Richard Childress Racing Faces Criticism Over Plans for Third Cup Team Amid Underperforming Current Cars

Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has sparked controversy within the NASCAR community with its recent announcement to field a third Cup team for several races in the upcoming season. Despite the excitement around the expansion, fans and critics are questioning the strategy given the underperformance of RCR’s current two cars.

The new team, speculated to be numbered #33, will feature a roster of various drivers, including potential involvement from Will Brown, who made his NASCAR Cup Series debut this year at Sonoma driving the #33 car. However, his debut was marred by electrical issues that led to a P31 finish after starting from P24.

Significant changes are also underway in the team’s leadership. Andy Street, who has been the crew chief for Austin Hill in the second-tier series, will move to the Cup Series to lead the #33 car starting in 2025. Chad Haney, with 30 years of experience as a car chief and mechanic, will take over as the crew chief for Austin Hill, replacing Street. Danny Stockman will continue as the crew chief for Jesse Love in the Xfinity Series.

The fan response to the announcement has been overwhelmingly negative, with many expressing concerns about RCR’s priorities. Critics argue that the team should focus on making their current cars more competitive rather than expanding. One fan pointed out, “Why not concentrate on making the current cars competitive!” while another added, “Hard to care when the two cars they already run are not competitive.”

Kyle Busch, who joined RCR this year, had a disappointing season, failing to win a single race for the first time in 19 years and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012. He finished the season ranked 20th in the driver standings. Similarly, RCR’s other driver, Austin Dillon, struggled, finishing the season at P32 with only four top-10 finishes.