Perhaps it was caught up in the commotion of Paul Menard’s first victory. Or because it was Menard in victory lane and not Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer or Jeff Burton but Richard Childress was the winning car owner Sunday in the Brickyard 400.
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[/media-credit]The win in Indianapolis was as surprising as Childress announcing last season that his organization was going back to four cars. Childress though, knew that it was all a matter of putting the right people in the right places.
“I’m just so proud of that whole Menard team,” said Childress. “I caught a lot of flack back early last year when we decided to go with four teams. I’ve been watching Paul ever since he won the Nationwide race. He doesn’t tear equipment up, he’s consistent, he’s really good. Got a cool head on him in all situations.”
Childress said he knew that once the right situation presented itself they’d win and that bringing over Slugger Labbe as Menard’s crew chief and having the support of John Menard was also important to the deal and the team’s success.
It took Menard 167 races to find victory lane and a few different organizations before he landed at RCR. Childress was prepared to make him a winner and looked forward to all four of his teams being contenders. Menard started the season off as one of the more consistent drivers on the circuit before backsliding through the points.
Whispers though still started about whether Menard could be working toward his first career win. When practice started Friday Menards wasn’t among those to watch and by his account they were off. But Childress saw the car come to life on Saturday and it gave him the confidence to lean into Menard’s car on Sunday and tell him it was going to be his day.
Pulling into victory lane on Sunday suddenly wasn’t as farfetched as everyone thought. And it certainly didn’t come from Menard lucking his way into the win either. He battled back from a pit road penalty and going through the grass to avoid a spinning Landon Cassill with 41 laps to go.
From there it was about nursing his draining fuel tank and proving the critics wrong and Childress right.
“For a first-year team to come out like this, it’s very gratifying,” the team owner said. “They work hard, Slugger is as hard a working guy as you’ll see around the shop, the racetrack. The first time with the four-car team, I don’t think we were as prepared coming in. I said we’ll be more prepared, we know the mistakes we made, and we’re sure not making them now.”
For Childress it was the fourth time in 2011 that he’s been to victory lane. Prior to Menard’s win he celebrated on three different occasions with Harvick. The organizations other two teams, Bowyer and Burton have struggled lately but Childress believes that things can quickly turn in their favor as quickly has it has against them.
In the end though, some things stay the same. Childress again was standing on the frontstretch of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, perhaps with a driver he and most others thought he’d never be standing with, preparing to kiss the bricks. It was the third time he would do so as a car owner.
“It’s eight years from 1995 to 2003 and eight more years till today,” said Childress talking about his wins. “It doesn’t seem like we’ve been coming here 18 years. I remember coming in here the first time I think in ’93 to do our test with Dale. The first time the cars ran down that front straightaway and though, ‘Man, would it be cool to win at Indy.’”
It was August of 1995 when Childress and the man who he would rise to the top of the sport with won the second running of the Brickyard 400. It was Earnhardt’s 66th career victory but it was as special as the first one for he and Childress. Except, the two didn’t kiss the bricks that day and Earnhardt never would.
Harvick replaced Earnhardt in 2001 and in 2003 he too won at the Brickyard. It was the fourth career win for Harvick and the second Brickyard win for RCR. Then, 16 years after standing with Earnhardt in the sunset, Childress was walking to victory lane for a third time with a third driver.
“To be here again 18 years later [from tire test] and to win with Paul, Slugger, this whole group, to win for RCR, I couldn’t be happier,” said Childress. “Kind of got to pinch myself. I hope it ain’t eight years more before we win it. I’ll be a old man by then.”
