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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Qualifying Jul 8, 2023 Hampton, Georgia, USA NASCAR Cup Series car owner Richard Childress during qualifying on pit row at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hampton Atlanta Motor Speedway Georgia USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarvinxGentryx 20230708_tbs_sg8_089
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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Qualifying Jul 8, 2023 Hampton, Georgia, USA NASCAR Cup Series car owner Richard Childress during qualifying on pit row at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hampton Atlanta Motor Speedway Georgia USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarvinxGentryx 20230708_tbs_sg8_089
November 22, 1981, was the last time Richard Childress competed in a NASCAR race. He wasn’t the most successful race car driver, but he held his own, driving the No. 3 RCR Chevy. In 1981, he took a bold gamble to put Dale Earnhardt in his race car, which ultimately paid off. Six NASCAR championships and arguably the greatest partnership in the sport, but somewhere down the line, Richard never found himself back behind the wheel. But that might be changing this year.
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YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland, who’s currently signed to RCR, dropped the big update about the 80-year-old veteran owner’s racing return. “Now, here’s something that just hit my phone that made me more excited. This is very, very random there. Like, there’s a 0% chance you guys could ever guess this. July 17th is our Crown Vic Stafford race, right? It’s like our favorite spot, kind of. Richard Childress is racing in it. THE Richard Childress,” Cleetus shared this on his YouTube video. But how exactly did this partnership come about?
Cleetus said that this idea stemmed from the RCR crew members pushing him to send an invitation to their boss. “The guys at RCR have been beating me up, saying, ‘You’ve got to get Richard in a race. You’ve got to do it, he’ll do it.’ So, I know he still drives aggressively. I hit him up, I said, ‘Hey, if you want to race Stafford, you know, we’ll do it.’ And he just texted me and said, ‘I’m in.” The Crown Vic event at Stafford has attracted NASCAR drivers in the past.
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The likes of Greg Biffle and Travis Pastrana have featured at this event, and last year, Ryan Preece took home the winning trophy. However, it was a bit of a shocker to see the 80-year-old veteran agreeing to Cleetus’ invitation. After all, he’s been away from racing in NASCAR all these years.
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LINCOLN, AL – APRIL 24: Garrett Mitchell Cleetus McFarland 30 BaldEagle.com Ford during practice for the ARCA Menards Series Alabama Manufactured Housing 200 race on Friday April 24, 2026 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, AL. Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire AUTO: APR 24 ARCA Menards Series Alabama Manufactured Housing 200 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon953260424141
Now, those who have watched Childress’ racing journey know how passionate he is about it. While age is the factor that people like to point out, for him, racing is what keeps him young. “Yeah, I really enjoy racing. I don’t know what I’d do without it. I would like to slow back a little bit and do a few other things, but I enjoy it, and I think it keeps you young. I forgot what day I was born, so I don’t know how old I really am. I know how old I act sometimes.” It seems like Childress was waiting for an opportunity to get behind the wheel, and Cleetus just managed to tap into that.
It is worth noting that so far neither Richard Childress nor the RCR team has made any official announcement. Yet, fans wouldn’t want to miss a chance to see Childress get back behind the wheel. The general admission tickets at the Stafford Speedway start from $45. Whereas the reserved tickets for the top row and stadium sections will cost $55. Kids under 2 have free admission, and weekend RV camping is priced at $100. There is a possibility that tickets might sell out, so make sure you pick them up in time.
The headliner or the star act for this event is indeed Richard Childress, but other NASCAR stars will also contend in this race.
More NASCAR presence at Stafford
“If you’re going to Stafford, we also have Jesse Love and Down Force Danny racing. So, we got three guys from RCR that are racing. I’m waiting to hear if Ty Dillon might race, but Stafford is going to be ridiculous.”
At the New England 900, Richard Childress’ seemingly random presence is swiftly evolving into a full-fledged invasion. The event already had plenty of hype thanks to its chaotic Crown Vic format, but now several NASCAR-connected names are expected to join the field.
One of those names is Jesse Love, one of the fastest-rising young talents in stock car racing. Love has quickly emerged as one of RCR’s key drivers, driving the No. 2 Chevrolet in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He is among the favorites to challenge for another championship run in 2026 (currently 3rd in standings) after winning the then Xfinity Series in 2025.
Then there’s Danny Stockman, better known as “Downforce Danny.” As a crew chief who led Jesse Love to the 2025 championship, Stockman has a solid name in the NASCAR garage. His partnerships with Cleetus McFarland and grassroots racing content has also helped him become a well-known figure.
Additionally, McFarland alluded to Ty Dillon’s possible comeback to the competition following his participation in the Stafford 2025 edition. Dillon drives the No. 10 Chevrolet in the 2026 season while competing full-time in the Cup Series for Kaulig Racing.
With internet personalities, Cup Series veterans, championship-winning crew chiefs, and now a Hall of Fame-level owner stepping into the mix, Stafford’s New England 900 is suddenly looking less like a novelty race and more like one of the wildest crossover motorsports events of the year.
