Chip Bowers, newly appointed as president of RFK Racing in September, is setting a new tone for the organization by directly emphasizing the importance of a RFK Racing championship mindset and active leadership. At the Phoenix Raceway, Bowers demonstrated his commitment by handling tasks typically outside his executive role, underlining his belief that every member of the team should contribute tangibly toward the goal of building a title-winning operation.
Bowers joins RFK Racing after longtime president Steve Newmark stepped down to take a new role at the University of North Carolina. With a distinguished background spanning roles with the Golden State Warriors, Miami Marlins, Orlando Magic, Seattle SuperSonics, and San Diego Padres, Bowers brings a wealth of experience from major league organizations and sports management agencies such as Elevate. His approach emphasizes hands-on leadership and direct action to establish a new culture at the team headquarters and at the track itself.
Bowers Leads by Example and Seeks Cultural Shift
On the day of the recent championship race at Phoenix Raceway, Bowers personally assembled the pit crew’s cart, recognizing that meaningful change has to be demonstrated from the top. He told SBJ at the team’s transporter area,
“We have to set the standard that we expect the rest of the organization to operate — if I’m not willing to go put together a pit box, which I did earlier this morning — then how can I ask somebody else to go out there and support one of our partners when we have a need? So that’s what we’re going to be doing.”
– Chip Bowers, President, RFK Racing
This act encapsulates Bowers’ belief in leading by example. It also signals an intent to instill an aggressive and deliberate approach in both competition and business, a mindset he views as necessary if RFK Racing is to compete consistently at the highest NASCAR level. The organization, which last won a premier series championship with Kurt Busch in 2004, has set its sights on returning to title contention by redefining its culture and reinforcing standards internally.
Strategic Partnerships and Collaboration with NASCAR
Bowers has made it clear that success on the racetrack must go hand in hand with strong business relationships and effective communication within the broader NASCAR ecosystem. Early in his tenure, he has focused on building connections with team sponsors, prospective partners, and industry executives. Notably, he frequently engages with other Fenway Sports Group presidents from organizations like Liverpool FC, the Boston Red Sox, and the Pittsburgh Penguins to share insights and strategies.
His proactive style was evident when he met with NASCAR Executive Vice President Tim Clark in the Phoenix garage to discuss ongoing opportunities. Bowers highlighted the importance of strong collaboration with the league office and media partners to ensure more race teams can share their unique stories:
“NASCAR has done a really good job over the last few years of building really good content with their media partners, continuing to expand that and really tap into the stories that are happening with every single race team — not just a select few — because there’s some really good stories there,”
– Chip Bowers, President, RFK Racing
This philosophy extends to RFK Racing’s own public positioning.
“We’re going to be very active, I’ve spent a lot of time with our friends Tim Clark and others at NASCAR to talk about what we’re doing, I think we as a team have to take it upon ourselves to proactively come to NASCAR, share intel about who we are, what we’re doing, who we want to be and how we’re going to go about doing it, so that they’re thinking about us on a regular basis so that, as they uncover opportunities, they come to us first. We want everybody to share in success, but we want to be a thought leader — so if we can be out front and show people the way, then we’re going to take that responsibility seriously.”
– Chip Bowers, President, RFK Racing
This approach prioritizes frequent and transparent communication, allowing RFK Racing to influence decisions, uncover early opportunities, and reinforce its relevance as NASCAR and its media partners look for fresh stories and leadership within the garage.
Learning from Past Success to Build a Winning Formula
Drawing from his past roles, especially with the Golden State Warriors as they transformed from underdogs to champions, Bowers recognizes that fostering a belief in competition must parallel business growth. He credits his experiences navigating organizations through both adversity and triumph, and aims to blend those lessons into RFK Racing’s new competitive strategy alongside effective business operations.
Bowers reflected,
“When I got to the Warriors, we were coming off a lottery team that Steph (Curry) had had ankle troubles — we weren’t expected to win. And what I learned in that experience is you operate on a parallel path truly believing on the competition side that they’re going to achieve their objective, and we’ve got to be as a business prepared to take full advantage of that, and we’re going to do that at RFK Racing.”
– Chip Bowers, President, RFK Racing
He notes that while he continues to seek occasional advice from Steve Newmark, he respects the competitive side’s autonomy, yet believes his influence can help bridge the gap between business strategy and on-track performance as the team aims for its first title in nearly two decades, with figures like Kurt Busch, staff, and sponsors all invested in a renewed pursuit of excellence.
Looking Ahead for RFK Racing
As Bowers settles into his first full-time NASCAR role, his emphasis on a championship mindset, relationship-building with NASCAR officialdom, and drawing on proven practices from other successful sports franchises are shaping RFK Racing’s trajectory. By elevating the expectations of everyone involved—from the pit crew to leadership—Bowers is hoping to establish RFK Racing both as a contender for championships and as an industry thought leader. The coming season will reveal how these strategies translate into on-track results and whether the organization can rediscover the magic that once led it to a NASCAR title.
