Shelmerdine finally behind wheel for friend Childress

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Kirk Shelmerdine, a four-time Cup champion as a crew member, is continuing a unique motorsports circle this week as he's testing the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the opening Preseason Thunder session at Daytona International Speedway.

Childress said the test was a planned event for Shelmerdine, whose championships came with the late Dale Earnhardt at RCR in 1986-87 and 1990-91, before he left to establish a driving career. Childress said the circle might be completed during Speedweeks.

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"This test was something we had planned for Kirk right from the start, and we may race him here [in the Daytona 500]," Childress said. "It just depends. We're going to see how fast we can get the cars going, but we're going to run the 33 and right now we're looking at putting Kirk in it -- just for old time's sake, too."

Shelmerdine, 49, whose driving record includes three victories and four pole positions in ARCA RE/MAX Series events, maintains a race shop in RCR's complex, though he said Tuesday he has no COTs and isn't sure what he'll do this season after Speedweeks.

"I guess I had to grow up first, before I could get this shot, but anybody would be excited to be here with this opportunity," Shelmerdine said with a laugh before turning serious and discussing his dreams. "I don't know if I ever would have got the opportunity. Back when I was a kid and first started racing, I was going to be the champion in the next two or three years, but some Yankee kid from Pennsylvania wasn't going to get a ride.

"As things developed, the crew chief's role was the best spot to be in. We weren't going to get a better driver than Dale, we weren't going to get a better team setup and everything just fell into place, and that was my place to be.

"But I always thought it would be fun to [drive], but it was 1993 before I went around the track in Daytona [when he finished third in his first ARCA 200]."

RCR crew chief Shane Wilson, whose primary role is the organization's No. 21 Nationwide Series car, is overseeing the 33 program.

"It is neat to finally have him in one of our cars, but it's mostly neat to be able to see him just sit in there and drive instead of having to get out of there and work on it," Childress said. "Let's just hope it all works out good for us."

Ironically, given his long association with Childress, Shelmerdine's brightest driving moment probably came in 2006, when he finished 20th in the Daytona 500 operating on a shoestring budget. Childress provided sponsorship help after he made the race, Shelmerdine said, but his car was an ex-MB2 Motorsports Chevrolet with PRO Motor power.

But Shelmerdine said it set the perfect stage for this season's opener.

"It's been a long relationship [with Childress] and I've been going awhile and I'll have to see if there's a place to fit or not, but it's not 20 years ago, and things are different," Shelmerdine said. "It's been 15 years since I started driving, but it takes a long time to learn all that stuff, especially if you're not racing every week.

"And with the COT, being either a driver or crew chief is pretty frustrating, trying to get any speed out of the car. They're pretty dead -- they are what they are and there's not a lot you can do with them." (Continued)