RCR Honors Former Crew Member D.J Richardson: Richard Childress Racing will honor former pit crew member and front tire changer D.J. Richardson with memorial decals during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. The #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy will carry the decals behind the front tires for the February 6 Budweiser Shootout. The helmets of the #29 Shell-Pennzoil over-the-wall crew members will also don special decals for the 2010 season. All three of RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries will carry the decals for the 52nd annual Daytona 500 on February 14, and its Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series entries will also carry the decals for their season-opening races. Richardson passed away December 25, 2009, from complications from the H1N1 virus. He joined RCR in July 2009 and finished the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy team. The 2005 Sprint Cup All-Star Rear-Tire Changer Champion began his Cup Series career with Andy Petree Racing in 1999. He also worked for Penske Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Braun Racing. The Leominster, Mass., native was 37. “D.J. should be jumping off the wall and changing tires for us again this season so we wanted to honor him in this special way,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “He was a valued member of the RCR family and is missed as we start the 2010 season.”(RCR)(2-6-2010)

Harvick ill, will not practice in Shootout UPDATE: during Media Day coverage at Daytona International Speedway on ESPNEWS [12-3pm/et], Mike Massaro reported that #29-Kevin Harvick is ill with flu-like symptoms and canceled his interviews for Thursday and probably will not participate in Budweiser Shootout practice on Thursday, February 4th [5:00-5:45pm/et and 6:30-7:30pm/et today]. Teammate #33-Clint Bowyer will practice the #29 Shell / Pennzoil Chevy if Harvick cannot practice the Richard Childress racing entry.(2-4-2010)
UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing’s Kevin Harvick is battling flu-like symptoms at his home in North Carolina so teammate Clint Bowyer will drive the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy in today’s two practice sessions for the 2010 Budweiser Shootout. Harvick has received medical attention for the illness and hopes to make it to Daytona later this evening. Bowyer, the driver of RCR’s #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy, did not qualify for this year’s non-points event.(RCR) the #29 Chevy was involved in a wreck late in the first practice and the team got the backup car out, Jeff Burton, who drives the #31 Caterpiller Chevy for RCR, will practice the backup #29 Chevy, late in Happy Hour.(2-4-2010)

Furinture Row, RCR expected to finalize alliance: UPDATE 2: #78-Furniture Row Racing will put the finishing touches on its technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing this week. A meeting is scheduled on Friday between principles of the two companies in hopes to strengthened the single car operation at FRR and in essence create a satellite fourth car for RCR. "While the team may look the same on the outside, eternally we're much stronger," said Joe Garone, general manager of Furniture Row Racing. "One of the assets with the alliance with Richard Childress is our ability to be secure in the top 35. "During the last quarter, we decided we needed to run the full season. Around May or June, we realized how much it hurt us not to run the full season. We can race on the Furniture Row sponsorship, but it wouldn't allow us to expand to a second car. Our primary goal is to have the #78 team run at 100 percent efficiency." FRR will continue its partnership with Kevin Harvick Inc., with the pit crew. FRR contracts the over-the-wall crew who work at KHI full-time and pit Harvick's Nationwide Series cars.(Fox Sports)(1-29-2010)
UPDATE: On the surface it looks basically the same. But behind the scenes it's a whole new look for the Furniture Row Racing team, which made significant personnel moves during the offseason as it readies to return to a full 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in 2010. The team's driver (Regan Smith), car number (78) and car manufacturer (Chevy) remain the same for the new campaign, which kicks off Sunday Feb. 14 with NASCAR's traditional season opener -- the Daytona 500. But when you get beyond the driver, car make and car number, the Denver-based Furniture Row team is quite different than it has been in recent years. For starters, more than 20 new employees were hired during the offseason, increasing the team's growing staff to more than 60. Along with the new hires, Furniture Row Racing went even a step further to enhance its program by forming a technical and engineering alliance with Richard Childress Racing. "Being a single-car team against the mega, multicar teams has put us at a huge disadvantage over the years," said Garone. "Now that we have formed an alliance with RCR, we will have the ability to be secured in the top 35 and keep a better pace with the other multicar teams. RCR has always been a leader and a winner, and we are proud to be affiliated with Richard Childress and his outstanding organization."(Furniture Row Racing PR)(1-29-2010)
UPDATE 2: Furniture Row General Manager Joe Garone told Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that as part of the team's new technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, Childress is now a owner of FRR. Garone said the details of the technical alliance are not fully ironed out, but will give the team a major boost in engineering. He confirmed that the team will not utilize Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines, choosing instead to continue their relationship with Hendrick Engines.(1-29-2009)

