21. Kurt Busch with Roush Racing driving a Ford was the Nextel Cup champion....
, Childress promoted Johnny Sauter
Johnny Sauter
Johnathan Joseph Sauter is a NASCAR driver from Wisconsin. Sauter is the son of former NASCAR driver Jim Sauter, and the brother of NASCAR drivers Tim Sauter and Jay Sauter...
to the ride, hoping he would work like Harvick. Sauter was released just 13 races into the season. After that, Dave Blaney
Dave Blaney
David Blaney is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He currently drives the #36 Golden Corral/Big Red Chevrolet Impala for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Blaney was a successful sprint car driver before he started racing in NASCAR...
drove the car, only skipping Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma, California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists and turns that go up and down the hills...
when Jim Inglebright
Jim Inglebright
Jim Inglebright is an American racing driver born in Fairfield, California on November 18, 1961.Inglebright began his racing career driving motocross, however after seven knee operations he switched to stock car racing....
took the wheel. A couple of weeks after it was announced Blaney would be in the car for rest of the year, Jeff Burton
Jeff Burton
Jeffrey Brian "Jeff" Burton , also referred to as JB or The Mayor, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver who drives the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala for Richard Childress Racing. Burton is the younger brother of Ward Burton, who is a former Sprint Cup driver...
became available, and Childress knew he was too good to pass up, leaving Blaney out in the cold. Burton drove the car for the rest of the year, and when Robby Gordon
Robby Gordon
Robert W. "Robby" Gordon is an American racecar driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as an owner-driver, driving the No. 7 Speed Energy Dodge Charger for Robby Gordon Motorsports, and also competes part-time in the Nationwide Series...
left to start his own team, Burton moved to his old ride at Car 31. With AOL leaving as sponsor, Childress had two voids left to fill. He decided to rehire Blaney, and signed Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
to sponsor the car, marking one of the first hard liquor sponsorships in NASCAR's history. The team also changed its number to 07 to commemorate JD's slogan "Ol' No. 7". Blaney posted just 2 top ten finishes during 2005, finishing 26th in the standings. As a result, Blaney moved to the #22 Bill Davis Racing
Bill Davis Racing
Bill Davis Racing was a racing team that participated in all three of NASCAR's top divisions until 2009.The team had run Toyota-branded stock cars and trucks in both the Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Cup Series since 2007. Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac previously backed the team...
CAT Dodge in 2006. The following year Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #15 5 Hour Energy Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series for Michael Waltrip Racing. Early in his career, he drove for Richard Childress Racing. He won the 2008 Nationwide Series championship....
was placed in the #07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet for RCR. Bowyer not only put the 07 solidly in the 2007 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup
2007 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup
The 2007 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup was the ten-race playoffs which concluded the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. It began with the Sylvania 300 on September 16, 2007 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and ended with the Ford 400 on November 18 of the same year at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Jimmie...
, but also took the first win for this team at the Sylvania 300
Sylvania 300
The Sylvania 300 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.The Sylvania 300 has traditionally held in mid-September, however, the race has been rescheduled once in its history...
at Loudon
New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic...
. Clint finished third in the final standings in 2007. In 2008 Clint got his second win at Richmond at the Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400
On August 23, 2008, Casey Mears
Casey Mears
Casey James Mears is the driver of the #13 GEICO Toyota for Germain Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. He is a former winner of the Coca-Cola 600....
was announced as the driver of the #07 Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
Impala SS for the 2009 season
2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season was the 61st season of professional stock car racing in the United States, which began at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, with the 2009 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, a race for the top six teams of the four brands in the 2008...
. Bowyer will drive RCR's #33 car.
Jack Daniel's announced late in 2009 that they were pulling out of the sport, leaving the team without a sponsor. On January 30, 2010 RCR announced that they were selling the 07's owner points to Furniture Row Racing
Furniture Row Racing
Furniture Row Racing is a NASCAR team based in Colorado and fields the #78 Chevrolet Impala for Regan Smith. The team is owned and sponsored by the U.S. furniture store chain Furniture Row and is the only NASCAR team headquartered in Colorado....
and driver Casey Mears was released by RCR.
The fourth team's car will be revived for the 2011 season, as Paul Menard
Paul Menard
Paul Menard is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #27 Menards Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing and runs part-time for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is the son of Menards founder John Menard, Jr., whose company is his sponsor...
was signed by RCR on August 11, 2010 to drive it and will carry his Menards
Menards
Menards is a chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States.The privately held company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 262 stores in 13 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and...
sponsorship over to the team. The car will use the number 27. Former TRG Motorsports partner Tom Pumpelly will be listed as the owner of the #27 and the #35th place owner's points will be given to Menard. Menard won the Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com
2011 Brickyard 400
The 2011 Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com, the 18th running of the event, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on July 31, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. Contested over 160 laps on the 2.5-mile asphalt rectangular oval, it was the 20th...
at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
on July 31, 2011
Car #29 history
RCR debuted at the 1969 Talladega 500UAW Ford 500
The Good Sam Club 500 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. The AMP Energy 500 is also one of four races currently run with restrictor plates, the others being the Aaron's 499, the Coke Zero 400, and the Daytona 500. Through 1996, the...
as a 1968 Chevy numbered 13. Childress himself drove the car, finishing 23rd after suffering axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
problems. In 1972, the team came back to run fourteen races with Childress driving again, but didn't go fulltime until 1976 when he would begin using the #3. Childress earned eleven top-10 finishes and finished eleventh in points that year. Over the next few years, he posted many top-10s and twice was among the highest top 10 points earners, but he never was in serious contention to win. In 1981, he decided to end his career before the season ended, and handed his #3 ride to the defending Winston Cup champion, Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
, who brought his Wrangler
Wrangler Jeans
Wrangler is a manufacturer of jeans and other clothing items. The brand is owned by the VF Corporation, who also own Lee, JanSport and The North Face, among others. Its headquarters is in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, with production plants in a variety of locations throughout the world...
sponsorship with him.
