Richard Childress Interview
About this episode
Richard Childress sits down with Harvick and Buxton at Richard Childress’s NASCAR museum, in Dale Earnhardt’s former shop, surrounded by cars, an engine hoist, and rotating display vehicles. They connect RCR’s 2001 emotional impact and Atlanta/Daytona wins to earlier adversity and a crash-driven shop turnaround. The conversation then shifts to engine and fuel development—testing ethanol blends from E15 to E30, designing for ethanol’s properties, and discussing net-zero bioethanol, octane, and real-world drivability.
original as we could
"I've ever sold right out since we've been collecting them and putting them back as original as we could."
He’s saying they try to keep the cars looking and being set up the way they were back then. That means not changing things too much from the original race-era details.
“Original as we could” describes the collector goal of restoring or maintaining a car in its factory-era configuration. In racing collections, that usually means keeping period-correct paint, markings, and components rather than modernizing it.
pack rat
"When you look at the cars, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but are you a pack rat? [136.9s] Sort of."
A “pack rat” is just a person who keeps a lot of stuff, especially collectibles. In this context, it means he likes saving race-car-related items rather than getting rid of them.
In car-collector talk, a “pack rat” is someone who hoards items—often including rare parts, memorabilia, or even whole race cars—because they’re valuable or sentimental. It’s less about storage and more about preserving history and keeping things original.
paint scheme
"when I look at this car here, I think it takes me back, obviously [169.7s] this was, I think, 03 to 06 paint scheme with GM Good Ranch."
A “paint scheme” is the car’s exact look—its colors and graphics. Race teams change it by season, so it can help you remember what year or event the car is from.
A “paint scheme” is the specific way a car is painted and decorated—colors, graphics, and livery details that identify a team or era. In racing, paint schemes are often tied to particular seasons, sponsors, or special events.
GM Good Ranch
"this was, I think, 03 to 06 paint scheme with GM Good Ranch."
“GM Good Ranch” is a sponsor name. In racing, sponsors put their branding on the car’s paint and graphics, so it’s part of what makes the car’s livery recognizable.
“GM Good Ranch” refers to a sponsor brand shown as part of the car’s racing livery. Sponsors like this are commonly featured on race cars during specific seasons, so the name helps date the car’s look and era.
1998 Daytona 500
"and you go back to the 1998 Daytona 500. [443.7s] And I wasn't at that one, but watching it on TV and you see the significance of that moment"
This is a specific NASCAR race in 1998 at Daytona. They’re talking about it as a big, memorable moment for their team.
The 1998 Daytona 500 is a specific NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway, and it’s being used here as a key historical milestone. The hosts are framing it as a moment that mattered to Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt, and their team.
super speedway cars
"So I know the effort that you put always towards our super speedway cars and the importance of Indy and Daytona that we lived every single year that I drove here."
These are race cars set up for the biggest, fastest NASCAR tracks. The goal is to stay stable at very high speeds and work well with other cars close together.
“Super speedway cars” refers to NASCAR stock cars specifically prepared for the unique demands of superspeedway tracks like Daytona and Indianapolis. These setups emphasize high-speed stability and drafting efficiency rather than tight-road-course handling.
Indy and Daytona
"So I know the effort that you put always towards our super speedway cars and the importance of Indy and Daytona that we lived every single year that I drove here."
They’re talking about two famous big-speed tracks—Daytona and Indianapolis. The team focused on doing well at both over the years.
“Indy and Daytona” refers to two of NASCAR’s most important superspeedway venues: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (often discussed in the context of the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s presence there) and Daytona International Speedway. The hosts are using them to describe the team’s long-term focus on superspeedway success.
ethanol
"they did the testing for NASCAR to do the, they wanted an alternative fuel and ethanol is what it was and we tested, we tested everything from E15 up to E30."
Ethanol is a fuel made from plants (or other biomass). It can be mixed into regular gasoline, and race teams test it to see how well it works in engines and what it does to emissions.
Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel that can be blended with gasoline for use in internal-combustion engines. In racing and performance contexts, teams test ethanol blends to understand how they affect combustion, power, and emissions.
alternative fuel testing for NASCAR
"we did the testing for NASCAR to do the, they wanted an alternative fuel and ethanol is what it was and we tested, we tested everything from E15 up to E30."
They tested a different kind of fuel to make sure it works well in NASCAR cars. The idea is to check that the cars still run strong and that the fuel helps with cleaner emissions.
This refers to NASCAR teams and engine builders evaluating non-traditional fuels to see how they perform under race conditions. The goal is to confirm drivability, power potential, and emissions impact before adoption.
E30
"we tested everything from E15 up to E30. If it was up to us, they would be running E30, it's cleaner, it's better, but E15 now"
E30 means the fuel is 30% ethanol and 70% gasoline. A higher ethanol mix can affect how the engine needs to be set up and what the emissions look like.