Harvick not talking about 2011: #29-Kevin Harvick sidestepped a question on whether he will return to Richard Childress Racing in 2011, saying just that he wanted to have fun and win races in 2010. Harvick’s contract at RCR runs out after the 2010 season, and he had indicated last year he wanted to look elsewhere by not committing to returning in 2011. If anything happened during the offseason that would change Harvick’s mind, he wasn’t sharing it Saturday during the preseason Fan Fest at Daytona International Speedway. When asked if there was any chance he would return in 2011, a grinning Harvick said: “I’m not getting in the middle of it. … [What] it all boils down to … it’s all about winning races, and that’s all I care about. We’re going to come into the season, and we’re going to race a lot this year, and we’re going to have fun. That’s my main goal … to have fun. How it all plays out, I couldn’t tell you. It’s just up to all the – I’m not going to get into all of that right now. We haven’t even got on the track. And we’re going to come to Daytona and race, and we’re going to have a good time this year.”(in part from SceneDaily)(1-17-2010)

Reese's returns to Harvick's Chevy: Hershey's Reese's Peanut Butter Cup's is scheduled to be featured on Kevin Harvick's #29 Richard Childress Racing Chevy at Richmond International Raceway on May 1st. See an image of the scheme on my #29 Team Schemes page.(1-16-2010)

Sad News - D.J. Richardson: Richard Childress Racing pit crew member Donald “D.J.” Richardson, Jr., passed away December 25 in a Massachusetts hospital from complications of the H1N1 virus. He was 37. Richardson, of Leominster, Mass., contracted the H1N1 virus over the Thanksgiving holiday. He was admitted to Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster for evaluation, where it was determined he was suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome. “All of us at RCR are saddened by D.J.’s passing,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “D.J. was a gifted tire changer, one of the greatest team players in the business and a valued member of the RCR family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.” Richardson joined RCR in July 2009 and finished the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season as the rear-tire changer for the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy team. He began his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career with Andy Petree Racing in 1999. He has also worked for Penske Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Braun Racing. “I am shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and teammate,” said Matt Clark, director of human performance and leadership development of Richard Childress Racing. “Anyone who knew D.J. realized that below the tough exterior was a caring father, friend and teammate. He had a huge heart and would do anything to help someone in need. D.J. loved changing tires and was recognized as one of the top pit athletes at the position. I want to extend my condolences to his family and friends.” Details of memorial services in Massachusetts and North Carolina are pending and will be made available as soon as possible.(RCR)
sites a couple sites were set up for Richardson, some notes can be left on the facebook group: Get Well DJ-Updates and a website was setup for Richardson at getwelldj.com.(12-26-2009)

Media selects top drivers, races of decade in NASCAR’s three national series: With the recently completed 2009 season closing out another decade of NASCAR racing, media members have selected the top drivers and top races of the decade for all three national series as voted upon in a poll on NASCARMedia.com. The listing of drivers and races for the poll was compiled following discussions with the three series directors and other long-time observers in the industry - and also resulted from direct input from NASCAR fans. #48-Jimmie Johnson was selected as the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver of the decade, followed by #14-Tony Stewart and #24-Jeff Gordon. Johnson won an unprecedented fourth consecutive series championship in 2009 and posted 47 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories this decade - most of any driver. He is the only driver to earn a spot in the Chases for the NASCAR Sprint Cup all six years of the format's existence. The March 16, 2003 race at Darlington Raceway was voted the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. In what is the closest Margin of Victory - .002 seconds - since the advent of electronic scoring in May 1993, Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch to the finish line in that thriller. The Oct. 14, 2000 race at Talladega Superspeedway, which marked Dale Earnhardt's final career victory, came in second, followed by the March 11, 2001 event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with Kevin Harvick getting his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in a narrow defeat of Jeff Gordon.(NASCAR PR), see the results for the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series on those pages.(12-21-2009)

