The stunning history behind Kostecki’s NASCAR team Richard Childress Racing
Yet again America has turned to another Supercars star with Brodie Kostecki announced to drive for one of the most successful NASCAR Cup Series teams ever.
As first revealed by AUTO ACTION last week and officially announced today (Tuesday, July 18) Erebus Motorsport’s Kostecki will be taking on America.
Hot on the heels of Shane van Gisbergen’s famous debut win on the streets of Chicago for Trackhouse Racing, the #99 Coke Camaro driver will race for one of the most famous teams at one of the most famous tracks.
Kostecki will drive the #33 MobileX Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Brodie Kostecki will drive the #33 Camaro for Richard Childress Racing at Indianapolis next month.
Like van Gisbergen, the Erebus Motorsport driver will not be taking on the NASCAR Cup Series stars on an oval, with the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard held on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, which has previously held Formula 1 and MotoGP.
Whilst Trackhouse Racing is a relative newcomer to the NASCAR scene, few can match the pedigree of Richard Childress Racing.
The squad based at Welcome, North Carolina has been racing in the Cup Series longer than any other, having not missed a race for more than half a century since 1972.
It is the longest active streak in the sport and the team has tasted plenty of success in that period with some of the most famous names behind the wheel.
But the superpower started from humble beginnings as Childress got his first taste of NASCAR in 1969 at Talladega Superspeedway where he finished 23rd after 16 drivers boycotted the event.
Richard Childress in his racing days at Daytona. Image: ISC Images & Archives/Getty Images/ESPN.com
Childress was effectively running a one-man team being the driver, head mechanic and chief engine builder and did not become a full time driver until 1976.
Across 285 races over 12 years, Childress was a regular top 10 finisher achieving the feat 76 times, but victory lane would prove elusive with a best finish of fourth at Riverside in 1981.
After that season Childress hung up the helmet and focused on being a team owner, with Ricky Rudd the first full-time driver replacing Dale Earnhardt, who spent the last 11 races of his title defence in the previous year at Richard Childress Racing.
Rudd drove Richard Childress Racing to its maiden victory at Riverside in 1983 and backed that up with a first oval success at Martinsville later in the same season.
But after two years Rudd left and Earnhardt returned to begin one of the most successful team-driver partnerships in NASCAR history.
Dale Earnhardt and the #3 collected 67 wins for Richard Childress Racing from 1984 to 2001. Image: ISC Images & Archives/Getty Images/NASCAR.com
This time Earnhardt was back for good and the famous #3 turned into a winning machine with a first visit in victory lane arriving at Talladega in 1984.
After being a regular winner in their first two years together, Earnhardt and Richard Childress Racing became a juggernaut in 1986.
The pair secured their first Winton Cup title in 1986 after collecting five wins.
From there, Earnhardt was unstoppable in the #3, winning six of the next nine championships on offer between 1986 and 1994.
The 1987 campaign was particularly dominant, winning six of the opening eight races and breaking the record for the most consecutive appearances in victory lane with four.
After falling 12 points short of Rusty Wallace in the chase for the 1989 title, Earnhardt went back to back in 1990 and 1991, and also doubled up in 1993 and 1994.
Dale Earnhardt celebrates his long awaited Daytona 500 victory in 1998. Image: Motorsport Images
This saw Earnhardt tie Richard Petty’s record of seven NASCAR Cup Series crowns and he came close to recording a record-breaking eighth in 1995 and 2000 when he finished second.
In 1997 Richard Childress Racing expanded to two cars with Childress’ original #31 coming back with rookie Mike Skinner behind the wheel.
But Earnhardt was still very much the team leader and finally broke through for his maiden Daytona 500 glory at his 20th attempt in 1998.
It was sweet relief with the #3 having finished second best on four separate occasions, while the seven-time champion had just endured his second winless season in 1997.
After a resurgent campaign in 2000, Earnhardt was as determined as ever to chase the historic eighth title.
Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt fighting at the front in the tragic 2001 Daytona 500. Image: Motorsport Images
However, tragedy struck when he passed away behind the wheel of the #3 in a three-car final-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500.
Following Earnhardt’s passing, the flagship Richard Childress Racing car switched from colours and numbers from #3 to #29 with Busch Series young gun Kevin Harvick stepping up.
In just his third Cup Series start, Harvick famously edged ahead of Jeff Gordon by 0.006s at Atlanta and dedicated the win to Earnhardt.
Harvick would drive the #29 until 2013 with the other highlight being Daytona 500 glory in 2007.
Kevin Harvick celebrates his emotional maiden Cup success for Richard Childress Racing in front of the #3 at Atlanta in 2001. Image: Fox Sports
In his place was Childress’ eldest grandson Austin Dillon, who also brought the famous #3 back to the top level.
Dillon remains in the #3 to this day with four career Cup Series wins and none bigger than his 2018 Daytona 500 glory in the 60th running of the “Great American Race”.
Despite Childress punching Kyle Busch in an infamous pit lane incident following a Truck Series race in 2011, the pair joined forces 11 years later.
After 15 years at Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch moved to Childress’ team this year to drive the #8 Camaro.
Success arrived in just their second race together at Auto Club and further wins at Talladega and Gateway ensured he is a championship contender.
Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing in victory lane after winning at Madison International Speedway. Photo by Lesley Ann Miller / LAT Images
Busch is the latest of a long list of winning drivers for RCR, which also includes Earnhardt, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman, Rudd, Tyler Reddick, Robby Gordon, Dillon, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Harvick bringing the team’s tally to 244, the fifth most of all time across Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series racing.
Driving for a team with this kind of success, Kostecki will join some of the most famous NASCAR names when he goes racing at the “Brickyard” on Sunday, August 13.
List of Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Cup Series winners
67 Dale Earnhardt
23 Kevin Harvick
5 Clint Bowyer
4 Jeff Burton
4 Austin Dillon
3 Robby Gordon
3 Tyler Reddick
3 Kyle Busch
2 Ricky Rudd
1 Ryan Newman
1 Paul Menard
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