Is Richard Childress’ grandson Austin Dillon cut out to lead Richard Childress Racing as a leader? At 79, the veteran team owner might have to give a thought or two about how his team’s legacy will be carried on. For the time being, Dillon seems to be occupied and ambitious with his racing career, but is he the heir apparent for Childress? Well, going by Richard Childress Racing team owner Richard Childress’ recent admissions, looks like the 34-year-old is already learning the tricks of the trade.

Having said that, RCR isn’t just any other NASCAR team. It has been the home to legendary driver Dale Earnhardt, who contributed to 6 Bill France trophies and 67 race wins. Although today we see the sport being dominated by the likes of Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports, RCR is in the same league. It’s just that they haven’t been able to adapt to the changes of the modern era of racing.

Not to forget, dealing with the sanctioning body and the in-house team only adds to the responsibility of a team leader. So, before Austin Dillon is handed over the reins, he will need to understand the challenges that come with this on a macro level. Treading on that same line on February 4, Dale Earnhardt Jr asked the veteran team owner, “At your age, you have to be thinking about the long-term plans beyond you. I’ve said this out loud a few times that I think…as much as I know Austin [Dillon] loves to drive, to race, to win and he can still do that…he’s got as many years as he wants to continue to be a successful race car driver. But in my mind, I’m hoping and wishing for Austin to also develop into that leader type of mentality like you have, that can steer that ship. ”

“Is that the plan? I mean, do you guys have those conversations? I know that dad [Dale Earnhardt] and you…if we were to sit around years ago, dad would say things like, ‘This is for your kids. This is for your kids.’ But we never really talked details..Are y’all into the process of discussing some details or what…the future looks like?”

By Childress’ confession, it looks like the veteran owner is trying to inculcate these traits in his grandson through their recent acquisition of Carolina Cowboys, a professional Bull Rider team. “Yes, and that’s a good question. We bought a PBR franchise, so I put Austin running it to get used to what it was like dealing with drivers, dealing with the sanctioning body. He is running that whole deal [with] the PBR Carolina Cowboys, and it’s giving him some education…After the first year, he came to me. He said, ‘Pop pop, I know why you hate these managers.’ Cuz all the riders today [have] got managers, and he’s having to deal with that, deal with the sanctioning body, the budgets. I think this has given him a good education.”

“Ty [Dillon] now has come back and says, ‘I want to be involved in the sport’. So, who knows, in life what’ll happen. Sometimes, I tell them, I’ll say, ‘I don’t want to burden you guys with this cuz it ain’t the easiest as you know. Running a race team ain’t for the faint of heart. You got to make a lot of tough decisions. You got to make a lot of decisions sometimes that you’re saying, ‘What’s going to be the outcome of this decision?’…I think we’re grooming Austin for that part of it. Mike Dylan’s working on that.”

“My daughter runs the winery for us, and the whole family…they want to see that keep going on. I want to see it continue, and that’s why we’re trying to…And I’ve told them all, it’s for the family. I wouldn’t be doing what I was doing today if it wasn’t for the family. And then as you get older, down the line, you know all your family gets behind you,” the veteran concluded.

Notably, this comes less than a year after Dillon had talked about taking an ownership role. Welcoming him on his podcast in August last year, Dale Jr had asked, “I publicly said that you need to be positioning for an executive owner stake in the business for the success of Richard Childress Racing. I see you as a big part of that, having driven the cars and been around this since you were a child. It just seems to make sense to me. Is that realistic? What is the five-year plan for Austin, the driver, and Austin as a member of RCR?”

To this the 34-year-old responded, “I’m thankful you said that, because it means a lot, and I care about our business as much as anybody … I’ve had a lot of fun being the GM of our Carolina Cowboys, and I’ve learned a lot through our PBR team about people, contracts, and what all it really takes to run a business.”

“So, five-year plan, we’ll see what’s going on in year two of my contract. If I’m best suited as getting out of the car and putting somebody else in it, I definitely would love to be a part of that conversation with my grandfather and Mike Verlander.” Dillon concluded his answer by saying, “I’d love to help run it alongside him, my dad, and my grandfather in whatever capacity it is.”

Although Richard Childress and his grandson have a road map for the leadership role, the team will need to turn a corner for good in terms of on-track performance in 2025. With Kyle Busch being in his contract year in the No. 8 car, all eyes are on him after the dismal 2024 outing. Surprisingly, the team at RCR seems optimistic about overturning their misfortunes and just might retain Rowdy post-2025.

All eyes will be on Kyle Busch and RCR going into 2025

For 19 years straight, Rowdy managed to win at least one Cup Series race since he made his debut. However, this streak finally came to an end, as the #8 team was unable to park their Chevy Camaro in the victory lane for the entirety of the 2024 season. Yeah, they had opportunities to win at tracks like Dayton, Atlanta, and Darlington, yet for some odd reason, they fell short every time.

But relying on one-off tracks for wins isn’t the standard or the expectation at a team like RCR. The reason they roped in the 2-time champ, Kyle Busch, was to get back in contention for the championship. Moreover, the rumors and speculations surrounding his future with the team also add another layer of pressure on RCR to deliver the goods. So what exactly do they have in the store for 2025?

“We’ve put a lot of new people in a lot of new places, and we’re changing a lot, even all the way up to the board. I really feel good about a lot of decisions we made, that don’t come overnight; you can’t turn these ships; they’re pretty big; it’s hard to turn them overnight. But I feel really confident about what we can do this year.” Richard Childress explained.

Have RCR made monumental changes or just put a band-aid to cover up the real concerns? It remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: their on-track performance could dictate Rowdy’s future, be it with the team or with a new outfit.