After posting six-top tens, Earnhardt left to drive for Bud Moore
Bud Moore
Bud Moore may refer to:* Bud Moore , American football player and coach* Bud Moore , former NASCAR owner**Bud Moore Engineering, his team* Bud Moore , former NASCAR driver...
, and Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd is a former American NASCAR driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and Nationwide Series driver Jason Rudd. Rudd is known as the "Iron Man" of NASCAR; holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Rudd had made 788...
took his place for the 1982 season, with Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines (1948-1989)
Piedmont Airlines was a major airline in the United States which operated from 1948 until its operations were merged into USAir in 1989. Its headquarters were located at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a building which is now part of Wake Forest University.As of April 1989,...
becoming the sponsor. Rudd drove the car for both 1982 and 1983 finishing 9th in points both years, and winning twice the latter. But after the season was over, Rudd was replaced by none other than Earnhardt himself, with Wrangler back as sponsor (in perhaps an odd twist of fate, Rudd moved to Earnhardt's old ride, the #15 Bud Moore Engineering
Bud Moore Engineering
Bud Moore Engineering was a championship-winning NASCAR team. It was owned and operated by mechanic Bud Moore and ran out of Spartanburg, South Carolina. While the team was a dominant force in the 60s and 80s, the final years were tumultuous due to lack of sponorship and uncompetitive race cars.-...
Wrangler-sponsored Ford Thunderbird, which actually kept its sponsorship despite Earnhardt leaving). This time, Earnhardt was back for good, winning six championships over the next two decades, with crew chiefs Kirk Shelmerdine
Kirk Shelmerdine
Kirk Shelmerdine is a NASCAR driver and former championship-winning crew chief for the late Dale Earnhardt.-Crew chief:...
and Andy Petree
Andy Petree
Andy Petree , is a long-time fixture in NASCAR. After racing for years at local short track , Andy became part owner of the #32 Busch Series car for Dale Jarrett. By the age of 28, Andy was already a NASCAR Winston Cup crew chief on the Leo Jackson racing team...
, and Goodwrench replacing Wrangler as sponsor after 1987. During the latter part of the 90's Earnhardt's performance began to slow down, and went through 1997
1997 in NASCAR
- 1997 Team Chart :- Busch Clash :The Busch Clash, a race for polewinners from the previous season, and drivers who have won the event before, was run on February 9 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Terry Labonte drew the pole...
without a single victory. In 1998
1998 in NASCAR
See Also: 1998 in NASCAR Busch Series-1998 Team Chart:-Bud Shootout Qualifier:The Bud Shootout Qualifier, a race for the fastest second round qualifier, from each race from the previous season, was run on February 8 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Sterling Marlin drew the pole...
, he won the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
after 20 starts, all ending in losses. The next year, he was able to capture wins at Talladega
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
, as well as cause more controversy, after he spun Terry Labonte
Terry Labonte
Terrance Lee Labonte is a semi-retired NASCAR driver who occasionally drives in the Sprint Cup Series when called upon and is a two-time Winston Cup and IROC champion. He currently drives the #32 U.S. Chrome Ford for FAS Lane Racing. Labonte was introduced to the sport through his father, who had...
to win on the last lap at Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
. In 2000
2000 in NASCAR
The 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 13 and ended on Sunday November 20. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte was crowned champion at season's end. The NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship was won by Ford when they captured 14 wins and 234 points to better Pontiac's 11 wins...
, he looked like he was finally regaining his old form, winning twice and finishing runner-up to Bobby Labonte
Bobby Labonte
Robert Alan "Bobby" Labonte is an American race car driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #47 Kroger/Clorox/Kimberly-Clark/Kingsford/Reese Towpower Hitches Toyota Camry for JTG Daugherty Racing. He currently resides in Trinity, North Carolina. He is married to his wife...
in points, and his many fans hoped he was gearing up for his record-breaking eighth championship. Sadly, this was not to be. On February 18, 2001, on the last lap of the Daytona 500, Earnhardt was tagged from behind and crashed head-on into the turn 4 wall. He did not survive and was pronounced dead at 5:16 pm. NASCAR was numb with grief. Deciding to carry on, Childress changed the number of the car to 29, changed the paint scheme from black to white, and chose his Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
driver Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
to drive the car.
After three races Harvick beat out Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon is a professional NASCAR driver. He is the driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet Impala. He is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the...
by mere inches to win the Cracker Barrel 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
, dedicating the win to Earnhardt. After posting another win at Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, USA, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR racing including the opening event in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IZOD IndyCar Series, recording...
, Harvick won NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors. In 2002, Harvick's infamous temper escalated after announcing on his radio he would intentionally wreck another racer during a Craftsman Truck
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
race. In response, NASCAR benched Harvick for the next race, and was replaced during that time by Kenny Wallace
Kenny Wallace
Kenneth Wallace is an American stock car driver who currently drives the #09 Family Farmers/University of Northwestern Ohio/Federated Auto Parts/American Ethanol/Iowa Corn/G-Oil/Marquis Energy Toyota Camry for RAB Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series...
. Since then, Harvick has won eight races, including the prestigious Brickyard 400 and Daytona 500 while scoring a (at the time) career-best points effort of 4th in both 2006 and 2008. Despite a win early in the season, back-to-back seasons of missing "The Chase for the Nextel Cup" with 14th-place efforts proved to be frustrating, as Harvick threatened to leave the team if performance did not improve. A series of strong runs near the end of 2005 seemed to satisfy him, however, and he was be back in the car in 2006 with Reese's as a new co-primary sponsor. After a somewhat slow start, Harvick hit his stride in April, with a string of Top 10 finishes, including a win at Phoenix. He eventually made the chase and led the standings for the first time in the first week of the chase. This helped RCR to be a dominant force in NASCAR again. After weeks of speculation as to where Kevin would drive starting in 2007, he and RCR announced a new three-year deal, with Kevin driving for Childress until 2009.
