NASCAR Notebook: RCR drivers won't back down from Hendrick

CONCORD, N.C — Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick have a message for Hendrick Motorsports — bring it on.

The two outspoken drivers from Richard Childress Racing aren’t ready to back down despite Hendrick’s domination last season. A Hendrick car won half of the 36 Cup races and Jimmie Johnson won his second straight title.

“It’s clear Hendrick is the team to beat but we aren’t coming this year to take a (butt) whooping,” Burton said. “We aren’t here to run second and talk about how good Hendrick is.

“We don’t have excuses. It’s time to get it done.”

Harvick backed up his teammate’s words.

“If we don’t close the gap, we will at least be a pain in the (butt),” he said. “We have made a lot of gains and the confidence level is definitely high.”

RCR has reasons to be confidence.

All three drivers made the Chase last season, with Clint Bowyer coming in second to Johnson. The company has partnered with Dale Earnhardt Inc. to form Earnhardt-Childress engines. The partnership, headed up by Richie Gilmore, will build engines for both organizations.

Another plus is having Will Lind, who oversaw RCR’s Busch teams and has been with the company since 1982, to direct the team’s Cup operations.

“Will has worked with all of our drivers and crew chiefs and they have a lot of respect for him,” Childress said. “He has won a lot of truck and Busch Series titles, so it is going to add a lot to the program.”



Props to Darlington

During his address to media members Monday, NASCAR CEO Brian France praised Darlington Raceway for its response after having its lone date moved to Mother’s Day weekend.

The race has sold out both years it has been held on that date.

“We took a gamble but in reality it wasn’t a gamble with the rich tradition the place has had over the years,” France said. “It has turned out to be a sure thing … and is one of the highlight events on our schedule.”



RCR branching out

Childress announced Monday he will field a team to run in the Rolex Grand-Am Series.

The car, which will be driven by Andy Wallace, will compete in a select number of races this year before a full schedule in 2009.

Childress also announced two of his grandsons, Austin and Ty Dillon, are coming on board as developmental drivers. Austin will drive the No. 3 in the Camping World East Series (formerly the Busch East Series).

Ty will drive the team’s dirt model cars.

Also, RCR will field three Nationwide Series teams with Bobby Labonte and Stephen Leicht sharing the duties in one of the rides.



‘The Humpy Show’

Lowe’s Motor Speedway president H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler will star in a new show on the Speed channel.

The program, called “The Humpy Show,” will debut during SpeedWeeks at 9 p.m. on Feb. 12. The show will make the connection between past and current racing topics. The first show will feature Buddy Baker and Kurt Busch discussing great NASCAR rivalries.



They said it

RCR driver Jeff Burton: “People that say about racing’s good ol’ days, I’ll get a score sheet from one of the Southern 500s where four or five cars finished on the lead lap. We live in the good ol’ days now.”