Team Preview: Is An RCR Rebound In Store?

Did Richard Childress Racing spread itself too thin by adding a 4th car in 2009? Perhaps Richard Childress was more preoccupied with hunting big game than hunting a championship. Theories abounded as to the struggles of one of NASCAR’s premier teams, a team deep with talent between the steady Jeff Burton, a fiery Kevin Harvick, and promising young Clint Bowyer.

As it turns out, Richard Childress says there was a change made on their 2009 cars that was flawed, and it wasn’t uncovered until the season had pretty well unraveled. The idea of RCR being winless and having no driver present in the Chase seemed impossible.

Once changes were made in cars and some in personnel, Burton, Harvick and Bowyer made significant gains, perhaps even suggesting RCR had a head start in 2010.

One thing is all but certain, in this observer’s opinion: Clint Bowyer will lead the charge of a Richard Childress revival. In spite of the mechanical maladies and a mid-season slump, Bowyer still cobbled together a respectable season under the circumstances.

If you watch the Kansan’s career progress, you can see that he’s more than just your basic RCR short tracker. Bowyer has put together good runs on road courses and he’s been solid on the superspeedways, especially when the piece has been good.

Not only does it seem Bowyer is poised to get in the Chase once more, he may even have the makings of a potential title run in him.

“The Mayor,” Jeff Burton, put together a nice finish to an otherwise lackluster 2009. His pairing with former Harvick crew chief Todd Berrier panned out well, and he darn near pulled out a victory or two at season’s end. For Burton, it seems like one key will be to qualify better. Granted, Burton is one of those guys like Tony Stewart, who can slice through the field after starting in the back, but do it often enough, and you find yourself getting collected in a high traffic collision.

J.B. may be long in the tooth, but its not like he’s trying to outrun 300-pound defensive ends. There’s on reason to think he’s really lost anything. A return to Chase form wouldn’t surprise me in the least.

No driver was as frustrated with the fall of Richard Childress Racing than Kevin Harvick. The driver, who for all intents and purposes succeeded the late Dale Earnhardt, hadn’t won a points race since his dramatic win over Mark Martin in the 2007 Daytona 500. It was a poorly kept secret that Happy and Childress rattled sabres in mid-season, and there’s been persisting rumors of an eventual defection by Harvick to Stewart- Haas Racing.

One thing we know: that move isn’t being made for 2010. Another thing we know, an improved ride for Harvick led to better finishes, taking the edge off the spat.

What will be interesting to follow with Harvick is the development of his own racing team. KHI is rocking the truck series, and they’ve been competitive in the Nationwide Series. Perhaps Harv will be clicking off laps in his own car one day. It’s not hard to imagine, but it’s not more than speculation now.

The odd man out here is the driver of the 4th car in the Childress stable, Casey Mears. Dwindling sponsorship dollars has led to a pull-out by Mears sponsor Jim Beam (dang it!) Jack Daniels, and not matter how you slice it, Mears is the easy fall guy considering not only the seniority of his teammates at RCR, but the performance as well.

By every indication, 2010 holds tremendous promise for Richard Childress. Assuming a three car team, it’s not a reach to think there will be multiple wins in store, and all three cars back in the top 12.

So to answer the headlining question? “Absolutely.” Richard Childress is on the way up in 2010.

PHOTO CREDITS- 29 car by Todd Warshaw/ Getty Images, Clint Bowyer with his old “07” ride by Jason Smith/ Getty Images for NASCAR, Jeff Burton by Jeremy T. Sellers of Jerm’s Joint Racin’ Pub, Harvick and Mears by Walter G. Arce. To see more of his work, visit flickr.com.