For 2007 the team had a significant change in sponsorship. GM Goodwrench would become an associate sponsor on the #29, while Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
and Pennzoil
Pennzoil
Pennzoil is an American oil company founded in Los Angeles, California in 1913. In 1955, it was acquired by Oil City, Pennsylvania company South Penn Oil, a former branch of Standard Oil. In 1963, South Penn Oil merged with Zapata Petroleum; the merged company took the Pennzoil name. During the...
took over primary sponsorship. Harvick's 2007 season started out on a high note with a win in the 2007 Daytona 500
2007 Daytona 500
The 2007 Daytona 500 was the first race of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season, taking place on February 18, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Kevin Harvick won the race by .02 second over Mark Martin in the closest finish since the first race at Daytona...
in a close finish with veteran Mark Martin
Mark Martin
Mark Martin may refer to:* Mark Martin , American racecar driver* Mark Martin , American cartoonist* Mark Martin , American judge* Mark Martin , British murderer...
. Harvick would score another win at the All Star
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, formerly known as The Winston until 2004, then the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge from 2004 until 2007, is a race open to race winners from the previous season as well as the current season, plus the past ten event winners and past decade's Cup Series champions...
, holding off Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He currently drives the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports....
. Harvick entered a slump during the summer, and was involved in a trackside altercation with Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán is a Colombian race car driver known internationally for participating and winning in Formula One and CART race competitions. He has enjoyed great success. Currently, he competes in NASCAR, driving the #42 Target Chevrolet Impala for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the Sprint...
. However, Harvick and his team held off a struggling Dale Earnhardt Jr. to make the Chase for the Cup. Harvick's Chase performance would not be a repeat of 2006, and he would finish 10th in the points. Harvick won the 2009 Budweiser Shootout
2009 Budweiser Shootout
The 2009 Budweiser Shootout was a special non-points race that officially openend the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season on Saturday night, February 7 of that year at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The race was btelecast by Fox, with radio broadcasting being done...
and finished second in the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
.
After not making the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup
2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup
The 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup was the ten-race playoff that determined the champion of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, contested among the top twelve drivers following the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 on September 12 at Richmond International Raceway...
, it was expected that Harvick would leave RCR after his contract ends at the conclusion of the 2010 season. However, after a strong start to the 2010 season, Harvick signed a multi-year extension to his RCR contract in May, 2010. Harvick went on to finish 3rd in points for the 2010 season, the highest finish of his career. The team's sponsor, Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
and Pennzoil
Pennzoil
Pennzoil is an American oil company founded in Los Angeles, California in 1913. In 1955, it was acquired by Oil City, Pennsylvania company South Penn Oil, a former branch of Standard Oil. In 1963, South Penn Oil merged with Zapata Petroleum; the merged company took the Pennzoil name. During the...
, left after the 2010 season and joined Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
. Budweiser
Budweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
replaced it as the car's primary sponsor beginning in the 2011 season.
Car #31 history
For over a decade, car #31 was Childress's R&D car. It debuted in 1988 at the fall event at North Carolina SpeedwayNorth Carolina Speedway
Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located near Rockingham, North Carolina...
, as #22 and Rodney Combs
Rodney Combs
Rodney Combs is a former NASCAR driver. He has not been in NASCAR since 1997, when he was released from his ride in the Busch Series. Combs was born on March 27, 1950 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Combs entered NASCAR after many years on the open-wheel and short track circuit in the Midwest, racing with...
driving, finishing dead last. Ironically, when Bill Elliott
Bill Elliott
William Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
's backup car failed during practice for the pit crew championship, Elliott drove that backup car for his #9 team to do the competition pit stop. The car wasn't seen again until 1993, as #31 and Earnhardt's longtime friend Neil Bonnett
Neil Bonnett
Lawrence Neil Bonnett was a NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. The Alabama native currently ranks 35th in all-time NASCAR Cup victories. He appeared in the 1983 film Stroker Ace and the 1990 film Days of Thunder...
driving at Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
. In this race, Bonnett, already on a comeback, was involved in a horrifying accident, but made it out okay. After driving another race that year for RCR, Bonnett died testing Phoenix Racing
Phoenix Racing
Phoenix Racing is a NASCAR team owned by James Finch. It currently fields the #51 Chevrolet Impala in the Sprint Cup Series driven by Landon Cassill and the #1 Chevrolet Impala in the Nationwide Series driven by Landon Cassill and Jamie McMurray....
's #51 Country Time Lemonade car for the 1994
1994 in NASCAR
The 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 20 and ended on Sunday November 13. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing was crowned champion at season's end, winning consecutive Winston Cups for the third time in his career and tying Richard Petty for the record of most top-level...
Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
.
In 1996, the car returned with defending Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
champion Mike Skinner
Mike Skinner (NASCAR)
Mike Skinner is an American driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is the primary driver of the #60 Big Red Soda Toyota Camry for Germain Racing. He is the father of former NASCAR drivers Jamie and Dustin Skinner...
driving with Realtree sponsoring the car in four of the five races it ran. Skinner had three-top starts that year, including one on the outside pole. The team finally ran full-time in 1997, with Skinner driving and Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
as the sponsor. Skinner won the pole position for both of the races at Daytona
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
, and defeated what has turned out to be a very scant field of drivers for rookie of the year. He suffered some injuries in 1998, and Morgan Shepherd
Morgan Shepherd
Clay Morgan Shepherd has been a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver since 1977. He has also raced in the Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series. He is a born again Christian who serves as a lay minister to the racing community...
and Childress' son-in-law Mike Dillon
Mike Dillon (NASCAR)
Mike Dillon is a former NASCAR Busch Series race car driver for Richard Childress Racing, and the current general manager for the team after having raced in all three national series. He is the son-in-law of Richard Childress. He acts as spotter for RCR driver for Clint Bowyer.- Winston Cup Series...
filled in for him. Teamed with crew chief Larry McReynolds
Larry McReynolds
Lawrence Joseph McReynolds III is a former NASCAR crew chief and currently serves as a racing analyst on Fox Sports, TNT and a columnist on Foxsports.com. He currently lives in Mooresville, North Carolina...