E30 is a gasoline blend containing 30% ethanol. Compared with lower-ethanol blends, E30 can require different engine tuning and can have different emissions and fuel-economy characteristics.
BMW E30
"...nd we tested, we tested everything from E15 up to E30. If it was up to us, they would be running E30, i..."
The BMW 3 Series is a car made by BMW that’s designed for both daily driving and a more sporty feel. The podcast mentions testing different fuel types with different amounts of ethanol, and the 3 Series is likely the car they used to see how it behaves with those fuels. The goal is to check that the engine runs smoothly and reliably.
The BMW 3 Series is a compact luxury sedan (and sometimes wagon) known for balancing everyday comfort with sporty handling. In a discussion about testing fuel blends like E15 through E30, it’s likely being referenced as a platform used to evaluate how different ethanol concentrations affect engine operation and performance. That kind of testing matters because fuel composition can change how an engine runs and how reliably it starts and drives.
Growth Energy
"But the question that I have is how in the world did you wind up going in this direction and winding up on the growth energy board of directors?"
Growth Energy is a group that advocates for ethanol. If someone is on their board, it usually means they help guide how ethanol is promoted and used.
Growth Energy is an organization associated with promoting ethanol use and supporting the ethanol industry. Being on its board of directors suggests involvement in ethanol policy and industry strategy.
net zero
"And now they've come in with net zero."
“Net zero” means aiming for a balance where the pollution you add is offset by removing the same amount. It’s a common climate goal tied to cleaner energy.
“Net zero” refers to balancing greenhouse gas emissions with an equivalent amount removed or offset, so the overall impact is near zero. In fuel discussions, it usually points to cleaner fuel pathways and lower-carbon energy goals.
wins on Sunday, sells on Monday
"And I think, you know, you've heard the old saying, whatever it is, wins on Sunday, sells on Monday."
It’s a saying that racing results can help sell products afterward. The idea here is that if racing proves something works, people are more likely to buy it.
“Wins on Sunday, sells on Monday” is a motorsports marketing idea: racing success is used to build credibility and consumer demand for related products. In this segment, it’s applied to how racing can increase awareness and adoption of fuels like ethanol blends.
E15
"Well, this you'll be buying. E15 is the best fuel you can put in your cars today. I run it in my Corvette."
E15 is regular gas mixed with 15% ethanol (a plant-based alcohol). Some cars can use it, and it may cost less than other gas options.
E15 is gasoline blended with 15% ethanol. It’s intended for use in vehicles that are approved for ethanol blends, and it can be cheaper at the pump than regular gasoline.
Chevrolet Corvette
"E15 is the best fuel you can put in your cars today. I run it in my Corvette."
A Chevrolet Corvette is a high-performance sports car. In this conversation, it’s used to show that the speaker personally runs E15 in a real car.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a performance sports car known for its powerful V8 engine options and track-capable heritage. Mentioning it here matters because it’s being used as an example of a vehicle that can run E15.
unleaded 88
"So everywhere you go, E15, unleaded 88 is that much and just technology from racing."
Unleaded 88 is a type of gasoline with a higher octane number than regular. It’s often used when a car calls for more than 87.
Unleaded 88 is gasoline with an 88 octane rating, typically blended with ethanol (often E15 or higher ethanol content depending on the market). It’s a common “mid-grade” fuel option compared with regular 87 and premium 91/93.
museum vehicle rotation
"How often do you rotate the vehicles in here? ... We rotate them out down here a lot more over here, special event cars on the other side of the museum."
It sounds like they don’t leave every car out all the time. They swap cars in and out so different ones can be shown and preserved.
“Vehicle rotation” in a museum context means swapping which cars are on display over time. For race-car collections, rotation helps manage wear from exposure, lighting, and handling while keeping different cars visible for fans and special events.
incoming charge
"it makes that incoming charge a lot cooler. And when you have a cooler charge, you have a more dense charge, which means you get more fuel and more air into the car."
The incoming charge is the air (and fuel, depending on the system) mixture that flows into the engine before combustion. If that charge is cooler and denser, more of it can fit in the cylinder, which can support more fuel/air being burned.
engine protection
"And because it's cooler, you have engine protection that comes from that as well. So I didn't fully appreciate the effects of engine cooling until we started using it, because that's excellent from both the durability and the power standpoint."
Here, engine protection means the fuel/air conditions help keep the engine from getting too stressed or too hot. That can help the engine last longer and stay healthy.
In this context, engine protection refers to reducing harmful operating stresses by lowering temperatures and improving combustion conditions. A cooler, denser charge can help limit knock/heat-related damage and improve durability.
solvent
"ethanol has oxygen in it and it's naturally a solvent. And so therefore, when you take apart an engine after a race, which used to have carbon buildup on the back of the valves, carbon buildup on the pistons, a lot of that's gone now."
