Marcus Richmond is returning to his roots in 2020.
The veteran NASCAR crew chief revealed on Monday that he has partnered with veteran racer Steve Stallings to form a Late Model Stock chassis business under the moniker of R&S Race Cars.
The company formerly went under the name A&E Race Cars and was based out of Cluster Springs, Virginia. The home base will remain the same but Richmond and Stallings will also open a location in Concord, North Carolina.
In addition to Late Model Stock Car chassis builds, the company will also offer services for body hanging, construction, parts and turn-key production.
Richmond has been a mainstay in the Late Model Stock community, even during his NASCAR tenure, with over 50 victories as a crew chief. He has also captured prestigious Super Late Model victories with Noah Gragson with the 2017 Winchester 400 and 2018 Snowball Derby at Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Atop the pit box in the NASCAR Truck Series, he earned 10 victories, 64 top-5s and 135 top-10 finishes acorss 277 starts.
“The Late Model Stock Car series is so competitive and there is so much talent at short tracks around the country, especially in the Southeast,” Richmond said in a press release. “Steve (Stallings) had approached me about buying A&E together a few months ago and we decided the time is right to grow the business by continuing their tradition of building top-notch chassis, but also expanding our customer service to provide a turn-key experience for any level of racer.
“We want to serve our customers and give them a great product from new builds, to repairs and parts.”
Stallings previously operated Stallings Collision with locations in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. He also has deep investments in the Late Model Stock community as both a racer and crew member. He and his son, Blake, both competed and his business was a frequent sponsor for many teams.
“I’ve worked in the body shop business most of my life and know what it takes to run a successful shop,” Stallings said. “We want to put a great product out that wins races, but also be a resource to help with set-up issues, body repair and parts. Marcus (Richmond) is really well known in the Late Model Stock racing circles, so his expertise and knowledge will be invaluable.
“We’ve both been in this business for a long time, so it was a natural fit for us to team up and offer a full-service shop. We’re doing something we’ve always been involved in and that is our passion.”
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