, 1999
1999 in NASCAR
The 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 7 and ended on Sunday November 21. Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett was crowned the champion...
was his best season ever, winning the pole position twice, and finished tenth in points after being the championship leader at one point earlier in the year. However, Skinner was never able to win a points-paying race, although he won two exhibition races in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, at Suzuka
Suzuka
Suzuka may refer to:*Suzuka , a Japanese media franchise*Suzuka, Mie, a city in Mie Prefecture, Japan**Suzuka Circuit, a race track***1000km Suzuka, a sports car race***Suzuka 8 Hours, a motorcycle race***Suzuka 8 Hours...
and Twin Ring Motegi
Twin Ring Motegi
is an automobile racing track located at Motegi, Japan. Its name comes from the facility having two race tracks: a oval and a road course. It was built in 1997 by Honda, as part of Honda's effort to bring the IndyCar Series to Japan, helping to increase their knowledge of American open-wheel...
, respectively, as well as some other non-point events. In 2001
2001 in NASCAR
The 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season began on February 11 at the Daytona International Speedway and ended on November 23 at the New Hampshire International Speedway. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports was crowned series champion for the fourth time in seven years. The season was marked by tragedy,...
, he suffered injuries in the opening laps at the inaugural race at Chicagoland
Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, USA, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR racing including the opening event in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IZOD IndyCar Series, recording...
. Robby Gordon
Robby Gordon
Robert W. "Robby" Gordon is an American racecar driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as an owner-driver, driving the No. 7 Speed Energy Dodge Charger for Robby Gordon Motorsports, and also competes part-time in the Nationwide Series...
filled in for him, and struggled heavily, failing to post any top-10 finishes. Skinner returned at Bristol
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
, but he just wasn't the same, and Gordon took his place for him. Late in 2001, it was announced Gordon would drive the car the next year, to the puzzlement of many. Gordon was engaged in a closing-laps battle later in the year with Jeff Gordon to win the season finale at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Armed with a big surge of momentum and a new sponsor in Cingular Wireless
Cingular Wireless
AT&T Mobility LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T that provides wireless services to 100.7 million subscribers in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands...
had five top-ten finishes and finished 20th in points the following year. 2003
2003 in NASCAR
The 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup began on Saturday February 8 and ended on Sunday November 16. Matt Kenseth with Roush Racing driving a Ford was crowned the Winston Cup champion, despite winning only one race all year. Chevrolet took home the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship after capturing 19 wins...
was even better, as he swept both road course events and improved four spots in points. After his performance dipped down in 2004, Gordon decided to leave and start his own team, the #7 with Robby Gordon Motorsports
Robby Gordon Motorsports
Robby Gordon Motorsports is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. It fields the #7 Dodge Charger for Robby Gordon. It is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is owned by Gordon and heavily supported by John Menard, Jr.-2005:...
, and Jeff Burton
Jeff Burton
Jeffrey Brian "Jeff" Burton , also referred to as JB or The Mayor, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver who drives the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala for Richard Childress Racing. Burton is the younger brother of Ward Burton, who is a former Sprint Cup driver...
was tabbed as his replacement. Burton had 3 top 5 and 6 top 10 finishes in 2005, finishing 18th in points.
In 2006, Burton finished seventh in the 2006 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup
2006 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup
The 2006 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup was a ten-race series that commenced with the Sylvania 300 on September 17, 2006 at New Hampshire International Speedway and concluded with the Ford 400 on November 19 of that same year at Homestead-Miami Speedway...
. He also won four poles and got his first win in 175 races at Dover. Because of the merger of AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
and BellSouth
BellSouth
BellSouth Corporation is an American telecommunications holding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth was one of the seven original Regional Bell Operating Companies after the U.S...
the Cingular brand was eliminated. It's sponsorship for the 31 car ended in 2008 due to this and the prohibition of cellular phone sponsors in Sprint Cup. The change of names would constitute a new sponsorship. In June 2008, Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
announced that it would leave the #22 Bill Davis Racing
Bill Davis Racing
Bill Davis Racing was a racing team that participated in all three of NASCAR's top divisions until 2009.The team had run Toyota-branded stock cars and trucks in both the Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Cup Series since 2007. Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac previously backed the team...
Toyota to sponsor the #31 starting in 2009.
Car #33 history
What is now the #33 car started as the #90 car in 2003. RCR entered the #90 Chevrolet at the fall Talladega race with John AndrettiJohn Andretti
John Andretti is an American race car driver. He has won in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series and NASCAR. He was the last NASCAR driver to win a Cup race for the famous Petty Enterprises team.-Andretti family:...
driving. The car was sponsored by AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
9.0, and the car was numbered 90 for marketing purposes. In 2004, it was announced that Kerry Earnhardt would drive a #33 Richard Childress Racing Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet in 5 NASCAR Nextel Cup events in 2004. Mike Skinner
Mike Skinner (NASCAR)
Mike Skinner is an American driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is the primary driver of the #60 Big Red Soda Toyota Camry for Germain Racing. He is the father of former NASCAR drivers Jamie and Dustin Skinner...
would run the first race in the car at the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, finishing 22nd. Kerry Earnhardt drove the car in the other three restrictor plate
Restrictor plate
A restrictor plate or air restrictor is a device installed at the intake of an engine to limit its power. This kind of system is occasionally used in road vehicles for insurance purposes, but mainly in automobile racing, to limit top speed and thus increase safety, to provide equal level of...
races with Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is a privately held retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise. Bass Pro Shops is known for a large selection of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear.-History:The owner, John L...
sponsoring, his best finish being 24th. Earnhardt attempted all of the restrictor plate races again in 2005
2005 in NASCAR
The 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series began on Saturday, February 12. The ten race Chase for the Nextel Cup started with the Sylvania 300 on Sunday, September 18, and ended on Sunday, November 20, with the Ford 400....
