“I Would Hate to See You Go” – Richard Childress’ Sentiment Stopped His Pupil From Joining NASCAR Rivals Despite Golden Opportunity

Richard Childress Racing‘s fall from grace is one tragic tale that has had the community aching for the past couple of years. From being a dominant team with six titles to its name, the Chevy team’s downfall began after the demise of the great Dale Earnhardt. Ever since the legend’s passing in 2001, the team hasn’t been the same, despite veteran Kevin Harvick filling the shoes with impressive runs. While Childress promoted his own grandson as a full-timer, even Austin Dillon couldn’t make much of a difference besides the occasional blitz.

The scene is pretty much the same, even with two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch at the helm of the #8 car. However, while the team has been suffering to dish out consistent performances in the Cup Series, things worked out well in the Xfinity Series. Coming to the matter, recently RCR’s Xfinity sensation and the team’s sole hope made a revelation, revealing the emotional conversation he had with his boss, Richard Childress, that eventually made him stay at RCR.

Richard Childress’s sentiments have his pupil change his mind.

The Cup Series is essentially the epitome of stock car racing; a shot or a chance to race in NASCAR’s top-tier division is the dream for any aspiring driver, especially if you’re a lower-tier driver. Generally, drivers are so inclined to be a part of the Cup Series that they even try to buy their way into the format, and there are numerous instances of that.

But not all of them fall into that segment; instead, passionate individuals try to make their way into the scene through sheer work ethic, learning the basics one by one, taking years. Austin Hill, RCR’s Xfinity sensation, is one such individual. The #3-ranked Xfinity Series driver, who is currently the team’s sole hope in the championship, recently revealed the deep conversation he had with his boss that eventually prompted him to stay back with the team.

Despite landing the role as a full-time Cup Series driver with Kaulig Racing, Childress’ emotional conversation made Hill take a step back and reconsider his options, something he said took him weeks of contemplation. Speaking to Dale Earnhardt Jr on his popular Dale Jr Download, Hill said, “We had talked to Kaulig again and I had talked to them, we were thinking about going Cup racing with Kaulig and really really thought long and hard about it, had to make sure sponsors were all on board obviously and we were kind of closing on a deal with them and I was like, I need to take this time before I get too deep into the conversations with Kaulig, I need this time, I need to sit down have a chat with Richard Childress and I need to talk to him about things and I value his opinions a lot you know over the last 2 years I’ve got to know him.”

The 29-year-old then went on to reveal the deep conversation he had with his boss in his motorhome ahead of his Cup Series run. “I sat down with him and I’m like, hey, Richard you know I have this opportunity I’m talking to them and I dont if it’s going to work out sponsorship but we’re going to try to make it work I think and what’s your opinion on it,” said the driver before he being torn apart by Childress with his emotional connect. 

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Relaying what the 79-year-old told him that day, Austin Hill said, “He’s like, man, I do not want you to lose an opportunity but I would hate to see you go, I would hate to see you leave RCR, I really love you being here, I love you as a driver of mine and I want you to stay with RCR but you have an opportunity that you think you need to take you to know, take it I’m not going to stop you from taking opportunity. So, we had a really great conversation that day, there were a lot of things talked about, and we went into the details.” 

Hill’s dilemma amidst the huge offers from SHR & Spire Motorsports

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The 2020 Truck Series champion is, in fact, the driver on whom RCR is counting. He is a solid championship contender, with 4 wins and 16 top-5 performances that got him up the ladder and into the Xfinity Series playoffs. It wouldn’t be an overstatement if one were to say that Hill is essentially carrying the team on his shoulder, doing his best to get the team out of its misery.

Mentioning how the talks with SHR and Spire Motorsports played out, he said, “I talked to Stewart-Haas (Racing), but that never really went anywhere, like it never got to that point of, Hey, we want you or anything. I talked to Spire Motorsports a little bit, and that kind of went somewhere but not fully, and so I’m sitting there thinking about it, like, hey we want you or anything, talked to Spire(Motorsports) a little bit and that kind of went somewhere but not fully and so I’m sitting there thinking about it like, I don’t know what I want to do like, I’m back and forth and hadn’t even mentioned it to my wife or anything, like I’ve been doing this all on my own.” 

READ MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr Names Richard Childress’s Successor At RCR As He Lays out the Perfect Blueprint

After weeks of thorough thinking, Hill decided to stay with RCR, saying, “I’m very loyal to a fault, and I’m very loyal to every race team that I’ve ever raced for, and Richard has been so good to me, I’m like, man, I just don’t want to leave Richard; I don’t want to leave RCR; I want to keep building this program.”