Richard Childress Racing found a mixed bag of success in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series in 2011. Driver Kevin Harvick won four races and finished the season third in the standings. But while Clint Bowyer won a race he failed to make the Chase. Paul Menard scored an emotional win at Indy but wound up 17th in points, Veteran driver Jeff Burton meanwhile went winless and struggled the entire season finishing 20th in the standings. Off the track Bowyer announced that he would leave the team at the end of the year and move to Michael Waltrip Racing for 2012.
Once the home of legendary driver Dale Earnhardt Sr., together with team owner Richard Childress Earnhardt won six of his seven Cup titles with the team before tragically losing his life in a last lap crash during the 2001 Daytona 500.
Since the loss of Earnhardt, RCR has been competitive but has not won another Cup title. The 2012 season will mark the 44th year RCR will compete in NASCAR, but will it be a rebuilding year, or a year when RCR rises to the top.
For the first five races of 2012, RCR will field four cars; in addition to Harvick, Burton and Menard, Elliott Sadler once a full time Sprint Cup driver will be entered in the No. 33 Chevy for the Daytona 500. The other four races will see Brendan Gaughan behind the wheel. Gaughan has 37 starts for other teams in the Sprint Cup series but has never visited victory lane. The RCR opportunity for Gaughan is one he appreciates.
“There are not many second chances in this sport given out,” said Gaughan. “This is going to be my second chance and what I am considering the last chance and a place to stay for a while.”
After the five Sprint Cup races, RCR will campaign three full time teams in Sprint Cup. In addition though RCR acquired the assets of Kevin Harvick Incorporated and will run three Nationwide and three Camping World Truck Series races. The 2012 season, RCR’s 44th, the organization will run more races in NASCAR’s top-three series than ever in the team’s history.
“We are all in for 2012,” said Chief Operating Officer Torrey Galida during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour. “We are here to win a championship in all three series.”
Whether RCR will win three championships remains to be seen. Running nine full time teams, the most in RCR history could stretch the limits of the resources thin. However with grandson Ty Dillon in his first full season in the truck series while older brother Austin who won the Truck Series crown last season, moving up to the Nationwide series this season the talent to win a title in those series is there. If Harvick can repeat his success from last season and Menard perform to his potential a title in the Cup Series isn’t out of the question.
But there may be a bigger surprise in store at RCR in 2012. One driver who struggled last season and who knows his title chances are starting to get fewer and fewer. Jeff Burton with new crew Drew Blickensderfer could just be the class of the RCR field and surprise everyone.
“I’m not here to extend my career,” said Burton. “I’m here to win a championship.”
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