Childress statement on passing of Les Richter

The following is a statement from Richard Childress regarding the passing of long-time NASCAR executive Les Richter:

"The first time I met Les Richter was in the early 1970s when he ran Riverside International Raceway in California. We hit it off from the very beginning. He knew I was a struggling independent racer and he gave me a lot of encouragement about the sport and about life. He played a major role in the growth of NASCAR beginning in the 1980s. He was a big and intimidating man who was strong yet fair in how he handled things. When he was away from the race track, though, he was one of the most fun people in the world to be with. I was fortunate to have him as a friend for many years and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family."