RCR and their future

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Does anyone think that in the not so distant future RCR will find themselves going the same way as Roush is now and eventually ending up like Robert Yates Racing? Or will Austin and Ty be able to drive the organization back to a top tier team?
 
Gees, had a driver go all the way to the final race, rookie Dillion had a hell of a year, and you think Menard will have sponsorship problems?
 
Perhaps i didn't phrase my question correctly what i was getting at is that in 13 years Harvick couldn't win a championship, then wins in his first year at SHR, granted the circumstances are not the same, but imo if a championship caliber driver couldn't get it done in 13 years that the organization is headed downhill
Gees, had a driver go all the way to the final race, rookie Dillion had a hell of a year, and you think Menard will have sponsorship problems?
 
Perhaps i didn't phrase my question correctly what i was getting at is that in 13 years Harvick couldn't win a championship, then wins in his first year at SHR, granted the circumstances are not the same, but imo if a championship caliber driver couldn't get it done in 13 years that the organization is headed downhill
The cartoon point system wasn't in place during the 13 years Harvick was at RCR.
Under the previous point system, Harvick would've finished the 2014 season in 5th, where he belonged.
 
They'll be around and they'll win a race here and there and they'll put drivers in the Chase, but I don't see them reaching the elite status of Penske/HMS/JGR again anytime soon. The last time they could claim that was probably 2008.
 
They'll be around and they'll win a race here and there and they'll put drivers in the Chase, but I don't see them reaching the elite status of Penske/HMS/JGR again anytime soon. The last time they could claim that was probably 2008.

Hasn't been elite since the mid to late 90s.

Lets be honest.

Elite team=wins and championships regularly.

Harvick had been the only one pitching in with the wins. Otherwise, I'd say average team that got its most wins from one guy and squeezed 1 or 2 wins with the rest of its roster drivers.
 
Hasn't been elite since the mid to late 90s.

Lets be honest.

Elite team=wins and championships regularly.

Harvick had been the only one pitching in with the wins. Otherwise, I'd say average team that got its most wins from one guy and squeezed 1 or 2 wins with the rest of its roster drivers.
True.

2006-2008 and then 2010 was a respectable time for them but still nothing outstanding. They're a good second-tier team though.
 
I worry about rcr. I think Austins deal is probably a discounted sponsorship. I also think he doesn't take chances as a driver. It's easier to slow a guy down than speed them up. Menard is really the anchor there.money wise. I suspect newmans deal isn't the most lucrative either. In the end letting Clint bowyer go was a huge mistake. He could have let burton go instead. Bowyer actually had more sponsorship on tap than burton did because 5 hour wanted to sponsor Clint wherever
 
To me , RCR is a lot about the talent that has left there , drivers, crew, engineers . Like Roush , they have to stop the bleeding and rebuild. Don't know if Jack or RC have any gas left in their tanks.
 
To me , RCR is a lot about the talent that has left there , drivers, crew, engineers . Like Roush , they have to stop the bleeding and rebuild. Don't know if Jack or RC have any gas left in their tanks.

Jack's big mistake was taking on a partner that didn't understand the racing public and really dropped the ball in the front office when it came to getting sponsors. Jack himself was in the game to enjoy himself and NOT necessarily to make a lot of money.

Richard also liked racing and he made himself some money but he did it all with one man who did his own hiring and firing. Dale was a better business man that Richard. Had he not died, I believe DEI would be sitting at the top of the heap, maybe even knocking HMS aside.

So Richard now has enough money for the rest of his life and I think he can keep things going for his family simple because he invested back when. I think it is up to his SIL and grand kids to make their own way.
 
Jack's big mistake was taking on a partner that didn't understand the racing public and really dropped the ball in the front office when it came to getting sponsors. Jack himself was in the game to enjoy himself and NOT necessarily to make a lot of money.

Richard also liked racing and he made himself some money but he did it all with one man who did his own hiring and firing. Dale was a better business man that Richard. Had he not died, I believe DEI would be sitting at the top of the heap, maybe even knocking HMS aside.

So Richard now has enough money for the rest of his life and I think he can keep things going for his family simple because he invested back when. I think it is up to his SIL and grand kids to make their own way.

Maybe they will both join Richard Petty in semi retirement . Seems to be that Rick Hendrick has been constantly planning for his business to go on without him . And it likely will .
 