, finishing 17th at Talladega. In addition, road course ringer Brian Simo
Brian Simo
Brian Simo is a race car driver from Carlsbad, California, USA. On the NASCAR circuits, he is a road course ringer who races selected road course races. He drove the #33 Korbel Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing at Infineon Raceway in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in 2005, recording a top ten...
brought home a 10th-place finish at Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma, California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists and turns that go up and down the hills...
. Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #15 5 Hour Energy Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series for Michael Waltrip Racing. Early in his career, he drove for Richard Childress Racing. He won the 2008 Nationwide Series championship....
, Childress' Busch Series driver in the Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
, made his Nextel Cup debut in this car with Sylvania
Osram Sylvania
Osram Sylvania Inc. is the North American operation of lighting manufacturer Osram GmbH, which is owned by Siemens AG. It was established in January 1993, with the acquisition of GTE’s Sylvania lighting division by Osram GmbH....
sponsorship at Phoenix in April 2005.
On May 2, 2008, The team attempted and failed to qualify for the 2008 Crown Royal presents the Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond, with Nationwide Series Driver Scott Wimmer on board, and the Holiday Inn Sponsorship. RCR expanded to 4 full time Sprint Cup teams in 2009 with sponsorship from General Mills' Cheerios and Hamburger Helper brands on the #33 Chevrolet. ESPN has reported that Bobby Labonte who was rumored to be moving to RCR after the 2008 season has agreed to a contract extension with Petty Enterprises. On August 23, 2008, RCR driver Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #15 5 Hour Energy Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series for Michael Waltrip Racing. Early in his career, he drove for Richard Childress Racing. He won the 2008 Nationwide Series championship....
was announced as the driver of the #33 General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
Impala SS for the 2009 season. Casey Mears
Casey Mears
Casey James Mears is the driver of the #13 GEICO Toyota for Germain Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. He is a former winner of the Coca-Cola 600....
took over Bowyer's previous car, the #07 Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
Impala SS. In his first race in the car, Bowyer finished fourth in the 2009 Daytona 500
2009 Daytona 500
The 2009 Daytona 500, the fifty-first running of Daytona 500, was the first points-paying race to open the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The race was won by Matt Kenseth making a car numbered 17 winning the Daytona 500 for the first time in 20 years since Darrell Waltrip's win back in 1989 and the...
.The Hartford
The Hartford
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. , usually known as The Hartford, is a Fortune 500 company and one of America’s largest investment and insurance companies...
was a sponsor of the #33 during 2010. In 2011, the team struggled with consistency and failed to make the Chase.
Car #2 history
RCR has fielded this entry in the Nationwide Series since the fall North Carolina Speedway race in 19991999 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 1999 NASCAR Busch Series season began on February 13 and ended on November 13. Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. won the season points championship.See also: 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1999 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-1999 Team chart:...
, moving the entire team from the Craftsman Truck Series. Kevin Harvick was the first driver of the #2 AC Delco Chevy, winning three races and winning Rookie of the Year, despite missing the spring race at North Carolina Speedway
North Carolina Speedway
Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located near Rockingham, North Carolina...
. He went on to win the championship in the Busch Series in 2001
2001 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2001 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 17 and ended November 10.Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing was champion.See also: 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 2001 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-2001 Team chart:...
while running full time in Winston Cup as well. In 2002
2002 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2002 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 16 and ended November 16. Greg Biffle of Roush Racing was crowned champion.See Also: 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-2002 Team chart:...
, rookie driver Johnny Sauter won at Chicagoland, and finished 14th in points. The next year, Ron Hornaday
Ron Hornaday
Ronald Hornaday, Jr. is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver. He is the father of former NASCAR driver Ronnie Hornaday, and son of the late Ron Hornaday, Sr., a two-time Winston West Champion. Adding on to the family legacy, Ron is a four-time champion in the Truck Series, his most recent...
drove the car full-time, winning once and posting a third place finish in points. Hornaday followed up that performance with another win and a drop to 4th in points the following year. In 2005
2005 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2005 season of the NASCAR Busch Series began with the Hershey's Take 5 300 at Daytona International Speedway and concluded with the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Martin Truex Jr...
, Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #15 5 Hour Energy Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series for Michael Waltrip Racing. Early in his career, he drove for Richard Childress Racing. He won the 2008 Nationwide Series championship....
took the reins, in a program headed up by veteran crew chief Gil Martin
Gil Martin
Gil Martin is the NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chief for the #29 Budweiser/ Jimmy John's/ Rheem Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Impala driven by Kevin Harvick. He is the first Crew Chief to win in all three divisions of Cup, Nationwide, and Truck Series. He is married to wife Ronda and has one son,...
, winning at Nashville Speedway and Memphis Motorsports Park, finishing second in points. Bowyer was back in the #2 car in 2006 with crew chief Dan Deeringhoff, while Martin moved up to run the 07 Jack Daniels program. Bowyer ran the full Nextel Cup schedule for RCR in the #07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet, also running the full BGN season with the #2 car where he finished 3rd in points. 2006 was the final year for AC Delco, as the 2007 sponsor for the #2 will be BB&T
BB&T
BB&T Corporation is an American bank with assets of $157 billion , offering full-service commercial and retail banking services along with other financial services like insurance, investments, retail brokerage, mortgage, corporate finance, consumer finance, payment services, international...
