2014 Look at RCR After 6 Races
Team Spotlight: RCR
By Richard Tix
Since 1969 Richard Childress and his racing team, RCR, has had many ups and downs. Along the way many different faces and personalities have come and gone leaving Mr. Childress with many memories. In 2014 RCR came into the new NASCAR season turning a new page.
Kevin Harvick is out as the driver of the #29 after taking over for Dale Earnhardt. Harvick was a main stay st RCR so it was big news in the NASCAR world (RCR Preseason Spotlight). Also, Jeff Burton announced he was leaving RCR full time and would only run a race or two in the 2014 season. That left RCR with one driver, Paul Menard.
Menard has not been a bad driver for RCR over his career, but he seems to have settled into finishing around the 16-19th spot in points every year. Add to that, last season RCR seemed at times to struggle to keep up with the top teams (Harvick got it going some) and many were left wondering how this season would go.
Well Richard Childress started out the year with a bang by announcing he would be bringing the #3 back for the first time since Dale Earnhardt had passed away. His own family would be driving it, Austin Dillon. Also announced before that was that Ryan Newman would be joining the team to replace Harvick.
So, RCR entered the season with one highly touted rookie, and former "next big thing" and rookie of the year (Ryan Newman) who has been in a funk, and a career average driver (Paul Menard).
2014 started on a high note after Austin Dillon won the Daytona 500 Pole in the #3. Since that moment I would argue that the season has stayed pretty steady. In fact, RCR is having a quiet but good season so far especially if you take into consideration all the new faces in the garage.
Current standings have the 3 drivers sitting 9th, 10th, and 11th in the Cup Standings. They have 6 combined top 10's and a top 5, but they all seem to just be heating up. Austin Dillon has spent the season riding around learning the Cup series and at the same time finishing about top 15. Menard has 3 top 10's in his last 4 races, which is all of his top 10's on the season.
If they can keep it up and somehow all get into the Chase it would be a huge accomplishment for RCR. But with NASCAR's new rules these drivers may need to find a way to win. Newman has shown he is capable, but Dillon is young and Menard has 1 win in 261 career races. So, can RCR somehow get all three drivers into the Chase? It will be fun to watch play out.
**Added note: AJ Allmendinger has started coming on as of late with an 11th and 8th place finish in his last two starts. AJ and the #47 team have a technical alliance with RCR. Martin Truex Jr also has an alliance but has had some bad breaks to start the season.**
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