RCR Pit Crew Member Recovering in Massachusetts Hospital UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing pit crew member Donald "D.J." Richardson is recovering in a Massachusetts hospital from severe complications due to the H1N1 virus. Richardson, 37, of Leominster, Mass., approximately 35 miles northwest of Boston, joined RCR in July 2009 and finished the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season as the rear-tire changer for the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy team. He contracted the H1N1 virus during a visit to Massachusetts over the Thanksgiving holiday. His condition worsened due to the onset of pneumonia before he went to Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster for evaluation. Doctors quickly admitted Richardson to the hospital's intensive care unit with acute respiratory distress syndrome. "Our thoughts and prayers are with D.J. and his family during this very trying time," said Mike Dillon, RCR's vice president of competition. "All of us at Richard Childress Racing and Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines wish him a full and speedy recovery." Richardson is unable to accept phone calls or flowers from well-wishers while in the intensive care unit. His family has asked that cards, letters and notes of encouragement be sent to his attention at his father's house: Donald Richardson, 494 Merriam Avenue, Leominster, Massachusetts 01453. Richardson began his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career with Andy Petree Racing in 1999. He has also worked for Penske Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Braun Racing. The RCR communications department will continue to provide updates on Richardson's status. A Facebook Groups page entitled "Get Well DJ-Updates" has also been created.(RCR)(12-7-2009)
UPDATE: a website has been setup to help Richardson, more info at getwelldj.com.(12-13-2009)

Full Nationwide season for Harvick? Defending Nationwide Series champion Kyle Busch says he still plans on running 25 races next season but is tempted to try the full schedule again after learning Cup drivers Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick also might try to run both series full time. "We can't let Carl and Kevin walk over everyone," Busch said with a laugh. "We've got to give them a run for their money."(USA Today)(12-12-2009)

RCR, no wins at Homestead: Homestead has been a bit of an Achilles Heel for Richard Childress Racing and is one of the few race tracks where team owner Richard Childress hasn’t earned a Sprint Cup Series victory. As a company, RCR’s best finish at HMS came in 2003 and in 2008 when Kevin Harvick finished second. In 29 starts, RCR has four top-five and 13 top-10 finishes at the mile-and-a-half, progressively-banked oval with drivers Dave Blaney, Clint Bowyer, Burton, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Green, Harvick and Mike Skinner. Auto Club Speedway, Kansas and Las Vegas are the other tracks on the current schedule where RCR has yet to visit Victory Lane.(RCR)(11-19-2009)

RCR cars to support "call 811":
Richard Childress is a strong advocate for safety and protecting the community and environment. All four Richard Childress Racing (RCR) teams are supporting the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) and its “Call 811” initiative this week in Homestead to help educate fans about the importance of calling 811 before doing any digging or excavation activity. A quick and easy call to 811 helps to protect people from unintentionally hitting underground pipelines, infrastructure and utility lines, which can put the community and environment at risk. As part of the race teams’ support, the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy will feature a logo on the deck lid that will read, “811 Know what’s below. Call before you dig.” In addition to support from RCR and Shell, CGA is also working with driver Joey Logano to help communicate the “Call 811” message at an appearance during race weekend.(RCR)(11-17-2009)

Kevin’s Krew One Last Time: This will be the final Kevin’s Krew [#29-Kevin Harvick] gathering of at-risk children for the 2009 season. Sponsored by Shell-Pennzoil, the group of school-age children will be treated to raceday at the track, lunch, Shell hat and T-shirt and a personal meeting with Harvick prior to driver introductions in the PIR Victory Lane area.(RCR)(11-14-2009)

Three drivers attempting triple duty at Phoenix: Two drivers will be aiming to make history this weekend by becoming the first to win in all three NASCAR national series at Phoenix International Raceway — Kyle Busch [#18 Cup, #18 NNS, #51 CWTS] and Kevin Harvick [#29 Cup, #33 NNS, #4 CWTS]. And Kevin Conway is attempting to make all three races [#70 Cup, #26 NNS and #71 CWTS]. Busch came close to scoring the feat last weekend at Texas when he won both the NASCAR Camping World Truck and NASCAR Nationwide Series races, but fell just short when he ran out of gas a few laps short of the checkered flag in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race, relegating him to a 11th-place finish. Both Busch and Harvick have won at Phoenix in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Conway will be attempting to make his Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series debuts. Conway is guaranteed a spot in the NNS race, the Cup and Trucks race, he needs to qualifying by speed to make the races.(11-11-2009)

