Richard Childress Racing celebrates 45th ‘birthday’

By Aug 16, 2014, 3:06 PM EDT
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If you see Richard Childress this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, wish him happy birthday.

Actually, wish him happy birthday twice.

Childress turns 69 on September 21, but he’s celebrating a different kind of birthday this weekend: the 45th anniversary of the birth of his namesake Richard Childress Racing.

RCR opened up shop on this weekend in August 1969, just before Childress, then just 23-years-old, made his NASCAR debut as a race car driver on Sept. 14, 1969 at Talladega Superspeedway.

He would go on to make 285 starts as a driver before ending his driving career to become a full-time team owner.

And the rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Although Childress never reached victory lane as a driver, he’s enjoyed 105 Sprint Cup wins as a team owner, as well as six career championships, all by the late Dale Earnhardt.

RCR also has earned 69 wins and four Nationwide Series championships (two by Kevin Harvick, one each by Clint Bowyer and grandson Austin Dillon), as well as 31 wins and two championships (Mike Skinner and Austin Dillon) in the Camping World Truck Series.

The team issued a media release commemorating the event, which read in-part:

“Over the next 45 days, RCR will showcase photographs, personal stories and interviews from those who have been with the organization throughout the years.

“Starting Sunday August 17, @RCRracing and http://www.rcrracing.com will feature daily throwbacks showcasing moments that shaped the motorsports organization. The content will also highlight the evolution of the team and technology to today’s drivers and those who call the shots each weekend at the track 45 years later.

“Fans will also be able to read stories from those who have been with the company from its inception, reliving multiple championships, wins and iconic races over the past 45 years.”

Fans can share their own favorite RCR highlights on Twitter at #RCR45.

Happy 45th birthday, RCR. You don’t look a day over 30.

Follow me @JerryBonkowski

IndyCar Power Rankings: Pato O’Ward moves to the top entering Texas Motor Speedway

By Mar 29, 2023, 6:00 AM EDT
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The NBC Sports IndyCar power rankings naturally were as jumbled as the action on the streets of St. Petersburg after a chaotic opener to the 2023 season.

Pato O’Ward, who finished second because of an engine blip that cost him the lead with a few laps remaining, moves into the top spot ahead of St. Pete winner Marcus Ericsson and Alexander Rossi, who finished fourth in his Arrow McLaren debut. Scott Dixon and St. Pete pole-sitter Romain Grosjean (who led 31 laps) rounded out the top five.

St. Pete pole-sitter Romain Grosjean (who started first at St. Pete after capturing his second career pole position) Callum Ilott (a career-best fifth) and Graham Rahal entered the power rankings entering the season’s second race.

Three drivers fell out of the preseason top 10 after the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – including previously top-ranked Josef Newgarden, who finished 17th after qualifying 14th.

Heading into Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, here’s NBC Sports’ assessment of the current top 10 drivers through the first of 17 races this year (with previous preseason rankings in parenthesis):

NBC Sports’ IndyCar Power Rankings

1. Pato O’Ward (5) – If not for the dreaded “plenum event” in the No. 5 Chevrolet, the Arrow McLaren driver is opening the season with a victory capping a strong race weekend.

2. Marcus Ericsson (7) – He might be the most opportunistic driver in IndyCar, but that’s because the 2022 Indy 500 winner has become one of the series’ fastest and most consistent stars.

3. Alexander Rossi (10) – He overcame a frustrating Friday and mediocre qualifying to open his Arrow McLaren career with the sort of hard-earned top five missing in his last years at Andretti.

4. Scott Dixon (3) – Put aside his opening-lap skirmish with former teammate Felix Rosenqvist, and it was a typically stealthily good result for the six-time champion.

5. Romain Grosjean (NR) – The St. Petersburg pole-sitter consistently was fastest on the streets of St. Petersburg over the course of the race weekend, which he couldn’t say once last year.

6. Scott McLaughlin (6) – Easily the best of the Team Penske drivers before his crash with Grosjean, McLaughlin drove like a legitimate 2023 championship contender.

7. Callum Ilott (NR) – A quietly impressive top five for the confident Brit in Juncos Hollinger Racing’s first race as a two-car team. Texas will be a big oval litmus test.

8. Graham Rahal (NR) – Sixth at St. Pete, Rahal still has the goods on street courses, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan remains headed in the right direction.

9. Alex Palou (4) – He seemed a step behind Ericsson and Dixon in the race after just missing the Fast Six in qualifying, but this was a solid start for Palou.

10. Will Power (2) – An uncharacteristic mistake that crashed Colton Herta put a blemish on the type of steady weekend that helped him win the 2022 title.

Falling out (last week): Josef Newgarden (1), Colton Herta (8), Christian Lundgaard (9)