Childress-Howard Motorsports to Field Grand-Am entry in ’08
The announcement was made and the No. 2 CHM Pontiac Crawford was unveiled this evening at the RCR facility during its stop on the NASCAR Media Tour. The team will utilize the driving talents of Andy Wallace and be powered by a Pontiac engine in a Crawford DPO3 chassis.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved in the Childress-Howard Motorsports program," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "
Rick Howard, president of Howard Motorsports of Denver, N.C., began competing in the Rolex Series Daytona Prototype Class in 2004. In 47 events, the team has won six races and earned 20 podium (top three) finishes. This is the second time Howard has teamed up with RCR – he was involved with the Mom ‘N' Pop's / Western Steer Family Steakhouse program that was an associate sponsor of Dale Earnhardt's legendary No. 3 GM Goodwrench team from 1991-96.
"I've been involved in motorsports for over 45 years, and have been very fortunate to enjoy many highlights," said Howard. "But, the formation of Childress-Howard Motorsports could be the brightest highlight. We have enjoyed success in the Rolex Series since our first race in 2004, but this association with Richard (Childress) will take this team to a new level. I know that Jim France has a passion for the Grand-Am Rolex Series, and hopefully Childress-Howard Motorsports can increase the exposure for the series and encourage new owners and teams to be involved. We look forward to a relationship with a marketing partner and developing this championship caliber team."
Wallace, of Oxford, England, counts three Rolex 24 at Daytona (1990, '97, '99), one 24 Hours of Le Mans (1988), and two 12 Hours of Sebring (1992, '93) championships in a stellar professional racing career that began in the 1980s. He has driven for Howard Motorsports since 2004.
"This is an exciting announcement with the formation of Childress-Howard Motorsports," said Wallace. "I've been with Howard Motorsports since their start in 2004, and have been fortunate to contribute to the development of this team and the Crawford chassis. It will be exciting to get back to racing and continue what we have started. The Grand-Am Rolex Series continues to get more and more competitive, and to succeed, you need to go up a gear in every direction. With Childress-Howard Motorsports, this is a perfect opportunity to push our program forward."
Crawford Race Cars, LLC, is a North Carolina company located near Charlotte. CRC is one of the original, approved chassis constructors for the Grand-Am Rolex Series. CRC designs, engineers, and develops the Crawford DP03 Daytona Prototype as well as GT chassis. Crawford Race Cars, LLC was formed in 1998.
Andrew Scriven, whose design talents have proven very successful since the 1980s in sports car racing, Indy Car racing and NASCAR, is the chief designer for Crawford Race Cars.
"The formation of Childress-Howard Motorsports is tremendous news for Crawford Race Cars and our Daytona Prototype Crawford chassis," said Max Crawford, president of Crawford Race Cars. "Crawford has been an ardent support of the Grand-Am Rolex Series, and this association is a wonderful opportunity to continue that support. I am so happy for my long-time friend, Rick Howard, and his partnership with Richard Childress. Both men have outstanding integrity and their prominence in racing is evident by the depth of their organizations. Rick Howard had tremendous success with Howard Motorsports in Grand-Am with the Crawford DP03 chassis, and I feel this partnership will put Crawford Race Cars back in victory lane."