RCR Promotes Joe Foss Institute’s Veterans Program: Richard Childress Racing will run decals on its race cars this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway promoting the Joe Foss Institute’s Veterans Inspiring Patriotism program. The Joe Foss Institute, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization inspired and founded by Medal of Honor Recipient, General Joe Foss and his wife, Didi Foss. Its vision is to encourage an informed patriotism and to be nationally recognized as the premier organization promoting patriotism through personal contact in schools and with youth groups. The Veteran's Inspiring Patriotism program is designed to inspire patriotism, public service, integrity and an appreciation for America's freedoms. The program’s emphasis is on the freedoms, liberties and rights which are protected under the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. This educational program is designed for grades K-12 and consists of a 30-50 minute presentation that includes a video, a personal testimony from a veteran and a question & answer period. This program is delivered at no cost to schools and does not promote any political, religious or military organization or agenda. In addition, all schools are eligible to receive free American flags for their classrooms and copies of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. For more information visit www.jfiweb.org.(RCR)(11-7-2009)

Forsyth Tech names motorsports school after Childress: The motorsports technology program at Forsyth Technical Community College has been renamed Richard Childress Race Car Technology at Forsyth Tech. Richard Childress Racing has a long-standing relationship with Forsyth Tech and employs a number of its graduates. Forsyth Tech has been named a Center of Excellence for Motorsports by the North Carolina Motorsports Consortium. Childress was on-hand for the announcement held on the campus in Winston-Salem, N.C.(RCR PR)(10-28-2009)

Berrier to be Burton's new crew chief? UPDATE 2: Crew chief Todd Berrier has been mentioned as a candidate to replace Scott Miller on the #31 Chevy at Richard Childress Racing. Berrier is currently crew chief for RCR's #07 team.(FoxSports)(10-11-2009)
UPDATE - decision on crew chief is near: #31-Jeff Burton met with members of the media at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and discussed his thoughts on the status of his team: HOW CLOSE WOULD YOU SAY YOU GUYS ARE TO RESOLVING THE CREW CHIEF SITUATION ON THE #31 FOR NEXT YEAR? “We’re real close. I don’t have a definite date but we’re real close to having all that figured out. There’s a lot of things that are changing at RCR. There’s a new way of doing business going into next year and in the midst of that crew chief search for the #31. We’re really optimistic that we have that put to bed and we’ll be able to talk about that fairly soon.”(Chevy Racing)(10-16-2009)
UPDATE 2: Richard Childress Racing continues to retool team leadership with its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series teams. Following this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, Todd Berrier will take over the crew chief duties of the #31 Caterpillar team with driver Jeff Burton while Doug Randolph assumes Berrier’s duties on the #07 Jack Daniel’s team with driver Casey Mears. Starting this week at Memphis Motorsports Park, Dan Deeringhoff will replace Randolph in his return to the #29 Holiday Inn team with drivers Burton, Clint Bowyer and Stephen Leicht in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Scott Miller, who has led the #31 team since 2005, will move fulltime to the director of competition position he was named to in September. Minimal changes will also be made among crew members for the #07 and #31 teams. The crew chief position for RCR’s development program will be named later. “I said previously that RCR would continue to adjust our team lineups in order to have the right personnel in place and this is the next step in that process,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Todd, Doug and Dan are all proven winners so the goal of these moves is to put them in the best situations to continue that success. I’m confident that making these changes now will be a benefit to the teams for the rest of this season as well as in preparing for 2010.”
Berrier’s RCR career began as a fabricator in 1994. The Kernersville, N.C., native has earned 19 victories as a crew chief in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. He is one of a select few crew chiefs to post victories in all three series. He won the 2001 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship, the 2003 Brickyard 400 and the 2007 Daytona 500, all with driver Kevin Harvick.
Randolph began his stock car racing career in 1984 and has been a crew chief in either the Sprint Cup Series or Nationwide Series since 2000. The Morristown, Tenn., native had earned two Nationwide Series victories, in 2003 with driver Scott Riggs, before joining RCR in May 2009. He has two Nationwide Series victories this season – July 3 at Daytona International Speedway and September 26 at Dover International Speedway – both with Bowyer behind the wheel. The #29 team is currently sixth in the 2009 owner point standings.
Deeringhoff is in his second stint at RCR, where he has been a crew chief since December 2005. His first tour of duty began in 2001 and culminated in 2003 as the car chief for the #21 team that earned the Nationwide Series’ owner championship with drivers Harvick and Johnny Sauter. The Walla Walla, Washington, native also led Bowyer and the #2 BB&T team to the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship. He began the 2009 season as the crew chief for the #29 Holiday Inn team before assuming similar duties with RCR’s driver development program in May.(RCR)(10-21-2009)

