Back to News

May 25, 2016

Richard Childress


NASCAR Hall of Fame, Class of 2017

Long before he became one of the preeminent car owners in NASCAR history, Richard Childress was a race car driver with limited means. Still, he persevered, which is what you do when you purchase your first race car for $20 at the age of 17.

Born: Sept. 21, 1945
Hometown:
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Championships (11)
Premier:
1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93, ’94 (owner)
XFINITY: 2001, ’03, ’06, ’07 (owner)
Truck: 1995 (owner)

Premier Series Owner Stats (Through 2014)
Competed:
1969-present
Starts: 2,495
Wins: 105
Poles:
46

Childress, the consummate self-made racer, was respectable behind the wheel. Between 1969-81 he had six top-five finishes and 76 top 10s in 285 starts, finishing fifth in the NASCAR premier series standings in 1975.

Having formed Richard Childress Racing in 1972, Childress retired from driving in 1981. The rest, as they say, is history.

Much of that history is linked to one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers, inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt, who won six championships and 67 races between 1984-2000 for RCR.

But Childress has had other successes. In addition to Earnhardt’s championships, Childress drivers have given him five others. His total of 11 national series owner championships is second all-time. Childress was the first NASCAR owner to win championships in all three of NASCAR’s national series.

MUST WATCH