Thriving partners: NASCAR and wine
SONOMA - Richard Childress was quite pleased when a NASCAR Nextel Cup race was placed in Sonoma back in 1989.
Sure, it exposed the sport to an untapped market. But what really got the team owner fired up was the annual stop he’d be making in wine country.
Childress is a wine fanatic, so much so that he started up Richard Childress Vineyards in 2004. It’s based in Lexington, North Carolina.
“I got interested in it when I was a driver in the 70’s, going to Ontario and Riverside,” said Childress, who has won six Cup titles as an owner, all with the legendary Dale Earnhardt behind the wheel. “I thought if I ever get the opportunity I would love to have my own winery and vineyards. I was going to do it on a small scale. Now we’re a major player in North Carolina.” more…
Infineon Raceway, Sonoma