RCR making big changes; #07 team could go away: Team owner Richard Childress, speaking on Saturday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, addressed the struggles of Richard Childress Racing and the possible departure of Kevin Harvick when the driver’s contract expires at the end of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. “All I’ve got to say is we are making a lot of changes,” said Childress. “We’ll probably be announcing more changes next week coming. We’re using these last races to get prepared for 2010. We know we have to be better. We’ve seen some improvements. I think if you look, we’ve been up front with the different [RCR] cars in the last few weeks. This [new] car is very touchy and right now Hendrick [Motorsports] is right up on top of it. They’ve got it figured out for the most part. Kevin’s going to be with us next year and [sponsor] Shell’s going to be with us. “We’ll just see how everything plays out in the future. I didn’t see his interview [at California]. I’ve heard some comments on it but whatever happens, happens. We just move forward.” Moving forward may not be an option with #07 entry of RCR’s Casey Mears without sponsorship for 2010. The departure of Jack Daniel’s, which has revealed its intentions to leave the company at the end of the season, leaves Mears without a sponsor. Without sponsorship in place by the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the #07 team will likely go away next season. “Right now we’re meeting with companies. We’ve had several meetings,” Childress said. “As you know, the economic times are tough right now for sponsorship. We’ve got interest in it. We’re wanting to run it. We can’t turn it into a park and start. I don’t want to do that. We’ve got some sponsorship for a few races next year but to be competitive that isn’t the way to do it, so we’re kind of weighing our options to see what we’re going to do.” Childress seemed pleased with the progress of Mears, who joined the organization this season. Despite being 19th in the standings, Mears has notched three top-15s in his last four starts. “We’re working hard,” Childress said. “We’re doing a lot of capital investments moving into next year on some new stuff. We’re making changes in our personnel, we’re going to be making more changes in the next weeks to come.”(SceneDaily)(10-17-2009)

Burton says Harvick is expected to leave RCR: Richard Childress Racing driver #31-Jeff Burton acknowledged on Thursday that teammate #29-Kevin Harvick is expected to leave the company when his contract runs out at the end of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Burton, speaking at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, was asked about Harvick’s comments in a prerace television interview last Sunday at Auto Club Speedway where the 2007 Daytona 500 winner indicated he doesn’t plan to compete for RCR beyond 2010. “I think that everybody is behaving in a very professional manner, and everybody is understanding that Kevin has a year left on his contract and he’s going to do everything in his power to do the best job for RCR [and] RCR’s going to do everything in their power to do their best job for him,” Burton said. “[Teammate] Clint [Bowyer] and I are going to continue to work with Kevin the same way we always have, and I think we’re going to work together better actually – not because he’s leaving but because we need to. And things change. Kevin may look around eight months, 10 months from now and say, ‘You know what: Things have really changed here, and I really think this is the place that we’re going.’ By his interview he indicated that wasn’t going to happen, but you never know.“ Harvick, who has been with RCR’s Cup program since being tabbed to replace Dale Earnhardt following the seven-time series champion’s death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, hasn’t won a points-paying event since his Daytona 500 triumph in the 2007 season opener. Harvick missed the Chase this year and is 21st in the standings.(SceneDaily)(10-15-2009)

RCR Honors Fallen Winston-Salem Police Officer: Richard Childress Racing will run a memorial decal on its race cars [#'a 07,29,31,33 in Cup] this weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in honor of Sgt. Mickey Hutchens, the Winston-Salem, N.C., police officer who passed away October 12, 2009, after being critically wounded October 7 in the line of duty. RCR will donate $1 to the Hutchens family for every mile completed by its four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams and one NASCAR Nationwide Series team. A total donation of $2,300 will be made if each team completes every lap, 500 miles per Sprint Cup Series team and 300 miles for the Nationwide Series team.(RCR)(10-15-2009)

Childress Honoring Chevy's Manufacturer's Championship: A decal honoring Chevy's 2009 Manufacturer's Championship in NASCAR's premier division will be affixed to all four Richard Childress Racing entries [#07, #29, #31, #33] for this weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway. Chevy earned its 33rd Manufacturer's crown when Tony Stewart won last weekend's Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway, and continues to lead all other manufacturers in the sport with the most championships. The congratulatory decals are prominently displayed on all RCR-prepared Sprint Cup Series Chevrolet's above the B post, directly behind the driver's name.(RCR PR)(10-10-2009)

