When some of NASCAR’s biggest stars have driven your cars, controversy is inevitable, and Richard Childress is no stranger to it. From his debut at the first Talladega 500 to leading a championship-winning team with 14 titles across NASCAR’s top 3 National Touring Series, Childress has a legacy to back it up. His competitive spirit runs deep, and his drivers are never ones to give an easy pass. The average fan might not grasp the fear of facing a fast Richard Childress Racing (RCR) car at tracks like Talladega or Pocono, but over time, such moments have become rarer.
Before anyone could ‘rattle’ an RCR driver, Jeremy Mayfield famously did it to the king of all ‘cage-rattlers,’ Dale Earnhardt. That moment holds a special place in NASCAR history. For Childress, moments like these make racing more thrilling. Earnhardt, dubbed “The Intimidator,” is a nickname viewed by some as NASCAR’s greatest marketing gimmick, while others see it as a perfect fit. Very few drivers could withstand the scare tactics of the black #3 car, and even fewer dared to challenge Earnhardt in return.
Jeremy Mayfield managed to do both in his 17-year Cup Series career. Known as one of NASCAR’s most controversial figures, the Kentucky native won five races driving for big names like Roger Penske and Ray Evernham. However, Mayfield’s career is often remembered for his 2009 suspension after a failed drug test. Despite this, he remains one of the sport’s most intriguing personalities. From Earnhardt to Kevin Harvick and now Kyle Busch, Childress has always worked with colorful drivers. Fans often wonder how Mayfield would have fared in a full-time RCR seat, given the impression he made by challenging Earnhardt at Pocono 24 years ago.
On the October 3rd episode of the Happy Hour podcast, Kevin Harvick asked Childress about NASCAR’s controversial past. Harvick speculated, “I always thought you enjoyed that part of it… Is that the case?” Childress quickly responded, “I lived off of that. That’s why I loved it.” To emphasize his point, the 79-year-old shared a story: “I’ll never forget when Jeremy Mayfield pushed Earnhardt out of the way at Pocono. He’s screaming on the radio, about to win the race, and [Mayfield] knocked him out in the tunnel.”
In June 2000, Mayfield entered Pocono with a win but had suffered two straight DNFs. His performance had declined since his breakout 1998 season, and with Roger Penske set to take over the #12 team later that year, Mayfield needed better results to secure his seat. At Pocono, he started 22nd, but with the white flag flying on the penultimate lap, he was right on Earnhardt’s bumper. After several blocks from Earnhardt, Mayfield made a bold move in Turn 3, nudging Earnhardt’s car out of the way. Earnhardt lost momentum, allowing Mayfield to take the victory. After the race, Mayfield said he had “rattled” Earnhardt’s cage. In response, Earnhardt, who finished fourth, flipped Mayfield off on the cooldown lap – a memorable moment in NASCAR history.
Childress recalled how Earnhardt had warned him over the radio during the race: “Richard, Richard, don’t you go over there. Don’t you go over there.” Looking back, Childress said that emotions like those “just made it more fun back then.” Today, he noted, “If you look at somebody wrong, you’ll get fined.” RCR has certainly experienced its share of fines and controversies over the years, but there were no fines after that Pocono race. Earnhardt forgave Mayfield, dismissing the incident as just part of racing.
The golden era of NASCAR, filled with moments like these, is unlikely to return. In 2024, the sport has evolved to be more competitive, with the lines between respect and racing blurred by today’s drivers. When Mayfield appeared on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast a few years ago, he made it clear that the dynamics of the sport have changed significantly.
Jeremy Mayfield reminisced about his NASCAR upbringing in a conversation with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the June 9, 2022, episode of “The Download.” Reflecting on his early days in the sport, Mayfield shared how he earned the respect of veterans like Dale Earnhardt and Dave Marcis. According to Mayfield, if you held your own against them on the track and didn’t lose your composure when they passed you, you were accepted. Mayfield got his big break during a time when legends like Richard Petty were retiring and stars like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart were emerging.
Now 55, Mayfield had the rare chance to know Dale Earnhardt personally before the latter’s tragic death on February 18, 2001, a loss that forever changed NASCAR. Mayfield recalls one memorable moment with Earnhardt after his win at Pocono and the “rattle his cage” comments. Expecting retaliation at Sonoma the following week, Mayfield was surprised when Earnhardt greeted him with a smile, grabbing him in a friendly headlock. Earnhardt told him, “I wasn’t mad at you… That’s part of it,” though he admitted that Mayfield’s post-race comments were what bothered him.
This phrase, “rattle his cage,” became famous after Earnhardt used it following the 1999 Bristol Night Race when he spun Terry Labonte for the win. Earnhardt had said, “Didn’t mean to really turn him around. Meant to rattle his cage though,” to which Labonte cheekily responded, “Have you ever heard him say he means to spin anybody out?” This kind of drama was part of what made Earnhardt famous for his no-nonsense racing style, winning him both rivals and admirers.
In today’s NASCAR, drivers and teams must be more cautious, with the organization enforcing stricter penalties for misconduct. Recent incidents, like Kyle Busch’s altercation with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at North Wilkesboro and Austin Dillon’s bump-and-run on Joey Logano at Bristol, show how seriously NASCAR takes rule violations now. The $75,000 fine for Stenhouse’s crew and a two-week suspension for Dillon’s spotter demonstrate NASCAR’s commitment to professionalism as the sport grows.
Despite these changes, some still argue that Jeremy Mayfield was one of the last drivers to give “The Intimidator” a taste of his own medicine—but that’s a story for another day.
