WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Richard Childress Racing (RCR) will celebrate its 40th anniversary October 22 with a Fan Day celebration and an anniversary dinner at its headquarters in Welcome, N.C. Proceeds from both events will benefit the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
RCR’s Fan Day celebration will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will include tours of RCR’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series shop; autograph opportunities with Richard Childress and all RCR drivers, including Sprint Cup drivers Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears; a pit crew competition; games and face-painting for children; sponsor displays and more. General admission is $5, and three other package options are available, with additional access, at $15 and $25. Tickets are available at www.RCRFanDay.com.
“I’ve been very fortunate in my racing career to have worked with some great people and, together, we have accomplished great things,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. “In the end, race fans represent what NASCAR is all about so we look forward to opening our doors and celebrating RCR’s 40th anniversary with them. Donating the proceeds to the Childress Institute will allow those fans who attend to not only take part in our celebration but also help save the lives of seriously injured children across the United States.”
A 40th anniversary dinner will be held the evening of October 22. Winston Kelley, executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and a long-time voice of the Motor Racing Network, will moderate a discussion panel that includes legendary NASCAR drivers Junior Johnson, Bobby and Donnie Allison, NASCAR President Mike Helton, SIRIUS Radio personality Chocolate Myers and Childress. An auction will follow. Doors open at 6 p.m., with dinner starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $140 per person, and $100 of the ticket price is tax-deductible. Seats may be reserved by e-mailing RCRFanDay@RCRracing.com or calling (866) 635-8190.
Childress and his family organized the Childress Institute, which is part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, in July 2008. Its mission is to prevent and treat life-threatening injuries to children, and to help kids affected by life-threatening injuries recover and lead normal lives. Approximately 12,000 children under the age of 18 die each year from traumatic injury, making it the No. 1 killer of children in the United States.
“We are grateful for Richard Childress’ vision and generosity in founding the Childress Institute, and we appreciate this opportunity to partner with RCR to celebrate its 40 years of success in racing,” said J. Wayne Meredith, M.D., executive director of the Childress Institute. “As people enjoy this celebration, they can know that the money raised will help further our research, education and prevention efforts to reduce life-threatening injuries to kids and to save lives.”
For more information on the Childress Institute, visit www.childresspediatrictrauma.org or call (866) 635-8190.
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (www.wfubmc.edu) is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Brenner Children’s Hospital, Wake Forest University Physicians, and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine and Piedmont Triad Research Park. The system comprises 1,154 acute care, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and has been ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report since 1993. Wake Forest Baptist is ranked 32nd in the nation by America’s Top Doctors for the number of its doctors considered best by their peers. The institution ranks in the top third in funding by the National Institutes of Health and fourth in the Southeast in revenues from its licensed intellectual property.
The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma (www.childresspediatrictrauma.org) is dedicated to significantly improving survival rates of children nationwide who suffer serious injuries and reducing the lifelong impact of traumatic injuries in children. Richard Childress and his family are providing $5 million to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to initiate the institute. The Medical Center and the Childress family are working with corporations and individuals to raise awareness and an additional $20 million to establish the institute’s endowment fund. As the national center for championing the care of children with life-threatening injuries, the Childress Institute will: continually raise awareness that serious injuries annually claim the lives of more children than all other causes of death combined; lead research and education efforts to prevent and treat injuries; and identify and help put in place the resources needed to reach more kids faster with the kind of care that makes a difference – in saving their lives and helping them lead a normal life.
About Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com), celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2009, has earned more than 180 victories and 12 NASCAR championships, including six in the Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its 2009 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Casey Mears (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper). Its 2009 Nationwide Series lineup includes Bowyer, Burton and Stephen Leicht (No. 29 Holiday Inn) and Austin Dillon and Sean Caisse (No. 2 RCR Chevrolet). Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon and Ryan Gifford are RCR developmental drivers in both asphalt and dirt track racing.
Media Relations
Eric Whittington: ewhittin@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-5318
Richard Childress Racing: news@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-4587