Richard Childress Racing has informed some staff of furloughs, as NASCAR teams wrestle with whether to implement cost-cutting measures amid the sport's shutdown. Sources said that RCR has already begun with temporary unpaid leave for employees it has deemed non-essential, although the exact number or percentage of its staff that are being affected was not clear. RCR is one of NASCAR’s upper-echelon teams, and top outfits have well over 100 employees, with ones like Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports typically running closer to 500 people between various competition and business departments. RCR did not respond to a request for comment. NASCAR is currently slated to return to action in early May at Martinsville Speedway, but there remain industry doubts about whether that will remain feasible, at least in front of spectators. The AP earlier this week also reported that NASCAR has ordered 20% pay cuts for lower-level employees and 25% cuts for execs, and now teams may not be far behind. It was not clear whether other teams had implemented salary cuts yet, but sources said that several teams were mulling their options.
