Richard Childress Sheds Light on 'Rich Guy' Image, Details Struggles Growing Up

Richard Childress, one of the most influential team owners in NASCAR today, is not just another rich guy with deep pockets who runs race teams. There is a lot more to him: A tale of rags-to-riches that’s dramatic as well as inspiring.

In a recent conversation with John Roberts, the 79-year-old spoke of his early days, saying, “It was a struggle, you know, back in the day. But I was fortunate. I was blessed. I had good people around me, had some people that helped me out, and I was just really blessed by it.”

Childress lost his father when he was just six years old. He was forced to become a man early in life. This meant earning by selling peanuts at the Bowman Gray Stadium, among other modest jobs.

“I had to fight my way through life. Haven’t stopped yet. But it was tough coming up as a kid, and we were fortunate,” continued Childress. 

“As a family, we loved each other. We got everything we needed as far as food, you know. Hell, I had to work in the cafeterias to pay for my lunch sometimes. But that’s just part of life, and I learned a lot,” he added.

The first car that Childress had ever bought was a 1947 Plymouth, which cost him $20. Its former owner had used it as a taxi and had been willing to part ways with it.

Childress partnered with a friend to purchase it and then flipped a coin to see who got to drive it first. His habit of winning began there. Decades on, he has come a long way from the lots of Winston-Salem.

The Talladega race that turned Childress’ life around

Childress was one of the Grand American Series drivers who was present at the Talladega Superspeedway for its inaugural race on September 14, 1969. The Grand American Series was set to race on Saturday, followed by the Grand National Series on Sunday.

But watching cars fly around the intimidating track left most of the drivers in the premier tier scared out of their wits. They refused to get on the track, and this left Bill France Sr., NASCAR’s founder, with no option but to seek the aid of the Grand American Series field.

Childress and Co. agreed to fill out the missing spots for Sunday’s race and were promised heavy rewards in return. The event went by without any issue, and Childress finished in 23rd place.

The 1968 Chevrolet Camaro that he used in the race was bought for $400. At the end of the day, it earned him over $5,000. This was a hefty sum back in the day. It helped Childress buy land, start a shop, and create a business fixing cars. The rest, as they say, is history.