Richard Childress Racing will be spread out over all three of NASCAR's top divisions in 2012 after a fairly successful 2011 season: a title in the Camping World Truck Series, a third-place finish in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and the purchase of Kevin Harvick Incorporated at season's end. In 2012, RCR will field three full-time teams in each of the top three NASCAR series as well as a few part-time teams - all in hopes of dominating the championship point standings as it has in so many years past.
Sprint Cup Series - returning to RCR full-time in 2012 are Paul Menard in the #27, Harvick in the #29 and Jeff Burton in the #31. Harvick finished third in the Chase last season with four wins and 19 top 10s - his second-straight finish there; he'll be focusing on the Cup Series and impending fatherhood in 2012 since selling his team to the boss, and be running a handful of Nationwide and Truck races. Burton had a rough season, collecting just five top 10 finishes (no wins) and finishing 20th in points, while Menard finally got the proverbial monkey off his back with a win in the Brickyard 400 and a 17th-place finish in points.
Nationwide Series - RCR will field two full-time drivers in 2012: Elliott Sadler and the #2 come over from the KHI purchase, and Childress' grandson and 2011 Truck Series champ Austin Dillon moves up in the #3; a third full-time team (#33) will see seat time split between Harvick, Menard and Brendan Gaughan, with a special appearance by Tony Stewart at the season opener at Daytona - "Smoke" has won the past four season openers.
Camping World Truck Series - the championship team gets a new Dillon behind the wheel - younger brother Ty, who won the ARCA Racing Series championship in 2011, takes over for brother Austin in the #3 truck. Joey Coulter returns to the #22 truck after winning the 2011 Rookie of the Year in the series. The third full-time team (#2) will be split between Harvick, Gaughan and Tim George Jr., who will also compete in the ARCA Racing Series for RCR in the #31.
Paula is a long-time NASCAR fan who also covers the sport for Skirts & Scuffs and Examiner.com.
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