In 1984 when Childress hired the late Dale Earnhardt, the decision was criticized by some because he wasn't the most popular driver in the field. Earnhardt was thought to be too tough to tame. NASCAR.COM
Before Burton, times were tough at RCR. In 2004, Kevin Harvick went winless and Robby Gordon left to start his own team. At that point, Childress decided to dig deep and refocus his efforts on winning.