B/R Exclusive: An Interview With Kip Childress, New Camping World East Director

As a fan of one of NASCAR’s developmental leagues, the Camping World East Series, I was intrigued to learn that a new Director, Kip Childress, had been named.  Childress is poised to replace Les Westerfield, who was the Interim Series Director in 2008.

Kip Childress is a third generation NASCAR official, with his father and grandfather both working for NASCAR in various capacities. 

Kip got his start as a NASCAR Whelen All-American series official at Caraway Speedway in North Carolina.  He also worked for NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series from 1995 to 2000.

In the research process for a Bleacher Report article on Kip’s appointment, I was fortunate enough to connect with him in the NASCAR R&D Center preparing for the 2009 season.  And he was gracious enough to consent to an interview about his new racing role.

The following are my questions and Kip Childress’ answers as he looks forward to the start of the Camping World Series East season in April at the Greenville-Pickens Speedway.

Mary Jo Buchanan: Kip, you have grown up in motorsports, particularly in the south. How do you think the East series will be different from your past experiences?  

Kip Childress:  You know, I've had the opportunity to work around racing at many levels – from mini stocks at the local short-tracks right on up to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The only difference that I've noticed is the vehicle. The drive to compete and to win can be found within each and every driver that straps on a helmet – no matter if it's on a Friday or Saturday night or a Sunday afternoon. The teams and drivers of the NASCAR Camping World Series East will be no different. 

Mary Jo Buchanan:  How will this new position be different from your work in the Truck series? 

Kip Childress:  While it's been a while since I worked with the Truck Series, but I would have to say that the Truck Series of then and the NASCAR Camping World Series East now are very similar.  From the competitors to the officiating crew to the facilities at which our series competes, they are so much alike that the transition for me will be minimal.

Mary Jo Buchanan: What will be your major goals/initiatives for the East series, especially in these challenging times?

Kip Childress:  First and foremost, a goal of mine is to get to know our competitors and our track operators.  I want them to be assured that my door is "always open".  We are living in a challenging time right now and I want them to know that we have their best interest in mind – just as we at NASCAR always have. 

Mary Jo Buchanan: How will you define your Director's role this year? 

Kip Childress:  I suppose that I would like to define my role as one of opposites.  I want to be as visible as possible to our teams and track operators.  At the same time, however, I would like to be as invisible as possible too.  I am a believer that we as officials are doing our best jobs when no one knows we're there.

Mary Jo Buchanan: Speaking of challenging times, the Series has cut back a race in its 2009 schedule. Are there any additional changes anticipated in the upcoming racing season because of the economy? 

Kip Childress:  No, not at this time. Because we do have the best interest of the teams in mind, we will constantly evaluate what we are doing and what we plan on doing in the future. If a change does come along, it will be in the best interest of everyone involved.

Mary Jo Buchanan: Do you think the Camping World East Series will see shorter fields because of the tight times? Or will it actually help the Series as more folks try the more local venues to race?  

Kip Childress:  That's hard to say. But if the the numbers of cars entered for our NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown is any indication, interest in short-track racing remains very strong.

Mary Jo Buchanan: What ideas do you have to attract fans to your events/venues? 

Kip Childress:  I think the same things that attracted me to the series will attract our fans as well.  The NASCAR Camping World Series East offers a great mix of drivers, from our young guns to our cagey veterans – competing on a tough combination of tracks, from the short-tracks to the super speedways to the road courses, and visiting some of the best cities and towns in the eastern region of the United States.  Sounds like a perfect combination to me.

Mary Jo Buchanan:  The East series has been known to produce drivers that move up to the "higher" levels of the sport. Do you see any drivers to watch in this regard in 2009?

Kip Childress:  Wow, how much room are you allotted for this interview?  Seriously though, I think we have a great series for our drivers and crew members to gain the experience needed to move up to one of our national series. I would hate to jinx any of them by mentioning any of them specifically. 

Mary Jo Buchanan: On the flip side, are there other veterans drivers, like Matt Kobyluck, that could potentially compete for the championship again? 

Kip Childress:  You bet there are, but I don't want to jinx any of them either. I will leave the championship forecasting to the media and more importantly our fans!

From Childress’ enthusiasm and passion to his knowledge of the sport, the NASCAR Camping World Series – East is in great hands for the upcoming 2009 race season.

The NASCAR Camping World Series – East 2009 schedule is as follows:

Saturday, April 11               Greenville-Pickens Speedway - Greenville, S.C.
Saturday, April 25               Tri-County Motor Speedway - Hudson, N.C.
Sunday, May 17                  Iowa Speedway - Newton, Iowa
Saturday, May 30               South Boston Speedway - South Boston, Va.
Saturday, June 6                Watkins Glen International - Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Friday, June 26                   New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Loudon, N.H.
Saturday, July 11                Thompson International Speedway - Thompson, Conn.
Saturday, July 18                Music City Motorplex - Nashville, Tenn.
Saturday, Aug. 1                Adirondack International Speedway - Beaver Falls, N.Y.
Saturday, Aug. 15               Lime Rock Park - Lakeville, Conn.
Friday, Sept. 18                  New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Loudon, N.H.
Friday, Sept. 25                  Dover International Speedway - Dover, Del.