Maybe they will both join Richard Petty in semi retirement . Seems to be that Rick Hendrick has been constantly planning for his business to go on without him . And it likely will .


IMO, Rick is all about his legacy. That's why he makes shows with past drivers sucking up to him. Who is waiting in the wings
to take over that could spend the money he does to be successful?????
 
IMO, Rick is all about his legacy. That's why he makes shows with past drivers sucking up to him. Who is waiting in the wings
to take over that could spend the money he does to be successful?????
Isn't Rick grooming Jeff Gordon to run the company when Rick decides he wants to step down or aside?
 
Maybe Richard Childress feels like he made his mark in the world of stock car racing and has enough money til the day that he dies. Maybe all he's doing now is giving his grandsons and SIL a chance to make their own mark in the same sport?
 
Often wondered why his drivers always refer to him as Mr.H. He's the only owner in the garage that I can think of that's called Mr.

Man, could you imagine a DEI vs. HMS battle today if Dale was still alive?

Not sure if DEI would pull RCR up or if RCR would drag DEI down in that scenario.
 
Not sure if DEI would pull RCR up or if RCR would drag DEI down in that scenario.[/quote]


I think DEI pulls RCR up. Remember it was Dales engines that were so good and he had the best man in charge. Unfortunately TE let him go and their engines were not the best anymore.
 
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Man, could you imagine a DEI vs. HMS battle today if Dale was still alive?

I'm sorry but given the talent that has gone through NASCAR since his passing, who else would step up? Rick was beating them both (RCR+DEI) back in the day with just Gordon. Now you have Jimmie taking the helm along with Jeff, I dont think it would have changed the outcome.

I mean, you give them on par equipment and that's all good but who do you have to drive for you?
 
I'm sorry but given the talent that has gone through NASCAR since his passing, who else would step up? Rick was beating them both (RCR+DEI) back in the day with just Gordon. Now you have Jimmie taking the helm along with Jeff, I dont think it would have changed the outcome.

I mean, you give them on par equipment and that's all good but who do you have to drive for you?

I could see Dale Sr. taking a gamble on Johnson if he thought the kid had talent.
 
It's a stretch to try to compare DEI to any other organization under the leadership of Dale Earnhardt. The company had only two full years under Dale Earnhardt before his death. Of those two years, Steve Park ran both years and Dale Jr. his rookie year. Not much more than a start-up team at that point. No way to give that kind of comparison any justice IMO.
 
I could see Dale Sr. taking a gamble on Johnson if he thought the kid had talent.

Given how Johnson started out in the Busch series, he'd pass on him. LOL

Besides, Jimmie was already a lock for Gordon and Hendrick long before any of that happened.
 
Does anyone think that in the not so distant future RCR will find themselves going the same way as Roush is now and eventually ending up like Robert Yates Racing? Or will Austin and Ty be able to drive the organization back to a top tier team?
Robert Yates Racing was not having any problems with drivers, sponsors or employees, He Just Couldn't Stand Nascar's BS

There has been a few owners who walked away
 
Paul Menard over the last 10 years is what RCR will be over the next 10 with the no talent Dillon brothers driving.
I'm thinking you are right...... had their Daddy, Mike, not married into the Childress family, he'd be sweeping floors at some race car shop because , Lord knows he wasn't gonna' get nowhere with a driving career..... some folks just get lucky. He done better than hittin' the lottery.
 
Yep even in top equipment they'll never contend. Maybe win a race here or there particularly at restrictor tracks but that's about it.
 
I actually like RCR down the road, it all depends if he retains Menard and Newman in the future. The Dillon boys are set and I will say both Austin and Ty are going to be very good because remember with all of that talk of a Kyle Larson last year, Austin was up in that top 15 area a lot.

Menard is a solid driver, but we seen that he can have flashes of speed and was especially in the first half of the year with a nice set of top 10 finishes. People may say he's bad, etc. I don't know, I'm seeing a guy that is a pretty darn solid driver and could be a journeyman in other places. His contract is up 2016, so I'm thinking that Richard will put his eggs in a basket elsewhere. It's just depending on if it will be only the Dillion boys or bring in another journeyman in the future. I don't know, but those brothers are going to be pretty good together long term.
 
