Engine shop manager Spenny Clendenen, an RCR employee since 1985 and head engine builder from 1995 to 1997, has been named to the position of general manager in charge of the department’s business and administrative responsibilities. He will also be the focal point for RCR’s customer engine program, which furnishes engines for Kevin Harvick, Inc. (Busch and Truck), PPI Motorsports (NEXTEL Cup) and Morgan-Dollar Motorsports (Truck).

Rick Mann has been named chief engine builder and will oversee all competition-related responsibilities. He brings 17 years of NASCAR engine building experience and nearly 30 years of overall engine building experience to his new position.

Assistant engine shop manager Danny Lawrence, an RCR employee since 1985 and head engine builder from 1998 to 2001, has been named assistant chief engine builder. He will responsible for all at-track activities involving RCR’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team engine tuners and will assist Mann at the shop.

“I think the reorganization we’ve made is a positive new start to our entire engine department,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. ”We’ve had tremendous growth at RCR over the past couple of years and the workload we’ve asked our management group to be responsible for was keeping us from achieving the success I know we’re capable of. These moves, in addition to bringing on Nick Hayes to head up our engine research and development department, have put RCR in a much better position to reach the goals we’ve set for ourselves.”

A new engine shop manager will be named at a later date.

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrn.com) has earned more than 125 victories and nine NASCAR championships, including six in the NEXTEL Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. It was the first organization to win championships in the NEXTEL Cup Series, Busch Series and Truck Series. Its 2005 NEXTEL Cup Series lineup includes Dave Blaney (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 GM Goodwrench), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Cingular Wireless) and Kerry Earnhardt (No. 33 Bass Pro Shops). Its Busch Series lineup includes Clint Bowyer (No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet) along with Harvick and Brandon Miller (No. 21 Reese’s Chevrolet).