. Bowyer will run about 17 races in the #2 for the 2007 season and he will run full-time in 2008 season. Kenny Wallace
Kenny Wallace
Kenneth Wallace is an American stock car driver who currently drives the #09 Family Farmers/University of Northwestern Ohio/Federated Auto Parts/American Ethanol/Iowa Corn/G-Oil/Marquis Energy Toyota Camry for RAB Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series...
drove for the team in a one-race deal at Gateway International Raceway
Gateway International Raceway
Gateway Motorsports Park is a race track in Madison, Illinois, USA, just east of St. Louis, Missouri. After being shuttered by former owner Dover Motorsports Inc., on Nov. 3, 2010, it was announced Sept. 8, 2011, that the facility would re-open and host an NHRA Full Throttle Series event Oct. 5-7,...
, sponsored by sandwich chain Jimmy John's
Jimmy John's
Jimmy John's is a franchised sandwich restaurant founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983 and headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. The franchise has over 1000 locations in 39 states and has opened approximately 200 units per year for the last three years...
. In 2008, Bowyer won the NASCAR Nationwide Series Drivers Championship. In 2009 this car ran a partial schedule Sean Caisse
Sean Caisse
Sean Caisse is a stock car driver. Caisse rose through the ranks of karting to full-size stock cars at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, N.H. He progressed from Hobby Stocks to Late Models and beyond while still a teenager. He then joined the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series in 2004...
and Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon is an American stock car racing driver. He is the son of former driver and RCR general manager Mike Dillon and grandson of Richard Childress....
sharing the ride. The team shut down in 2009. In 2012, team will return after Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
sold his to Childress in late 2011. Elliott Sadler
Elliott Sadler
Elliott William Barnes Sadler is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Impala for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is one of only 23 drivers to have won in each of NASCAR's top three series...
will be the driver.
Car #21 history
The 21 car also debuted in 20002000 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2000 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 19 and ended on November 11. Jeff Green of ppc Racing was crowned series champion.See also: 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-2000 Team chart:...
, with Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation is a global provider of industrial automation, power, control and information solutions. Brands in industrial automation include Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software....
as the sponsor and Childress' son-in-law Mike Dillon
Mike Dillon (NASCAR)
Mike Dillon is a former NASCAR Busch Series race car driver for Richard Childress Racing, and the current general manager for the team after having raced in all three national series. He is the son-in-law of Richard Childress. He acts as spotter for RCR driver for Clint Bowyer.- Winston Cup Series...
driving. Dillon posted two top 10 finishes and finished 23rd in points that year. Six races into 2001, Dillon was injured at Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
, and it was announced at the time he would be out for the rest of the year. Since then, he has taken on other roles with the team. His replacement was Mike Skinner, but after his injury, Jeff Purvis
Jeff Purvis
Jeff Purvis is a former race car driver in NASCAR's Nationwide Series. He is a 15-year veteran with four wins and 25 top-five finishes. Purvis is still recovering from a massive brain injury suffered in 2002. He races "Late Model Crates" at Golden Isles Speedway.- Winston Cup Series Career :Purvis...
took over briefly, winning at Pikes Peak, before Skinner returned. After Skinner's release, Robby Gordon had the driving duties for the balance of the season. The next year, Jeff Green and Jay Sauter
Jay Sauter
Jay Sauter is a NASCAR driver. He previously drove the #34 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Frank Cicci Racing in the Busch Series. Sauter is the son of former NASCAR driver Jim Sauter, and the brother of fellow drivers Tim Sauter and Johnny Sauter...
drove the car. In 2003
2003 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 2003 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 15 and ended November 15. Brian Vickers of Hendrick Motorsports won the championship.See Also: 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-2003 Team chart:...
, Childress decided to try to win the Busch Series' owner's championship with the #21, which would have been a first in the history of the series. Hershey Foods
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S...
became the team's sponsor through its PayDay
PayDay (confection)
PayDay is a candy bar consisting of salted peanuts around a center of caramel, currently produced by The Hershey Company.-History:PayDay was first introduced in 1932 by Frank Martoccio. Martoccio founded the F.A. Martoccio Macaroni Company, and also later served as head of the Hollywood Candy...
candy bar brand. Kevin Harvick and Johnny Sauter were tabbed to split the ride, with Harvick making as many starts as he could and Sauter picking up the remaining races. Childress' gamble paid off, as the #21 won the series owner's championship behind three wins from Harvick. Harvick has been the anchor driver ever since, with Clint Bowyer doing the co-driving honors in 2004 and Brandon Miller in 2005 and sponsorship from Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Jeff Burton drove the car at Bristol in 2005. In 2006, Harvick and Jeff Burton split the driving duties in the car with United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
sponsorship as Harvick attempted to run the entire Busch Series schedule in three different cars. Burton won at Atlanta, and Harvick won three more races, pulling out to an over 700-point lead in the points standings with 5 races to go in the 2006 season. AutoZone
AutoZone
AutoZone is a retailer and distributor of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories. based in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:Originally a division of Memphis-based wholesale grocer Malone & Hyde, the company went under the name Auto Shack...
replaced the Coast Guard sponsorship in 2007
2007 in NASCAR
The 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season began on February 10, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout and ended on November 18 of that same year at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 400. The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup began with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire...
, and Harvick drove along with development driver Timothy Peters
Timothy Peters
Timothy Peters is an American NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race car driver. He currently drives the No. 17 K&N Engineering, Inc. Toyota for Red Horse Racing. He is a former member of the Bobby Hamilton Racing and Richard Childress Racing driver development programs.-Racing career:He began his...
