​“All Men of Their Word”– NASCAR Driver Details Broken Team Promises Behind Richard Childress’ Signing 

Richard Childress Racing is one of the biggest and most historic names in NASCAR. While that is primarily showcased through the likes of Dale Earnhardt and Kyle Busch driving their cars, a huge part of why that continues is because of the ethos of the man behind the team, Richard Childress.

RCR runs on the ethos of making promises and following them up, and this is coming from their newest talent acquisition, Chandler Smith, who will be driving for the Chevrolet team in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2027. 

“Truthfully, I’ve been part of a lot of conversations where competition directors, presidents of race teams, and team owners say the right things. But then you look at your contract and go, ‘I thought you said this, though; I thought you said something different,’ said Smith to Steven Taranto on where RCR differs. “They truly are: Mike Verlander, Danny Lawrence, Mike Dillon, and Richard Childress — all men of their word and held up every bit of what they promised and what they believed in me.”

“So for me, why does it make a good fit? Well, I’m going somewhere that truly does believe in me,” added Smith. And they don’t audibly just say it, but they mean it and show it in action.”

The 24-year-old is currently racing for Front Row Motorsports in the No. 38 Ford in the Craftsman Truck Series. In his second season for Ford in the third-tier series, Smith is currently 3rd in the Championship, very much in contention for the title.

Smith has been on the lookout for a NOAPS drive ever since he was dropped by Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota despite two wins and a 5th-place finish in 2024. Ford saw Smith as a top prospect but couldn’t offer him the drive he sought.

Smith also revealed that RCR has been after him for a while now, but things weren’t clicking for some reason or another, be it the situation, partners, or various other things not lining up. But Smith believed that one day he would be in RCR colours, and he was elated that it came together so well. 

“They’ve consistently, for the past few years, had the belief in me,” revealed Smith. “And Richard has supported me, saying, ‘Hey, I believe in you. I want you to race for my team, and I want you to be at my team for a very long time.’”

Smith’s inclusion in the RCR stables didn’t come out of the best circumstances.

Earlier this year in May, NASCAR tragically lost Kyle Busch, and with that, Richard Childress suffered a huge blow. It wasn’t the first time he lost a legendary driver. It brought back the memories of the 2001 Daytona 500 race when NASCAR lost Dale Earnhardt.

RCR had the 8 car renumbered to 33 and promoted Austin Hill from the Auto Parts Series to take over in the Cup Series. Once Hill was confirmed as a long-term driver who would continue in the Cup Series for RCR, his No. 21 Chevrolet needed a capable replacement. 

That’s when Childress turned to a prospect he admired for a long time.

“Chandler has earned this opportunity,” said Richard Childress. “He has shown throughout his career that he knows how to win, he knows how to compete, and he understands what it takes to be successful at this level. We’ve watched him develop, and we believe he has all the tools to be a great fit at RCR. The No. 21 has a lot of history with our organization, and we’re excited to put Chandler in that car and give him the opportunity to continue building his career with us.”

While Childress looks at Smith as a driver for the organization for many years to come, the reason for Smith making the jump to the Chevrolet team has various layers to it. 

“The biggest thing for me, though, is just knowing the commitment behind the owner of the race team, Richard, and everyone there,” said Smith. “And not only that, when I look at Richard Childress Racing, I see that I have all the resources I need to go and compete for race wins and championships.”

It is worth noting that Chandler Smith was on a trajectory to race in the Cup. After his departure from JGR, he had conversations with Front Row in 2025, but Zane Smith was announced as their new driver. With no rides available at the O’Reilly Series, he dropped down to Trucks and build his base back up.

A ride with Toyota in JGR, then a move back to Trucks in the FRM Ford, and in 2027, Smith will be piloting an RCR Chevy in the second tier of NASCAR racing. It has been quite a journey for the 24-year-old, but his 2027 prospect looks promising, and this could open a door for him to enter the Cup Series.

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