A solvent is something that helps dissolve grime. The idea here is that ethanol can help break up and remove carbon buildup inside the engine.
A solvent is a chemical that dissolves or loosens other substances. The speaker credits ethanol’s solvent properties for washing away carbon deposits on components like valves and pistons after racing.
oxygen in it
"The other thing that's very good with ethanol as a fuel is that ethanol has oxygen in it and it's naturally a solvent."
Ethanol has oxygen built into the fuel. That can help the engine burn the fuel more completely, which often means less soot and carbon buildup.
Ethanol contains oxygen within the fuel molecule, which can promote more complete combustion. That can reduce soot and carbon deposits compared with fuels that don’t carry as much oxygen internally.
carbon buildup
"when you take apart an engine after a race, which used to have carbon buildup on the back of the valves, carbon buildup on the pistons, a lot of that's gone now."
Carbon buildup is the dark residue that can collect inside an engine from burning fuel. Too much of it can make the engine less efficient over time.
Carbon buildup is the accumulation of soot and combustion residues on engine surfaces. Deposits on areas like valve faces and piston crowns can affect airflow, combustion efficiency, and long-term engine performance.
fuel injectors
"Because we don't have this issue with the positive accumulation on fuel injectors, on valves, on pistons, anywhere in the engine."
Fuel injectors are the parts that deliver fuel into the engine. If they get gunked up, they can spray fuel less accurately, which can hurt how well the engine runs.
Fuel injectors are the components that spray fuel into the engine in precise amounts and timing. Deposit buildup on injectors can disrupt spray patterns and contribute to rough running or reduced efficiency.
engine design
"So working with Poet on understanding and being able to attack engine design from a from a position of understanding instead of guessing"
Engine design means how the engine is built and tuned to work efficiently. If you change the fuel (like adding ethanol), the engine often needs different setup so it can make power smoothly.
Engine design here means tailoring the engine’s internal setup (like combustion strategy and how it responds to the fuel) to work best with a particular fuel blend. The point is that ethanol’s different burn characteristics force different design/calibration choices than a gasoline-only engine.
bottom end
"one of the things that Richard would always would always drill into me is that we need bottom end. We need torque."
“Bottom end” means how the engine feels at lower engine speeds. If the bottom end is strong, the car can get moving right after a turn instead of needing to rev up first.
“Bottom end” refers to an engine’s low-RPM performance—how well it makes power and torque when the revs are low. In racing, strong bottom-end response helps the car launch out of corners without needing to wait for higher RPM.
torque
"And Richard would always would always drill into me is that we need bottom end. We need torque. We need that. We need to pull, pull these cars off of the corner."
Torque is the engine’s pulling force. In racing, it’s especially important when you leave a corner, because that’s when you need strong acceleration immediately.
Torque is the twisting force an engine produces at the crankshaft, and it strongly affects how quickly a car can accelerate out of a turn. The speaker emphasizes torque over peak horsepower because what matters is how much pull the car has right when it needs to get moving again.
octane
"Ethan all increases octane [1571.5s] And I have a car unfortunately when I go to the it pains me because I pull a trailer and because of what I've done [1577.6s] The car I need to put premium fuel on it"
Octane is basically how “hard” the fuel is to ignite too early inside the engine. If your car needs higher octane, using lower octane can cause problems and the higher-octane fuel usually costs more.
Octane is a measure of a fuel’s resistance to knocking (uncontrolled combustion) in an engine. Higher-octane fuel is often required by engines with higher compression or more aggressive tuning, and it can cost more at the pump.
tailpipe emissions
"a non electric car is has [1620.6s] Pollution pollutants coming out the tailpipe even electric car has pollutants coming out of where the electricity was made"
Tailpipe emissions are the gases a car releases from the exhaust. With electric cars, the pollution may still happen, but it’s usually from the power plant that makes the electricity instead of from the car’s exhaust.
Tailpipe emissions are pollutants released directly from a vehicle’s exhaust as it burns fuel. The segment also notes that even electric cars have emissions associated with how the electricity is generated, but those emissions happen upstream rather than at the tailpipe.
carbon capture during fuel production
"What net zero bio ethanol is is they've taken the carbon from the process [1637.5s] And captured it all the process of making the fuel."
Carbon capture means trapping carbon that would otherwise be released. Here, it’s described as happening during the making of the fuel, which is why the speaker claims it can help achieve “net zero” goals.
This refers to capturing carbon produced during the process of making a fuel, rather than letting it fully end up in the atmosphere. In the segment, it’s presented as a distinguishing feature of “net zero” bio ethanol—capturing carbon from the fuel-making process so the overall lifecycle carbon impact can be reduced.
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