, until Peters was replaced by Sprint car driver Tim McCreadie
Tim McCreadie
Tim McCreadie is an American Dirt Late Model racing driver. He currently drives the #39 Sweeteners Plus Late Model. In 2007 he ran a partial schedule in NASCAR West Series, ARCA RE/MAX Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and World of Outlaws Late Model Series.-Racing career:As a youth, McCreadie raced go...
. Beginning in 2008 Bobby Labonte
Bobby Labonte
Robert Alan "Bobby" Labonte is an American race car driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #47 Kroger/Clorox/Kimberly-Clark/Kingsford/Reese Towpower Hitches Toyota Camry for JTG Daugherty Racing. He currently resides in Trinity, North Carolina. He is married to his wife...
will drive the 21 car for 15 races of the season. In May 2008, the team shut down due to financial problems but returned at the Emerson Radio 250
Emerson Radio 250
The Virginia 529 College Savings 250 is a NASCAR Nationwide Series stock car race that takes place at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. It is held the night before the Sprint Cup Series race, the Air Guard 400...
to debut Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon is an American stock car racing driver. He is the son of former driver and RCR general manager Mike Dillon and grandson of Richard Childress....
, son of former driver Mike Dillon and grandson to Richard Childress.
In 2010 RCR hired John Wes Townley
John Wes Townley
John Wes Townley is a former NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. Although currently not driving for the team, Townley is still under contract with Richard Childress Racing. Townley lost his ride for being involved in too many one-car accidents.Townley drove in the American Speed Association prior to...
as driver of car #21, with Zaxby's
Zaxby's
Zaxby's is a franchised chain of fast casual restaurants that operates primarily in the Southeastern United States with 500 locations. Zaxby's 500th location opened in Tifton, Georgia the summer of 2010. The first Zaxby's was opened in Statesboro, Georgia, near the Georgia Southern University...
as sponsor. On April 9 John Wes Townley was pulled from the #21 car after a practice crash at Phoenix. RCR said it was for precationary reasons, but Townley later returned to RAB Racing
RAB Racing
RAB Racing with Brack Maggard is a team the competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and formerly the ARCA RE/MAX Series. It is co-owned by former NASCAR driver Robert A. Benton Sr. and his son Robert Jr. along with Georgia businessman and Southern Pan Services founder Brack Maggard and was founded...
. Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #15 5 Hour Energy Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series for Michael Waltrip Racing. Early in his career, he drove for Richard Childress Racing. He won the 2008 Nationwide Series championship....
took over driving duties at Phoenix. Scott Riggs
Scott Riggs
Russell Scott Riggs is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #81 Dodge Charger for Whitney Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.-Early career:...
drove at Nashville and Kentucky in June. After the July Daytona race, Morgan Shepherd
Morgan Shepherd
Clay Morgan Shepherd has been a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver since 1977. He has also raced in the Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series. He is a born again Christian who serves as a lay minister to the racing community...
stepped behind the wheel for several weeks, taking a break for Bristol to handle his own car for Faith Motorsports
Faith Motorsports
Faith Motorsports is a currently active NASCAR Nationwide Series team. They currently field the #89 Chevrolet for Morgan Shepherd and the #55 Chevrolet for Brett Rowe.-Beginnings:...
, which didn't make the field. RCR and Shepherd formed Shepherd Racing Ventures on August 31 to keep the #21 running the rest of the year. Bowyer drove with Zaxby's sponsorship at Atlanta, Richmond, Charlotte
Dollar General 300
The Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage is a NASCAR Nationwide Series stock car race that takes place at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina...
, and Texas
O'Reilly Challenge
The O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge is a NASCAR Nationwide Series stock car race that takes place at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. The race came about from the results of the Ferko lawsuit in 2004...
while Shepherd ran an unsponsored #21 car, the other 7 races. Shepherd returned to his Faith Motorsports operation full time and RCR shut this team down. RCR later transferred the #21 owners points to Shepherd. In 2011, RCR briefly restarted its Nationwide program, running a few races with development driver Tim George, Jr. and sponsorship from Applebees.
Car #29 history
Johnny Sauter
Johnathan Joseph Sauter is a NASCAR driver from Wisconsin. Sauter is the son of former NASCAR driver Jim Sauter, and the brother of NASCAR drivers Tim Sauter and Jay Sauter...
in 2003 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a race track in Homestead, Florida southwest of Miami.Since 2002 Homestead has hosted the final races of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series...
as a thank you from Richard Childress for Sauter's help in winning the 2003 owners' championship.
The 29 car appeared in 2005 at Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
as part of a promotion for Reese's Chocolate and Peanut Butter Lovers Cups. The promotion involved the 29 painted as the Chocolate Lovers car and the 21 painted as the Peanut Butter Lovers car. The plan was for Jeff Burton
Jeff Burton
Jeffrey Brian "Jeff" Burton , also referred to as JB or The Mayor, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver who drives the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala for Richard Childress Racing. Burton is the younger brother of Ward Burton, who is a former Sprint Cup driver...
to drive the 29 while Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
would drive the 21. Qualifying was rained out, so the entries were switched to assure that both cars would make the field (Harvick was a past champion and the #29 was not locked in). Burton drove the 21 while Harvick drove the 29. Harvick won the race in this car with Burton finishing second in the 21. Later in the season, Mayflower Transit
Mayflower Transit
Mayflower Transit, LLC is a moving company, now part of UniGroup, Inc. Founded in 1927, it is the nation's oldest van line and has the most recognized name in moving.- History :...
sponsored this car in at least one race run by Jeff Burton.
On March 17, 2006, Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
announced its sponsorship of the 29 for ten races with Burton returning as its driver. The new car made its 2006 debut at Richmond. Burton finished in the top ten all four times the car raced in 2006, including a win at Dover
Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway is a NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Dover, Delaware, owned by, and serving as the corporate headquarters of, Dover Motorsports, Inc. It is co-located with a harness racing track, Dover Downs, and shares the complex with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino...
in June.