RCR looking for first California win: Richard Childress Racing has earned a Sprint Cup Series victory at 18 of the 22 tracks on the 2009 schedule. The only tracks on the current schedule where RCR hasn't earned wins are Auto Club Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Additionally, RCR has Sprint Cup Series wins at 21 tracks overall, including North Wilkesboro (N.C.), Riverside (Calif.) and Rockingham (N.C.) which are no longer on the schedule.(RCR PR)(10-8-2009)

Harvick to sport different colors at Kansas: Reese’s, a major associate sponsor of RCR’s #29 Chevy that Kevin Harvick drives, kicks into high gear this weekend in Kansas as Harvick and the #29 team transform their bright yellow-and-red Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet into a bright orange Reese’s racing machine for the Price Chopper 400. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are peanut butter-filled chocolate cups. They were created in 1928 by H.B. Reese, a former dairy farmer and foreman for Milton S. Hershey. The H.B. Reese Candy Co., established in the basement of Reese’s house in Hershey, Pa., went on to merge with The Hershey Company in 1963 due to the popularity of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Today, Reese’s has become the No. 1 selling candy bar in the United States and the Reese’s brand is the most successful brand owned by The Hershey Company.(RCR), see images of the scheme on my #29 Team Schemes page.(10-1-2009)

Harvick to meet with firefighter foundation: Prior to Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway, #29-Kevin Harvick will make an appearance in Dover International Speedway’s Hospitality Tent Village to meet members of the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation. This marks the second year the track is hosting members of the organization at an NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. The NFFF exists to help the families and colleagues of the nearly 100 firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty each year across the country. Harvick’s father, Mike, is a retired firefighter.(RCR)(9-24-2009)

PRS Guitars donates guitars to drivers: This year’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 marks the fifth year that one winning NASCAR driver will walk away with a four foot tall, fifty pound trophy custom designed and built by PRS [Paul Reed Smith] Guitars from Stevensville, Maryland. In addition, this year six drivers will leave the track with their own PRS guitar that will help aid many more people down the road.
Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer have each won a race in Richmond under the domain of Chevrolet. To honor their success and their efforts, PRS held a special press conference Friday at Richmond International Raceway, during which PRS President, Jack Higginbotham presented the aforementioned drivers with a PRS Corvette guitar for their individual charities. Jack Higginbotham, President of Paul Reed Smith Guitars, said, “It is our hope that each of these guitars will develop its own story and have a positive effect on the lives of others. Whether it is cancer research, shelter for the needy or assistance for underprivileged children, each driver has a passion for their cause, and we are honored to help them in their mission.”
PRS’s extensive involvement in racing began with a sponsorship of the world dominating factory Corvette C6.r racing team in 2003. During the past six years, PRS’s involvement in racing has ranged from being a part of large-scale NASCAR events to its own grassroots “Laps For Life” charity event helping support the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland.(PRS Guitars site)(9-12-2009)

RCR cars to honor Fallen Heroes of 9/11: A decal honoring the fallen heroes of 9/11 from the City of New York Police Department, the City of New York Fire Department and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is affixed to the five Richard Childress Racing entries [4 Sprint Cup, 1 NNS] in this weekend’s NASCAR races at Richmond International Raceway. Police Officer Victor Dipierro, of the NYPD’s 47th Precinct, has provided the Fallen Heroes decals to RCR each year since 2003 to mark the anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy. Part of the 47th Precinct’s 9/11 Memorial contains sections of sheet metal from the three RCR cars which carried the decals in the Fall 2003 race at Richmond International Raceway.(RCR)(9-12-2009)

Kevin’s Krew to meet students: #29-Kevin Harvick is scheduled to meet with 40 students from local high schools in Victory Lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Sunday, September 6, before the running of the Pep Boys Auto 500. The group is part of “Kevin’s Krew,” a Shell-supported program designed to reach underprivileged and at-risk students and expose them to the racing industry. The students, who normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to a NASCAR event, are treated to a unique experience while attending a Sprint Cup Series race. Started by Colton, Calif. Police Officer Todd Smith two years ago, the “Kevin’s Krew” program has expanded this year to eight events. In addition to this weekend’s race, “Kevin’s Krew” events were held at Auto Club Speedway, Infineon Raceway and Michigan International Speedway earlier this season. The remaining events for 2009 include; California Speedway on October 11, Lowe’s Motor Speedway on October 17, Texas Motor Speedway on November 8 and Phoenix International Raceway on November 17.(RCR)(9-3-2009)

