30 Years Ago - Earnhardt & Childress - $10,000 a Race!

OK, here's one I have never talked about, but it's been 30 years since 1981 so I guess it's fair game. A lot of folks probably don't realize all the behind the scenes dealings that had to take place almost overnight to keep Dale Earnhardt competing in our blue & yellow Wrangler colors in 1981 and convince Richard Childress to give up driving. The background story is that California car owner Rod Osterlund had befriended the penniless and deep in debt Earnhardt and put him in a ride that had been wheeled by Dave Marcis. Osterlund had brought a whole bunch of youngsters east from San Jose, California where they had worked weekly races with him and Roland Wylodyka (called "Roland from Poland" by Osterlund). The group included just many nice young guys like Doug Richert, Bob Burcham and former driver, Marv Acton. I wished I could remember them all. Wrangler was shopping in mid 1980 for a situation to go fulltime racing in 1981 with a program to match our "One Tough Customer" ad campaign and NASCAR led us to the Osterlund/Earnhardt tandem. It didn't takeany rocket scientists to see that Earnhardt was our "One Tough Customer" in the flesh. Osterlund had become a father figure to Dale. We went on the car the last race of 1980 at Ontario when Dale barely clinched the 1980 championship over Cale. Unbeknowst to us (Wrangler) or Dale, Osterlund had encountered some serious real estate reversals in California and was about to shop his team to the highest bidder. He had Dale and he had Pontiac factory sponsorship and he had a major sponsor on board. The real coup was hiring away the disgruntled Dale Inman from Petty to become the new crew chief for the Earnhardt/Wrangler deal. When Richard won his final Daytona 500 in February 1981, few knew the real reason for Dale Inman's tears in victory lane. It had not yet been announced he'd be joining our deal as Earnhardt's new crew chief in time for Atlanta. Annyhow, early one summer morning we got a call that Osterlund had sold the team to Jim Stacy and it would be headed up by "Booby" Harrington. We weren't happy campers and Dale was both furious and dejected over Osterlund selling him down the river. We met with Stacy and he told us he didn't care whether he had a sponsor or not. By the Talladega August race, Dale had had all he could take of Stacy and told us he wouldn't drive the car again. At meetings in Talladegaa consortium of Wrangler, NASCAR, Winston and Junior Johnson convinced Childress this was his big chance. He agreed to get out of the driver's seat and put Dale Earnhardt in it. Richard had a small shop in Welcome, NC with a very few dedicated employees and a lot of at-track volunteers like "Doc" andRichard's brother, Ronnie.

Wrangler was having to spend a ton of money reprinting ad materials changing the car number from #2 to #3. And I had recently had Dale sign one of the first "driver personal services contracts" in the spring at the old Darryl's Restaurant on Church Street in Greensboro for $100,000/year, so our money was spread pretty thin.

Here's the amazing deal Richard agreed to:Wrangler would pay him $10,000 per race for the remaining events in 1981 - IF Dale Earnhardt made the starting field in 1st Round qualifying. If not, we'd pay nothing. Remember, back then there were often 3 rounds or so of qualifying. Each week for the rest of the 1981 season, I took a $10,000 check with me and had it in the right rear pocket of my Wrangler Jeans standing beside Richard Childress on pit road during 1st round qualifying. Richard sweat bullets and I didn't want to think of having to not pay. Anyhow, Dale made every race for Richard during 1st round qualifying. But, Richard had taken a huge gamble that would pay million dollar rewards down the way. We did some other things for Richard like put Doug Richert on the Wrangler corporate payroll and paid Robert Gee directly to fabricate some cars and financed the purchase of some shop equipment. I've never told this story before, but for a "possible" $10,000 per race, Richard Childress gave up driving. You got to admire the gamble he and Judy took. As for Dale Inman, he eventually hooked up with Billy Hagan, but he got shafted by Osterlund.

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 04/15/18 09:22:40AM

Great memories and stories Dave. At least in retrospect. I'm sure at the time a lot of folks were pretty tense. As a Petty fan, I really didn't get Inman's Daytona tears. I think I remember thinking it was just stress relief. Snookered Bobby Allison's team for the win, yet another D500 win, fewer & fewer wins for the King, the bad Pocono injury for Richard in 1980, the conversion to shorter wheelbase cars, the first full season for Kyle, etc. Beyond that, I didn't have any idea what was going on behind the scenes - and really to this day don't understand. I was shocked to hear him leave AND then to go with Osterland.

Looking back, it is interesting how Inman spent from 1959-1981 with Richard. Then from 1981-1985, he cc'd for Earnhardt, Tim Richmond, Joe Ruttman, Terry Labonte, & I think Mark Martin. All great drivers - yet a short time w/each of them.

And Jim Stacy - what a disaster that cat was. And he burned many in the sport not just one round but twice!

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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.

Great piece of history, Dave. Thanks very much for sharing. That's certainly a look we as fans never get to see.


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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®

Yes, Jim, the late Joe Whitlock certainly had a lot to do with all of this in Dale's early career, before they later parted ways. As a matter of fact, Joe was on the Osterlund payroll as the PR guy and the late Judy Tucker worked with him there. Joe was married to the former Snow White at the time who later married the Atlanta writer, Ed Hinton. When Osterlund folded, we set Joe up in business as ProSports, Inc., paying him an annual retainer, buying them a copier and office equipment and leasing space for him as his first client. Judy, who had worked with Richard Howard and for Humpy became Joe's employee, before later moving to the Raymond Beadle/Rusty Wallace Blue Max deal. Joe later moved the operation to his home and got the Goodwrench account when they became an associate with Childress.

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

And it was Whitlock who shaved a year off Earnhardt's age, changing his birthdate around 1982 or so in all press materials and keeping Dale 31 for two consecutive years. Whitlock was one of the best writers around and a terrific story teller. He was a USC grad and at one time ran the Columbia, SC AP bureau as well as managing the campaign for Fritz Hollings.

Dave Fulton said:

Yes, Jim, the late Joe Whitlock certainly had a lot to do with all of this in Dale's early career, before they later parted ways. As a matter of fact, Joe was on the Osterlund payroll as the PR guy and the late Judy Tucker worked with him there. Joe was married to the former Snow White at the time who later married the Atlanta writer, Ed Hinton. When Osterlund folded, we set Joe up in business as ProSports, Inc., paying him an annual retainer, buying them a copier and office equipment and leasing space for him as his first client. Judy, who had worked with Richard Howard and for Humpy became Joe's employee, before later moving to the Raymond Beadle/Rusty Wallace Blue Max deal. Joe later moved the operation to his home and got the Goodwrench account when they became an associate with Childress.

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

Jim, I had forgotten Otis. That dog could shake lake water all over you.


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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

Wonderful story. I love the "behind the scenes" personal touch you are able to present!

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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.