RCR milestone celebrated with die-cast

A green race car and the number "13." Back in 1969, both color and numeral were among auto racing's greatest taboos. So, it's a bit ironic that one of NASCAR's most successful dynasties began with a green No. 13 Camaro.

That's exactly how Richard Childress Racing got its start 35 years ago -- with Childress himself piloting a green machine in NASCAR's now-defunct Grand Touring division.

Richard Childress

Unless you're an old-timer -- or at the very least, a baby-boomer -- you may not remember the GT Series. It featured the so-called "pony cars" of the late '60s and early '70s: Camaros, Mustangs, Cougars, Firebirds and Javelins. During its five-year existence, the circuit gave up-and-comers like Childress a chance to hone their skills against former "Cup" stars in the twilight of their careers -- legends like Tiny Lund, Buck Baker and Jim Paschal.

Childress actually got his first taste of NASCAR Nextel Cup racing in the 1969 Talladega 500 when GT cars were used as field-fillers during the now-infamous boycott. After a few years of splitting his time between the GT (later renamed Grand American Challenge) circuit and the Cup series, he eventually joined NASCAR's top division full time.

Throughout the 1970s, Childress was considered one of the best of the sport's second echelon -- independent owner-drivers racing without benefit of major funding. While he was a consistent top-10 runner, he never made it to the Winner's Circle in a NASCAR touring series event.

History has all but forgotten, however, that Childress did win an independently-sanctioned, invitational race for "Cup" cars at the old Metrolina Speedway in Charlotte in 1974.

Mentored by no less a legend than Junior Johnson himself, Childress eventually realized that his true talent lay not as a wheel man, but as an organizer. He vacated the driver's seat of his No. 3 at midseason in 1981, replacing himself with Dale Earnhardt when Earnhardt and sponsor Wrangler defected from the No. 2 J. D. Stacy organization after Stacy bought the team formerly owned by Rod Osterlund.

After Childress fielded cars for Ricky Rudd in 1982-83, he and Earnhardt were reunited in '84, starting a run that would result in six NASCAR championships before The Intimidator's death at Daytona in 2001.

Today, of course, RCR fields three full-time NASCAR Nextel Cup teams, as well as two fulltime Busch Series operations.

RCR has earned more than 125 victories in NASCAR's top three touring series, and was the first organization to win championships in the Cup Series (1986, '87, '90, '91, '93, '94), Busch Series (2001 and owners'-only in 2003) and Truck Series (1995).

"Celebrating 35 years is one thing, but the fact that RCR is celebrating 35 years of continuous success says so much more," said Robby Gordon, who pilots the No. 31 Cingular Wireless entry. "Richard Childress is truly a racing icon and has made such an impact on the sport as a whole. He continues to challenge every one of us and works to be the best by building top facilities and employing some of the best in the business."

Kevin Harvick, driver for RCR's flagship No. 29 GM Goodwrench team expounded on his teammate's views.

"It's no wonder, as hard as Richard works, that he's been able to make it 35 years in this business," said Harvick. "He always tells me about how hard it was early on, but how they managed to make it through the good and bad times. Look at what he's accomplished now."

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of RCR, all three of the team's full time NASCAR Nextel Cup cars will sport special paint schemes in the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in October. The No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet, driven by Harvick, will carry the popular blue-and-yellow color scheme reminiscent of the No. 3 Wrangler cars piloted by Earnhardt in the 1980s.

"I think it's pretty cool that they are bringing back some of the old paint schemes for the Charlotte race," said Harvick. "All of them have played a pretty important role in how Richard Childress Racing shaped itself. The Wrangler car is one of the most recognized cars ever driven. That's going to be pretty special for me."

A red-white-and-blue graphics package will adorn Dave Blaney's No. 30 America Online Monte Carlo. It's a throw-back to the Piedmont Airlines design that Rudd raced to RCR's first two victories.

In addition, the look of Robby Gordon's No. 31 Cingular Wireless car will replicate the most famous special paint job of all-time, the No. 3 GM Goodwrench Quicksilver car that Earnhardt raced in the 1995 All-Star race.

"The Silver paint scheme that the No. 31 Cingular Chevy will be sporting will reflect the first special paint scheme ever run and will represent the tribute RCR and GM Goodwrench paid to RJR to celebrate its 25 years in NASCAR," Gordon elaborated. "It revolutionized the future of racing and ignited a whole new avenue for the merchandising of die-casts."

Meanwhile, RCR's two full-time NASCAR Busch Series teams, the No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet and the No. 21 Reese's Chevrolet, will maintain their primary paint schemes and will also carry the RCR 35th Anniversary logo on the hood. All RCR cars currently carry the 35th Anniversary logo.

The RCR 35th Anniversary cars have been replicated by Action Performance, which enjoys an exclusive licensing agreement to produce die-casts of cars fielded by Childress. Those die-casts are available in the NASCAR.COM SuperStore.

"I, like many other NASCAR fans, have a soft spot in my heart for the Richard Childress Racing organization," said Action Performance president, chairman and CEO Fred Wagenhals, a longtime friend of Childress. "With six shared NASCAR Cup Series championships, Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt forged one of the most successful owner-driver relationships in history and positioned RCR as a leader in NASCAR racing.

"While 35 years of team history tells the story of RCR's well-earned success, the heart of this organization is dedicated to its bright future. There is so much that the Richard Childress Racing teams will accomplish, and I hope to see RCR among the NASCAR elite for decades to come."