RCR reorganizes management: Richard Childress Racing has reorganized the management of its competition department to provide its race teams and sponsors with consistent improvement in on-track performance. “This reorganization is the result of a process that took place over the past few months to improve our performance,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “On-track performance is the lifeblood of RCR and everything we do is impacted by how competitive our cars are week-in and week-out. Our common goal remains the same: win races and compete for championships. The creation of these new processes and priorities, with greater accountability, will improve our performance and every aspect of our organization. “
Mike Dillon retains his position as vice president of competition, but with revised responsibilities. His primary focus will continue to be competition department oversight. He reports directly to Childress.
Scott Miller, crew chief for RCR’s #31 Caterpillar Racing team with driver Jeff Burton in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been named to the revised position of director of competition. His primary responsibility is oversight of the key areas of race car performance: speed, handling and durability. Miller reports directly to Dillon and will continue his dual responsibilities until the conclusion of the 2009 season. The crew chief position for the #31 team will be filled at a later date.
Kent Day, RCR’s technical director of competition, now reports directly to Miller. Day’s primary responsibility is in setting the technical direction of race car development.
Will Lind, an employee of RCR since 1982 and the director of competition the past two seasons, will assume the new role of business director of competition. Lind will continue to report directly to Dillon.
“Scott’s experience as a team engineer and a crew chief gives him a solid foundation in both disciplines and provides a unique perspective on the direction the sport is taking from the competition side,” said Childress. “We’ve also shifted some responsibilities in other areas of the competition department to maximize performance and efficiency. RCR has some of the best people in the business and they will only become better by working within this new structure.”(RCR)(9-2-2009)

Harvick returning to the #29 in 2010: Kevin Harvick will drive Richard Childress Racing's #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy in 2010 for his 10th season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series despite rumors to the contrary. "Rumors about Kevin not driving for RCR next season have been flying around the garage area and in the media," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "We want to put the rumors behind us by stating together that Kevin will drive RCR's #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. RCR continues to work on the overall performance of the No. 29 team, like we are with all of our teams, and the plan is to end the season on a high note. Kevin and the No. 29 team are also preparing for next season with the goal of making a run at the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship."(RCR PR)(8-31-2009)

Changes at RCR? Changes are coming at Richard Childress Racing. "We're getting ready to make a lot of changes to hopefully change [the performance]," Team owner Richard Childress said last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. He wouldn't get any more specific, but those close to the situation said there will be some major restructuring announced early this week that hopefully will improve performance. The organization already has made some changes within the teams to put the best at-the-track personnel with Clint Bowyer, the only one of RCR's four drivers with a shot at the Chase. Bowyer is 15th in points, 112 points out with two races remaining before the field is set. Jeff Burton is 18th, Casey Mears is 20th and Kevin Harvick is 24th. Childress has already switched the crew chiefs of Harvick and Mears in an attempt to improve performance, so any further changes likely will come in a shakeup of managerial or engineering structure.(ESPN)(8-24-2009)

NASCAR Drivers Help Assemble Care Packages For Military: Some seven hours before Saturday night's Sharpie 500, NASCAR drivers #07-Casey Mears and #31-Jeff Burton weren't thinking about how they would travel the fine line between making their living and risking their lives. Rather, Mears and Burton were inside a bustling Jack Daniel's tent some 500 yards outside the Bristol Motor Speedway, helping more than 100 volunteers pack 10,000 huge plastic bags of supplies – lotion, tissue, trail mix, shaving razors, puzzle books, cotton swabs, camouflage pouches, candy, raisins, beef jerky, packets of powdered orange drink and more – bound for American military troops serving overseas. In the hours before the Sharpie 500, Mears and Burton weren't obsessing over how to win a race and lift their arms in victory. Rather, they were making a sacrifice – of time, attention and hands – to lift the morale of those far away, bearing arms in combat. "It means something to me to do this, because I know how much getting these means to those soldiers," Mears said, stuffing items, one after another, into bags that kept steadily coming his way. Added Burton: "Spending some time doing this doesn't compare to the work those troops are putting in over there. So, I don't feel like this is a sacrifice for me at all. If it is one, I'm happy to make it."(Bristol Herald Courier)(8-23-2009)

