Don Coble

RCR looks to rekindle its swagger at Daytona following Earnhardt's death
By Don Coble
Morris News Service

[EDNOTE]DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It may be baby steps, but Richard Childress Racing is trying to find its swagger. The team that lived hard, played hard and raced even harder is trying to rekindle the success that led to six NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championships.[ENDNOTE]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It may be baby steps, but Richard Childress Racing is trying to find its swagger.

The team that lived hard, played hard and raced even harder is trying to rekindle the success that led to six NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championships.

They are trying to rebuild their image as racing's bad boys, the kind that aren't afraid to bend a few fenders or a few rules to get the job done.

Jeff Burton's pole position for Sunday's Daytona 500 was an important step in a five-year rebuilding process that started the very second Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. In the past five years, RCR has expanded to three cars for the 500, moved into a new shop and wrestles daily with the reminder of Earnhardt's lasting influence.

Childress has changed crew chiefs so many times for his three teams in the last five years, he's lost count. He's had 15 different drivers in his Nextel Cup cars since Earnhardt died, trying to find that magical elixir of speed, talent and attitude. It remains a work in progress.

"When I walked through the gates here (a week ago), I told the guys on the team Dale and I used to have a saying here: If anyone beat us, they took our trophy and stole our money.' That was the way we thought.

"That's what we're trying to get back."

Childress' teams haven't won at a restrictor-plate racetrack since Earnhardt died, and his three teams have combined for only eight wins in the five years that have passed since his crash. Daytona always has been special to Childress because it was Earnhardt's favorite place to race. But the real test will be next week at California when the sport moves to a two-mile racetrack.

"You'll be able to judge RCR after next week," said Will Lind, Earnhardt's old tire changer who now runs Childress' Busch Series program. "Get away from these restrictor plates and you'll see what you've really got. I think they've made a lot of improvements over there (in the Cup program). Jeff Burton has brought a lot to that deal. "But they still don't have the swagger."

Danny "Chocolate" Myers, who used to gas Earnhardt's famed black Chevrolet, now runs Childress' museum. He came off the road shortly after Earnhardt died. He not only missed his friend, but the attitude he brought to the entire operation.

"He loved to race, we loved to race," he said. "We all lived to do it; it was the love of our lives. We raced hard and we had a good time. And as far as we were concerned, we didn't have any friends in the garage area because they were there to take our money."

Childress' group has grown to more than 300 employees and Myers said it's difficult to remember half the names. When they were together winning races and championships -- and often fighting their way out of the garage area -- the group was small.

"We used to ride all night in the truck, stay in low-budget hotels and eat beanie-weenies because that's what it took to get to the race and survive," Myers said. "We loved it because we loved racing that much. Now everyone flies in personal jets, stay in five-star hotels and have their meals catered.

"And we have way too many friends in the garage area."

Childress agreed.

"We didn't need any friends in the garage area," he said. "We brought all we needed with us."

Kirk Shelmerdine, who will start Sunday's race from the 42nd spot as a driver, was Earnhardt's crew chief for five of Childress' championships. He left the team to pursue his dream to be a driver. One of the first people coming to Shelmerdine's car after his qualifying race on Thursday was Bobby Hutchens, another long-time crewman for Earnhardt.

The two hugged, then Hutchens said he had an engine and transmission from Childress' shop he wanted Shelmerdine to use in the main event. If he had to buy it, it would cost about $75,000. Childress gave Shelmerdine the new engine as a favor.

"You can leave, but you're still family," he said.

Shelmerdine said the sport as evolved into something that's out-grown what Earnhardt created. It's driven by corporations, not drivers. Talent is determined by marketing skills, not the ability to rub fenders at 200 mph.

"It's a product of progress, I guess," Shelmerdine said. "That's not to say it's worse; it's just different."

Shelmerdine said the sport is a lot like a giant ship. As long as it's pointed in the right direction, it's hard to beat. But once it misses its mark, it's too big and bulky to get stopped or turn.

"It can take a couple years to get caught up," Shelmerdine said. "And when you get there, you have to hope what you're chasing hasn't moved again. When you start chasing, it's hard."

Burton said RCR is tired of chasing. And more important, it's tired of making excuses.

"It's a no-excuse year," Burton said. "Richard has provided us with the funding and the people and the plan and a lot of things we didn't have last year. We had some legitimate excuses last year, but this is a no-excuse year. If that means it's a make or break, I'm OK with that."

Jeff Gordon, who is on the outside pole, said his team is rebuilding after missing the Chase for the Championship last season. Unlike Childress, however, Gordon's team isn't trying to re-invent itself. It's merely looking to put all the parts and pieces in a better order.

"Sometimes it takes some beatings before you really get things turned around. It puts you in a position to make changes and be humbled and really want it that much more," Gordon said.

Elliott Sadler will start third in the 500, while Kyle Busch is fourth, Carl Edwards is fifth, Jamie McMurray is sixth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is seventh, Bobby Labonte is eighth, Jimmie Johnson is ninth and Mark Martin is 10th.

Childress' other two cars will start 28th with Kevin Harvick and 37th with Clint Bowyer.

"I look back at 2004 and I spent some time at a couple of shops and I knew we needed to get things turned around and get going," Childress said. "I made a lot of decisions for change. We made a lot of changes and brought new people in. I'm just excited about the whole year.

"And hopefully we'll find that swagger again."