NASCAR icon Richard Childress was recently honored with one of the nation’s most prestigious awards recognizing perseverance, leadership, and achievement.
The Richard Childress Racing team owner was one of 11 recipients of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc.'s 2026 Horatio Alger Award, making him a lifetime member of the organization.
For nearly eight decades, this award has recognized esteemed individuals who have overcome significant adversity to achieve remarkable success, all while demonstrating a strong and tangible commitment to higher education and philanthropy.
"My father died when I was about six years old," Childress told FanSided's Beyond the Flag. "I was a kid, and there were five of us. I have three half-brothers after my mother got remarried. And back in those days, it wasn’t easy. We did everything we could to make all the money we could. My brother and I started selling peanuts, popcorn at a local race track. That’s how I fell in love with racing."
Making money selling peanuts and popcorn at the local race track is what ignited the passion that we still see from the Winston-Salem, North Carolina native, more than seven decades later.
"I think the big thing was over there selling peanuts and popcorn as a kid, getting to go down and hang out with race drivers," Childress reminisced. "And just as a kid, I liked their lifestyle. They were having fun and enjoyed it. And that was the biggest thing I had going on."
Richard Childress recalls his 'big break'
Of course, no child at Childress' age could have imagined what would become of that newfound passion.
"I started out running little short tracks and dirt tracks in 1965, I think it was," he said. "That tells you I’m a little older! And then I ended up incorporating my business in 1969."
The 1969 NASCAR Talladega Superspeedway boycott is what Childress describes as his "big break", and the rest is history.
"That’s when I got my first big break," Childress recalled. "I went to Talladega and raced, and these guys boycotted, and we got to race in the big race the next day ourselves."
Richard Childress Racing is now a 118-time Cup Series race-winning organization and a 103-time O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race-winning organization which boasts six titles in each series, in addition to two Truck Series titles and another championship in the ARCA Menards Series.
Having gotten to experience his own rags-to-riches path, Childress knows the value of "paying it forward", one of the key reasons why he was honored with this award.
"You know, I’ve been very fortunate," he admitted. "I like to do everything I can for our military. I think we’ve all got to remember how important going all the way back to World War II is to this country and our freedoms.
"And then to be able to pay it back to the young kids, the youngsters, let them know that in America, you can make it. The opportunity is here in front of you. We’re a free country. The opportunity is here for you to take and make your future whatever you want it to be. It’s a commitment. It’s not only a commitment, it’s a journey to get where you want to be at the end of the day. You’ve got to work for it."
What really struck Childress was what stood out about the other 10 recipients of the award.
"There are a lot of great patriots in that group, people who have struggled to get where they are today," he observed. "I know some of them personally. To be able to get where you’re at in this world, it’s just an honor to have my name mentioned with so many of the greats in the Horatio Alger group."
Of everything he has achieved throughout his legendary career in NASCAR, which now spans nearly six decades, he noted that this one ranks toward the top.
"It’s right there at the top because of their mission," he stated. "Being able to pass it on to the young kids [through] scholarships, letting them know that they can make it as well. So I think it’s just great to have my name mentioned alongside so many of the greats who have done so much for others."