February 18, 2001, is one of the darkest days in the history of NASCAR racing. Dale Earnhardt Sr., one of the greatest race car drivers to have graced the racing circuits, lost his life in a last-lap crash of the Daytona 500. While the fans inside the arena were celebrating a win for his friend Darrell Waltrip, little did anyone know that Earnhardt would never return to the racetracks.

Not just Richard Childress Racing, but the whole NASCAR world lost a gem that day. This incident went on to highlight the sketchy safety standards in the premier division of stock car racing. As it turns out, the intimidator could’ve avoided the incident altogether as he was planning to part ways with RCR and work on his project. The details about the same were shared by Richard Childress, who felt remorse for not allowing Earnhardt to embark on that journey.

Dale Earnhardt could’ve retired in 1998 and still be with us

After clinching the seventh Cup Series title in 1994, the magic of the Intimidator and the #3 RCR was slowly fading away. The team hit a big slump in 1998, where they only managed a single win at the Daytona 500, finishing 8th in the championship standings. While there were multiple changes to the team in trying to improve the performance on the track, the intimidator had his mind fixed elsewhere.

He was foreseeing his retirement and shifting his focus and energy to Dale Earnhardt, Inc. But his team owner convinced him to stay, and he continued racing at RCR until his final days. Kevin Harvick, who ultimately took command of the iconic #3 Chevy, was curious to know if Dale Earnhardt had any plans of calling it quits racing before his arrival.

In reply, the veteran team owner explained, “You know, 98, we won the Daytona 500. And about halfway through the year there, we wasn’t running good. I changed crew chiefs and got the car a little better. But he said, man, it’s me. I said it ain’t there. We’re not giving you cars. You can drive. We’ve got to fix the cars and I wish now to say, yeah, it was you go retire. We’ve got to fix the cars, and I wish now to say. Yeah, it was you go retire. Yeah, it’s too late.” Richard Childress said this on Episode 62 of the Happy Hour podcast.

Earnhardt’s loss did affect Richard Childress Racing massively. So much so that they have yet to conquer NASCAR’s highest peak in two decades or so. They have now put their hopes in veteran driver and 2-time champion Kyle Busch in the hopes of contending for the championships once again. However, the team is looking to switch gears and come back stronger next year.

More changes coming at Richard Childress Racing

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RCR is far from recreating the magic of its dominance era when Dale Earnhardt Sr. raced for the team. And while Kyle Busch’s inclusion has led to more optimism and belief in the team, the struggles have not ended for them in 2024. Rowdy, for some reason, has found himself on the receiving end of the crashes. Sometimes of his own doings, and at times being caught in other people’s mess.

Not to forget, Austin Dillon was stripped of his playoff credentials despite winning the race at Richmond Raceway. So, it’s been a tough year for the team, to say the least. It’s not that they haven’t tried to make changes and improvements to turn a corner for good. Keith Rodden was replaced by Justin Alexander as the crew chief in the #3 pit box. Meanwhile, Andy Petree stepped down from his role as the competition director of the team.

“It’s been a tough year; everybody’s fought hard. We see that we gotta make some changes, and we got more changes coming you’re gonna be hearing about in the next month probably. We’re excited about next year. You can’t dwell on the past; you gotta learn from the past. History teaches you, and that’s what we gotta learn from is what happened last year and take it into next year with a positive attitude,” Childress added.

However, RCR will have to give its best and help Busch keep his streak of winning a race every year alive. Rowdy is looking to extend the streak to the 20th consecutive year when he’s won a race.