Childress makes trip to see grandson play ball

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- NASCAR team owner Richard Childress can go hunting Tuesday with a clear conscience.

	Richard Childress

Childress made a rare miss of a race -- Saturday's Cabela's 250 at Michigan International Speedway -- but he had a good excuse. His eldest grandson Austin Dillon, 12, was competing in the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

Childress watched Austin's team suffer a 9-3 defeat by the all-star team from the New York City borough of Harlem before flying back to Michigan on Saturday.

"Harlem was just on their game and that was probably the worst game that we had had," Childress said. "It's a lot of pressure for these kids to be under."

On Sunday, Childress' wife Judy carried their flag as the Southwest Forsyth all-star team from Clemmons, N.C., lost to the West Regional champion team from California, 11-8.

Childress, the hardscrabble racer who turned his love of the sport into a multi-million dollar motorsports empire, said the day trip was a good life's lesson for him.

"It was great just watching these kids get out there and play," Childress said. "They weren't worried about the money or striking or doing anything like that.

"They were up there playing the game for what it was meant to be, and that's a sport. They all play with so much heart and so much desire it was really neat to see that."

Although the North Carolina team will play its final scheduled game Tuesday evening in the double-elimination round against the Great Lakes Region champion from Louisville, Ky., Childress can go on the long-scheduled hunt to the far West without worrying that he is shirking his family duty.

"I had already had a commitment that I couldn't get out of, because of the time," Childress, an avid outdoorsman, said. "If they had made it into the finals I would have made time to be there."

Austin is the son and spitting image of former NASCAR Busch Series driver Mike Dillon, who serves Richard Childress Racing in a management role.

He plays second base for the Southeast Region championship team that had a 15-0 tournament record before it lost to Harlem, a team that mired in controversy before the tournament started after accusations of using overage players and out-of-district residents.

Childress left Michigan at 10 a.m. Saturday on his private jet and returned Saturday evening after the game. Sunday morning he seemed to be fielding as many comments and questions about the baseball team as he did Busch Series driver Jeff Green's third place finish or Childress' three Winston Cup drivers starting in the top-15.

Although Childress was at the baseball stadium during Saturday's Busch Series race, he remained in contact with the team.

The Southwest Forsyth team advanced to the Little League World Series after defeating the Virginia state champions (Bridgewater) in the Southeast Region championship game last week in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Childress said the family's athletic trail was not at an end, however, as Austin's younger brother, Ty Dillon, 10, might be the next all-star.

"Ty is really athletic and I told him I was looking forward to being back up there in two years watching him," Childress said. "I think if he can get with the right team they can do it."