Often, you would say to your fellow fans, “That Richard Childress Racing car is a rocketship.” Not sure in NASCAR, but in real life, Richard Childress Racing does have something to do with that. The team works actively with the American defense industry. Recently, they partnered with Lockheed Martin, valued at $135 billion, to create a one-of-a-kind missile system.

How come a racing team is working in the defense industry? It turns out that RCR Manufacturing Solutions, which is a subsidiary of Richard Childress Racing, works closely with the aerospace, automotive, and defense industries. General Dynamics, Raytheon, and Airbus are some of the most prominent clients in their portfolio. Now, they have come together with Lockheed Martin to achieve a proud feat for America.

Richard Childress Racing and Lockheed Martin collaborate for a missile test

On January 15, 2026, Lockheed Martin was demonstrating the capabilities of the Joint-Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) from the JAGM Quad Launcher (JQL). It was a 90-degree-launch test, which is hailed as a remarkable feat in missile innovation. To complete their objective, Lockheed Martin used Richard Childress Racing’s 6×6 mothership vehicle for mounting the launcher.

It was a collab that nobody predicted. But ultimately, it brought forth fame and glory to both parties involved. Richard Childress Racing is a regular part supplier to the military and defense organizations.

According to Casey Walsh, program management director, Lockheed Martin Multi-Domain Missile Systems,

“The successful JQL vertical‑launch demonstration confirms that JAGM can be rapidly deployed from a multimissile launcher across a variety of scenarios, while delivering the network‑centric integration our global users demand. His milestone validates our vision of a unified missile architecture that seamlessly operates across air, land and sea domains, enhancing survivability and flexibility for future combat operations.”

The fans should know, however, that the ‘6×6 mothership’ is not some motorsports vehicle. Instead, it seems to be a specialized platform used in military operations. Richard Childress has yet to comment on this new achievement that he shared with Lockheed Martin some days ago. But NASCAR fans know that the sport is no stranger to involvement with the U.S. military.

Once, NASCAR drivers like Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty visited the war-struck zone in Vietnam to meet American soldiers on Christmas. Numerous drivers have run patriotic liveries that were dedicated to military veterans over the years in the Cup Series. For NASCAR, the American pride and partnership in sport go hand-in-hand.

While Richard Childress and Co.’s latest feat is surprising, there is another news about some leadership announcements that were much anticipated…

Richard Childress promotes son-in-law to successor role

Mike Dillon, who was the General Manager at Richard Childress Racing, has been promoted. He is now the Chiefs Operations Officer (COO) of the team.

Indirectly, it means that Childress has chosen the successor to his empire. He is not keen on letting an outsider take over the business in order to pass it down to his grandsons.

“RCR has assembled a talented team of professionals to help lead our race team into the future. Mike Dillon has already begun assembling top talent for RCR and has a track record of success when working with the competition side of our race team,” read the official statement.

Mike Dillon was once a driver for Richard Childress Racing. Over the years, he has grown in stature and attained bigger responsibilities in the team. This decision came at a time when there was news about Childress thinking of selling a majority stake in the team.

In addition to Dillon, John Klausmeier, and Andy Street are being promoted into major leadership positions ahead of the 2026 season start.

What are your thoughts about Richard Childress Racing’s latest feat? Do you think they will be able to bring this ‘rocksetship’ to NASCAR for 2026?