Richard Childress, Austin Dillon bring championship culture to Carolina Cowboys
Cowboys working hard, playing hard in Episode 4 of The Ride, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
PUEBLO, Colo. – NASCAR fans and car racing aficionados of all types are quickly turning their heads to the sport of bull riding as Richard Childress and Austin Dillon continue to show love to the world’s most dangerous sport through their involvement with the Carolina Cowboys.
From bringing a bull down to the Winston-Salem City Hall and inviting a personal DJ into the team’s locker room to Dillon’s No. 3 NASCAR hotrod donning the blue and black checkered flags and taking the boys go-kart racing, it’s safe to say that Dillon and the Richard Childress Racing collective are all in for PBR Teams.
“I was in NASCAR when I think NASCAR was at about the level that PBR is getting going now,” Childress offered during Episode 4 of the exclusive PBR Teams series “The Ride” on Amazon Prime.
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“When Sean (Gleason) started talking to me about getting involved with one of the franchises, I went to my grandson and I said, ‘Austin, I’m pretty busy, you’re busy, but will you jump in here and help?’ So, I named him the general manager.”
Similar to the energy he brings to his motor-forward day job, fans have a chance to witness the passion Dillon brings to the Cowboys on a weekly basis throughout the riveting new series’ fourth installment: Sweet Home Carolina.
For as much respect Dillon has for his grandfather and personnel throughout the team’s ownership and front office group, he doesn’t necessarily want to be viewed as the captain steering the ship, but rather someone who always wants to level with his guys; regularly interacting with the squad and cheering them on.
“I think it’s amazing that we have a PBR franchise here in North Carolina, and being from Winston-Salem, it’s so special to bring it to the Joel (Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum),” Dillon said.
“I’m definitely more nervous as a general manager than I am as a race car driver. I have a lot more control in that situation. (Here), I just have to sit back and watch and hope it all plays out.”
With a NASCAR Camping World Trucking Series championship, NASCAR Nationwide championship and a 2018 win at Daytona International Speedway under his belt, Dillon understands what it takes to win.
After making a pair of splashes this spring in acquiring both the No. 1 and No. 2 overall selections in the 2023 PBR Teams Draft, Dillon has a vision for his blue and black squad.
“General managers are big players, and Austin is steadily thinking and figuring out how to make this team better,” Cowboys Head Coach Jerome Davis shared.
“It might be a 1 o’clock phone call, but if he’s got this idea, he’s calling me about it. He’s always like that, and it doesn’t matter if it’s racing or if it’s bull riding, this guy has always got his wheels turning.”
Dillon and company surely haven’t been shy when it comes to taking care of their own. But don’t get him confused for someone who isn’t all about winning.
“Everything that Mr. Childress and Austin does for us … Our lifestyle has kind of changed,” Cowboys’ captain Daylon Swearingen shared.
“We’re getting pampered a little bit more and it’s incredible. They definitely made it our home.”
Embracing the Work Hard Play Hard mentality prior to the team’s first-ever home event, Dillon and the team hit the go-kart track. With a course full of professional athletes, the competition heated up quickly.
“Just having a little fun here before we go riding tonight and let them jump into the racing world a little bit,” Dillon said.
“Everybody is competitive, so we’ll get the competitive juices flowing and then get them calmed down for tonight.”
While a little competitive fun was the end goal, the professional racer wasn’t afraid to mix it up in the trenches with a few of the best bull riding talents in the world.
“I think Austin, he was pushing me. That’s the way that I’m going to look at it. You know, he’s a NASCAR racer, that’s what he does for a living. I don’t expect him to get on a bull and beat us,” Swearingen said with a joking laugh and matching smile.
The Ride - Official Trailer | Prime Video
The Ride is an eight-episode docuseries, produced by Kinetic Content, surrounding the world of PBR (Professional Bull Riders). The Ride will give viewers a first-of-its-kind, behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, and take them into the daily lives of some of its biggest stars, bringing fans closer to the action than ever before. The Ride releases Tuesday, May 30th, only on Prime Video.
As rivalries throughout the league began to forge after the Cowboys stole the show, and corresponding event title the weekend prior, during the Austin Gamblers’ home event, Cowboys’ personnel from top to bottom were confident in the team’s chances of securing the win on home dirt.
“The boys are ready to ride. Having Cooper coming back from shoulder surgery, it means a lot,” Dillon added.
With extra manpower in Cooper Davis returning to the lineup, did the Cowboys have what it takes to not only win two events in a row, but become the first team to win their own home event?
“I think it’s going to be exciting, man. Right here in the backyard. The team we got, the guys we put together, we really worked hard,” Jerome Davis concluded.
“The whole team has worked hard and at the end of the day, hopefully we’ll be the champs.”
Be sure to check out Episode 4: Sweet Home Carolina of The Ride, streaming now on Amazon Prime and keep an eye on PBR.com and PBR social media channels for additional PBR Teams content, as the season is just over a month away!
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media