Having a legacy of fifty-five years in NASCAR is no minor accomplishment. From modest beginnings in 1969, Richard Childress grew his racing company to become one of the dominant teams in the Cup Series today. Childress has established himself in the annals of motorsports with more than 200 race victories, including 67 under Dale Earnhardt. However, prior to his ascent to fame, his path had some astounding detours that many admirers would never anticipate.
Behind the Glory, the Grit
Moonshine runners tested their speed against the law on North Carolina’s untamed backroads, which is where NASCAR got its start. Childress was among the many trailblazers who emerged from difficult homes. Childress recently disclosed the tremendous measures he took as a child simply to make ends meet
Childress had a difficult childhood and experienced adversity at a young age. He embarked on a variety of odd jobs to help support himself after losing his father when he was only five years old. In return for free meals, he swept the corridors and cleaned the lunchroom at his school. He first became interested in racing at Bowman Gray Stadium, where he sold Cokes and peanuts while admiring racing greats like Curtis Turner and Junior Johnson.
Richard Childress: The Stuntman of Daredevil
In 1969, as he developed his NASCAR career, Childress looked for every chance to maintain his financial stability. Among his boldest endeavors? turning into a stuntman. Childress startled Dale Earnhardt Jr. during a recent appearance on The Dale Jr. Download when he explained how he became involved in Hollywood’s high-risk world. “To pay the bills, really – anything I could do,” Childress admitted. “They said, ‘Who wants to wreck his car?’ I raised my hand.”
His friendship with Stan Barrett, who worked for one of Hollywood’s most well-known stuntmen and directors, Hal Needham, deepened his involvement in stunt work. “Stan told me about stunt work, and whenever I had time during the week, I’d take off and go somewhere,” Childress recalled.
In addition to wrecking cars, Childress also doubled for the legendary Burt Reynolds, saying, “Hell, I doubled Burt Reynolds at one time. I put on his wig, his sweatshirt, and wrecked a motorcycle.” However, his most outrageous stunt came with an alluring payoff: “Probably the dumbest thing I’ve done is, I slid a motorcycle down in front of an 182 plane that was landing,” Childress disclosed.They said ‘Who’ll do this?’ Hell, they paid $400-$500 to do it. That was big money back in the day.”
Was His NASCAR Grit Shaped by His Stuntman Past?
Richard Childress’s unafraid outlook on life was a perfect fit for NASCAR. His unwavering motivation in motorsports was influenced by his experience taking chances, both in real life and on movie sets. Dale Earnhardt was involved in his endeavors as well; Childress had faith in “The Intimidator” long before they both took over NASCAR.
Did Childress’ time as a stuntman help shape him into the daring competitor he is today? Tell us what you think!