I like Menard a lot I think he's probably one of the nicest guys in the sport. He also has a lot of respect from all the other drivers. With that being said he wouldn't have a ride if it wasn't for his Dad's sponsoring his car. DIllon brothers are the same way, they'll run up front occasionally, finish in the Top 15 or 20 in points, play the PR game, but that's about it. And unlike Menard a lot of fans despise Austin and Ty because of the lame cowboy hat and for Ty's crybaby antics when him and Harvick got together.
 
I like Menard a lot I think he's probably one of the nicest guys in the sport. He also has a lot of respect from all the other drivers. With that being said he wouldn't have a ride if it wasn't for his Dad's sponsoring his car. DIllon brothers are the same way, they'll run up front occasionally, finish in the Top 15 or 20 in points, play the PR game, but that's about it. And unlike Menard a lot of fans despise Austin and Ty because of the lame cowboy hat and for Ty's crybaby antics when him and Harvick got together.
The evolution of the Cup car towards a machine with lower downforce in the next few years should help out Ty a good bit, and I think his aggression will help him out more at the next level as well. He and Austin may be brothers but they like to drive a different kind of car and have different attitudes on the track.
 
I actually like RCR down the road, it all depends if he retains Menard and Newman in the future. The Dillon boys are set and I will say both Austin and Ty are going to be very good because remember with all of that talk of a Kyle Larson last year, Austin was up in that top 15 area a lot.

Menard is a solid driver, but we seen that he can have flashes of speed and was especially in the first half of the year with a nice set of top 10 finishes. People may say he's bad, etc. I don't know, I'm seeing a guy that is a pretty darn solid driver and could be a journeyman in other places. His contract is up 2016, so I'm thinking that Richard will put his eggs in a basket elsewhere. It's just depending on if it will be only the Dillion boys or bring in another journeyman in the future. I don't know, but those brothers are going to be pretty good together long term.
The thing with RCR right now is that they don't really have any truly talented development drivers in house right now besides Ty. Brian Scott is an iffy Cup talent but comes from money, Gaughan is a career Nationwide/Truck driver at this point, Brandon Jones isn't particularly impressive either but is also the son of the Rheem President/CEO. Unless a bidding war opens up I'd be more inclined to stick with Menard, as he really improved a lot in 2014. The championship standings don't reflect it but it was most likely the best Cup season he's had so far. I don't think, unless another driver like Newman unfairly gets the boot all of a sudden, RCR is going to be getting a lot of looks from free agents. It's just not a destination job anymore.
 
RCR's future depends solely on Austin and Ty. I think it's clear RC is going to stand behind them, for better or worse. Austin will be running more Xfinity races this year so that should be a big benefit w/ the testing and tapered spacer in Cup. Menard can go as he wishes cause he brings his own sponsor. I've always considered him a one car team cause he can hook up with any team as long as they have a spot, no owner will refuse a fully funded driver. I think Newman brings value, so maybe a fourth car is to come, which seems to be a curse for some teams. Just hope it works out, I don't think any race fan wants to see RCR go away.
 
I'm thinking you are right...... had their Daddy, Mike, not married into the Childress family, he'd be sweeping floors at some race car shop because , Lord knows he wasn't gonna' get nowhere with a driving career..... some folks just get lucky. He done better than hittin' the lottery.

As I recall , Richard's driving career was going nowhere too , until he got lucky with a young upstart driver and hit the lottery.
 
It's pretty much a non-driving family that got dog -assed lucky to hire a guy that could..... that's pretty much it in a nutshell.......

I'm surprised you haven't played the B…..d Childress card yet … lol … peeps should really know how you feel about him … I'm just messing with Kmart … I doubt RCR will ever amount to much anymore as I doubt either grand kiddy will amount to much …
 
Perhaps i didn't phrase my question correctly what i was getting at is that in 13 years Harvick couldn't win a championship, then wins in his first year at SHR, granted the circumstances are not the same, but imo if a championship caliber driver couldn't get it done in 13 years that the organization is headed downhill

Lots of folks are stuck on winning, so they think a team's future is make or break and they have to win or die. Funding is more important and RCR is one of the best funded teams in Nascar. Like FL fan points out. Brandon Jones's dad is Mr. Rheem. Keep him and Mr. Menard happy along with the CAT people. Newman making the final race and having a shot at the title foo foo's some around here because he didn't win a race, waa waa, but the CAT people plunking down the hard cash are happy I bet.
 
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