Richard Childress is a rare breed in the NASCAR garage. While heavyweights like Roger Penske juggle global automotive empires, and Joe Gibbs balances racing with his NFL legacy, Childress has always been all-in on stock cars.

Starting as a scrappy driver in the late 1960s with a $20 used car, he clawed his way out of a tough North Carolina childhood through grit and gasoline. He wasn’t a star behind the wheel, but when he put Dale Earnhardt in his No. 3 car in 1981, Richard Childress Racing became a juggernaut. Six Cup Series championships and over 100 wins later, RCR stands as a pillar of NASCAR’s soul.

That singular focus has defined him, but it’s also sparked fears about what he’s sacrificed and what lies ahead for his grandsons, Austin and Ty Dillon. Recently, Austin peeled back the curtain, revealing how a tough 2024 season tested his grandfather’s love for NASCAR, and how a recent triumph brought it roaring back.

Austin’s revelation about Childress

On the Dale Jr. Download, Austin Dillon got real about his grandfather’s emotional rollercoaster, “But I hope that you know last year this whole Richmond thing it really burned him like from and I talked about this or just the sport in generally felt like he was. I don’t know if it’s betrayed or whatever it may be, and he’s one of those guys, man. When you get in when he’s like that, he’s just he’s hard to pull out of that.”

He’s talking about the 2024 Cook Out 400 at Richmond, where Austin’s win came after bumping Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. NASCAR let the victory stand, but yanked his playoff spot for aggressive driving, a call that stung Childress deeply. The old-school owner, fiercely loyal to his drivers, felt the sport and its fans turned on him, leaving a wound that lingered for months.

But redemption came in 2025, and Austin saw it spark a change, “You know he’s old school and when you’ve done it wrong it’s hard for him to kind of forgive and forget and I hope that us winning Richmond and the way everything went down this time around it clears that and I think it already has. Like I think he’s this week. He’s been in a whole new mood and just the love of the sport. I want it to come back in his eyes.”

Austin’s 2025 Richmond win was a different story, clean and dominant, leading 107 laps to become the first back-to-back Cook Out 400 winner in 15 years. That victory washed away the bitterness of 2024, reigniting Childress’s fire for NASCAR. For a family whose name is synonymous with the sport, that moment felt like a homecoming.

Then Austin dropped a heavier truth, “I think what my grandfather’s biggest fear is that or regret is his time with family because he has been so committed to RCR in the business that that is what he has put all his focus and effort in and we love him for that and he’s been a rock and like an Elvis of the garage for so long.”

Childress’s dedication is legendary. He’s at nearly every race, a constant presence atop the hauler, unlike most modern owners. That “Elvis of the garage” nickname captures his larger-than-life aura, but Austin’s words reveal the cost: time away from family. Building RCR into a powerhouse meant pouring everything into the team, and that sacrifice weighs on him.

Finally, Austin touched on the future, “That’s just who he is and who he’s always been committed to. I think his worry of turning over that position to Ty and I would be- He knows the sacrifices he had to make and…I don’t know if he really wants us to have that burden a little bit.”

Childress hasn’t named a successor, but Austin and Ty are the likely heirs. Running RCR, with its hundreds of employees and 50-year legacy, is a massive undertaking. Austin sees his grandfather’s hesitation, not because he doubts their ability, but because he knows the toll it takes. It’s a mix of love and caution, wanting to shield his grandsons from the same all-consuming life he’s led.

Austin’s outlook on the playoffs

Fresh off his Richmond redemption, Austin Dillon’s riding high into the 2025 playoffs. His clean 2025 win at the Cook Out 400, defending his controversial 2024 victory, locked him into the postseason and marked him as one of Richmond’s winningest drivers.

Unlike last year, when contact with Logano and Hamlin cost him a playoff berth, this triumph left no room for debate. Now, Dillon’s keeping his eyes on the Round of 16: Darlington, Gateway, and Bristol. He’s feeling good, saying, “That first round for us is a really good round. Like, I could circle those three tracks and finish in the top-10 of all three of those.”

Last year, he posted a 15th at Darlington, a sixth at Gateway, and a 10th at Bristol, giving him and new crew chief Richard Boswell confidence. “So, we just got to get through them, knock them one at a time, and show that same poise and calm and execution that we showed at Richmond,” Dillon added.

He’s not looking past these races, focusing on simulator work to prep. Sitting 25th in points with five top-10s and one top-five, he’s got momentum but knows Daytona, where he won in 2022, hasn’t been kind lately. Still, he’s gunning for a top-five this weekend before the playoff grind begins, carrying the family legacy and his grandfather’s renewed passion into the fight.