In 2007, the #29 went full-time and, like the #21 several years before, Childress set out to win the owners' championship for a second time without a full-time driver. Burton and Scott Wimmer
Scott Wimmer
Scott Wimmer is a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. He has a total of 6 wins in the Nationwide Series. His brother Chris Wimmer competed in the Busch Series. Wimmer co-owns State Park Speedway in a Wausau suburb...
, who had just lost a Sprint Cup Series ride due to lack of sponsorship, shared the #29 with Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
sponsoring. Burton won five times and Wimmer put together several strong finishes in his time in the car, and Childress had his second Busch Series owners' championship in which no full-time driver raced for the team.
Wimmer left the team following the 2008 season. After one additional season with Burton, Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #15 5 Hour Energy Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series for Michael Waltrip Racing. Early in his career, he drove for Richard Childress Racing. He won the 2008 Nationwide Series championship....
, and Stephen Leicht
Stephen Leicht
Stephen Leicht is an American stock car driver. He is currently a free agent. He has over 150 feature event wins in quarter midgets and go-karts.-Early racing career:...
driving, RCR shut down the team after Holiday Inn pulled its sponsorship.
Truck #3 History
In the infant years of the CWTS (then known as the SuperTruck Series), RCR fielded its own truck team, always the #3 Goodwrench Chevy. Mike Skinner drove the truck the initial two years, winning the series first championship in 19951995 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 1995 NASCAR SuperTruck Series Season, the first one ever to be run, began February 5 and ended October 28. Mike Skinner of Richard Childress Racing won the championship.See also: 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1995 NASCAR Busch Series...
along with 16 races. After he left, Jay Sauter
Jay Sauter
Jay Sauter is a NASCAR driver. He previously drove the #34 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Frank Cicci Racing in the Busch Series. Sauter is the son of former NASCAR driver Jim Sauter, and the brother of fellow drivers Tim Sauter and Johnny Sauter...
hopped on board, winning four times and finishing in the top 10 in points all three years. He was the last driver to win for RCR in the Camping World Truck Series, until July 11, 2010 when Childress's grandson, Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon is an American stock car racing driver. He is the son of former driver and RCR general manager Mike Dillon and grandson of Richard Childress....
, won the Lucas Oil 200
Lucas Oil 200
The Coca-Cola 200 presented by Hy-Vee is a 200 lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race held at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.-Past winners:*2010: Race extended to 205 laps / 179.375 miles due to a Green-white-checker finish.-References:*...
at Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond International Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful...
. After 1999
1999 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 1999 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Season began March 20 and ended October 30. Jack Sprague of Hendrick Motorsports was crowned champion.See also: 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1999 NASCAR Busch Series- 1999 Team Chart :...
, Childress moved the program up to the NASCAR Busch Series.
The truck team returned during the 2009 season as the #3 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Childress's grandson, Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon is an American stock car racing driver. He is the son of former driver and RCR general manager Mike Dillon and grandson of Richard Childress....
for the inaugural race at Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond International Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful...
. Dillon would start 9th and finish 12th despite an early spin.
In 2010
2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
The 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season was the fifteenth season of the third highest stock car racing series in the United States. Beginning at Daytona International Speedway, the season included twenty-five races, which ended with the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway...
, Dillon drove the #3 truck full-time sponsored by Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is a privately held retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise. Bass Pro Shops is known for a large selection of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear.-History:The owner, John L...
. Austin won an impressive 5 poles, 2 wins (Iowa and Vegas), and had 15 top tens en route to a 5th place finish in the championship and the 2010 ROTY award. Dillon will return for 2011.
In 2011, Dillon drove the truck to a Truck title at Homestead. But in 2012 he will move up to the Nationwide series. His brother, Ty Dillon
Ty Dillon
Ty Dillon is an American stock car racing driver. Son of former driver and RCR general manager Mike Dillon and grandson of Richard Childress, he drives for Richard Childress Racing in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, winning the 2011 series championship...
will drive in 2012.
Truck #22 History
This is Childress' second truck team for 2011. The truck will be driven by rookie Joey CoulterJoey Coulter
Joey Coulter is an American stock car driver. He currently drives the #22 Chevrolet Silverado for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series-Early career:...
.
Development
For 2011, Richard Childress Racing will field the #31 Chevrolet for Tim George Jr. and the #41 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon. Ty is the younger brother of Austin Dillon and one of Richard's grandchildren.Controversy
Following the 2007 Daytona 500 win, Harvick's winning car infuriated NASCAR fuel supplier Sunoco. The car's large Shell logos on the car and team uniforms violated NASCAR's ban on fuel sponsorships, in the opinion of Sunoco, which has exclusive fuel rights. The Shell logo has since shrunk on the car, while the Shell name remains on the side of the car and its Pennzoil brand appears more.AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
has repeatedly requested that NASCAR allow them to advertise the AT&T Mobility brand on the #31 car, but NASCAR refuses to allow it, citing the Sprint Nextel contract. After trying and failing to get NASCAR to approve the addition of the globe logo to the rear of the car, AT&T filed a lawsuit against NASCAR on March 16, 2007. On May 18, a federal judge ruled that AT&T should be allowed to replace the Cingular logos with AT&T logos, and said that AT&T was likely to win the lawsuit. The AT&T logo ran on the #31 at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup All-Star Challenge on May 19 and so far ever since then until NASCAR ordered the sponsorship off before the 2007 Sharpie 500
2007 Sharpie 500
The 2007 Sharpie 500, the 24th race of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season was run on the newly repaved and reconfigured .533 mile Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee on Saturday night, August 25, 2007....
. A settlement before the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 was made where AT&T Mobility could sponsor the car until the end of 2008.