Richard Childress Racing hit its stride in the late 1980s with Dale Earnhardt Sr. behind the wheel, clinching back-to-back championships in 1986 and 1987. Earnhardt’s aggressive style, paired with Childress’s sharp team building, led to 67 Cup wins together, including six titles through 2000. Those days defined NASCAR dominance, but even then, the duo faced tough stretches, like the 25-race winless run in 2000 before rebounding at Talladega. However, a lot has changed since that era for them.
Today, RCR is not the same as it was during Dale’s era. Long stretches without a Cup Series win, including the recent 37-race drought ended by Dillon after his Richmond win, highlight how competitive the sport has become and how difficult it is to maintain consistency at the top. Even with talented drivers and experienced leadership, the team struggles to enjoy the same glory as that of its past. Richard Childress realizes the value of this, as he opened up about the importance of winning, especially when times are tough.
Richard Childress’s raw take on winning amid the drought phase
Richard Childress opened up about the grind to end RCR’s 37-race Cup Series winless streak, one of the longest since Dale Earnhardt Sr.‘s era, when the team went 25 races without a victory in 2000. “You never take winning for granted. You never know when it’ll be that last one,” Childress said in Richmond’s post-race conference, capturing the uncertainty that haunts even storied teams. This admission followed Austin Dillon’s 2025 Richmond triumph, their second in the past couple of years.
Childress’s words tie back to the team’s rebuild, emphasizing collective effort. “It’s we just talk about it and get to keep people together and talk about what we got to do to make our company better and make the cars better. And these guys have stepped up to the plate,” he explained, crediting crew chief Richard Boswell and Chevy’s tech support. This mirrors the 1990 season when Childress and Earnhardt rallied from a points hole, winning at Phoenix to set up a championship clincher at Atlanta, a story of grit that kept RCR competitive through 67 shared wins.
The drought’s toll shows in RCR’s standings slide, from top-10 consistency in the Kevin Harvick years to mid-pack struggles before Dillon‘s breakthrough. Childress added, “For our whole company and just Richard coming on board the first year and getting out here and winning he won Darlington, and he beat eight down there, so he made it up today.” Boswell’s rookie leadership echoed past hires like Kirk Shelmerdine, who helped Earnhardt to four titles, proving fresh input can spark turnarounds.
Beyond the admission, Childress’s pride shone through in Dillon’s gritty performance. That Stage 3 showdown added another chapter to RCR’s revival.
Childress praises Dillon’s Richmond duel
Richard Childress lauded the team’s hustle after Dillon’s upset at Richmond, where the No. 3 car led 107 laps. “Crew chief Richard Boswell and everybody at RCR and ECR, we just worked hard, and I’m just so proud of that group,” Childress said, highlighting the months of tweaks that flipped their season. Dillon, starting 28th in points, outpaced fresher-tired rivals in the final stage, a nod to setup gains from Chevy’s tech center.
The battle with Ryan Blaney defined Stage 3, as Dillon passed him on lap 301 and held off challenges. “Every one of them has put so much in, and Austin was just dead set to come back here and try to go win this race like he had it won last year,” Childress noted, tying it to Dillon’s focus amid pain from a broken rib. Dillon, on slightly older tires after an earlier pit, maintained a lead, with Bowman, who finished second, unable to close the 2.471-second gap, marking RCR’s first 100-plus lap lead since 1998.
Childress addressed the shadow of 2024’s drama, saying, “I was not happy with the way things went down and the way things were called on us last year… but that’s history.” Dillon’s clean run secured playoffs, boosting morale. This win, Dillon’s sixth in 433 starts, offers a blueprint for consistency ahead.
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