#07 to honor Jack Daniel's Master Distiller: Jimmy Bedford, former Master Distiller for Jack Daniel’s, passed away suddenly on Friday, Aug. 7, at his home in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Bedford is one of only seven Master Distiller’s the company has ever had; a position he held for 20 years from 1988 to 2008. Bedford, 69, was born and raised in Moore County, the home of Jack Daniel’s, and worked for the distillery for 41 years. In his memory, the Old #07 Jack Daniel’s Chevy, driven by Casey Mears, will carry a special decal with the famous Jack Daniel’s logo on it for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International. In addition to the logo, the decal will say “In Memory of Jimmy Bedford.” The other three Sprint Cup Series cars of Richard Childress Racing; Kevin Harvick in the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, Jeff Burton in the #31 Caterpillar Chevy and Clint Bowyer in the #33 Hamburger Helper/Cheerios Chevy, will carry a black and white decal [see above] with the saying “In Memory of Jimmy Bedford.”(RCR)(8-8-2009)

“In My Own Words: Kevin Harvick” Special airs on SportSouth: Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick traces the history of his career in a new special that debuted on SportSouth, Friday, July 31. “In My Own Words: Kevin Harvick” is a 30-minute interview special focused on the 33 year-old driver, who pilots the #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The special chronicles how a kid from a blue-collar background in Bakersfield, California, began racing go-karts at age five, and developed his passion for cars into a successful racing career. Produced by SportSouth Originals, the interview portion of the special was filmed in January at the RCR shops in Welcome, N.C. “In My Own Words: Kevin Harvick” debuts on SportSouth, Friday, July 31 at 11pm/et, with additional airings on August 1 at 1pm/et, August 2 at 11:30am/et, August 16 at 7pm/et and August 22 at 7pm/et.(RCR)(8-1-2009)

Harvick in 2010...."focused on this weekend": #29-Kevin Harvick sat on a stack of tires outside his garage stall at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday willing to talk about what has been the most frustrating season of his Sprint Cup career. He was not ready to commit to driving for Richard Childress Racing next season. Despite a contract and sponsorship that runs through 2010 and a statement by owner Richard Childress that he expects both deals to be honored, Harvick went out of his way to be noncommittal. Here's a snapshot of how ESPN's David Newton's interview with Harvick went:
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: "Right now we're focused on this week. We have a good car this weekend and the focus is on this weekend's race."
Q: You talked to Childress this past week. What kind of conclusion did you guys come to?
A: "Our focus is we brought a new car here and everything has gone well since we unloaded it. Our focus is to do what we need to do on the track and go from there."
Q: Childress says you two are all good for next season. Is that correct?
A: "I think everybody has talked."
Q: Have you asked out of your contract?
A: "We're focused on this weekend."
Q: Do you want to be at RCR in the future?
A: "Right now we're here to race and do what we need to do from a driver's standpoint. Everybody is working well together. ... Right now I'm the driver of the Shell Pennzoil #29 RCR Chevy. That's my job and that's what I intend to focus on. All the rest of that stuff will take care of itself."
Q: Will you be at RCR next year?
A: "All of us drivers and crew chiefs, we're not going to drag this thing through the mud. We're going to put our heads down and make it as good as we can."
Q: I know you're not happy with the performance of the team, but are you happy with RCR?
A: "That's the same question, just a different way of asking it. We're all focused on a week-to-week basis on what we need to do at the racetrack. Nothing has changed from that point."
Q: You easily could say you'll be back next season. Why not?
A: "I told you, we're here to race this weekend and do the best we can, and we'll continue to do that on a week-to-week basis."
He reportedly is interested in moving to Stewart-Haas Racing and joining Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, two of his closest friends in the garage. If Harvick doesn't want out, this could be his way of trying to force Childress to elevate the performance of the entire organization that has no driver in the Chase hunt after putting three in the past two seasons. All that's known for sure is that Harvick is focused on this weekend. "Richard and I, no matter what happens in the end, Richard and I will always be friends," Harvick said. "We have gone through a lot of good times and hopefully we'll go through a lot of great times together as we go forward."(ESPN)(7-26-2009)