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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Another Year, Another Crew Chief Shuffle
Busch brothers Kurt and Kyle each get new crew chiefs this year...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted January 27, 2010   Charlotte, NC
NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kyle Busch (Left) teamed up with crew chief Dave Rogers (Right) at the end the 2009 season. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

It’s as much an annual staple of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season as the Daytona 500 in February or the awards banquet in December: The offseason migration of crew chiefs from one team to another.

Every year, teams and crew chiefs play musical chairs as they search for the elusive combination of talent and personal chemistry that will allow their respective squads to improve.

For those at the front of the field, the hope is that a new boss atop the pit box will allow them to finally dethrone the seemingly superhuman duo of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus.

For those in the back, a good crew chief literally can be the difference between surviving or closing up shop. Little surprise, then, that the annual turnover rate for Sprint Cup crew chiefs approaches 50 percent.

Following are some of the new Sprint Cup driver/crew chief combinations for 2010:

No. 1, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Jamie McMurray/Kevin “Bono” Manion — After four frankly disappointing seasons at Roush Fenway Racing, McMurray is reunited with team co-owner Chip Ganassi, with whom he enjoyed success early in his career. Manion returns as crew chief after a disappointing 2009 campaign with Martin Truex Jr. Given the success of fellow EGR driver Juan Pablo Montoya last year, this combination could be a sleeper.

No. 2, Penske Racing, Kurt Busch/Steve Addington — After helping Kyle Busch earn 12 race victories since the start of 2008, Addington was replaced late last year at Joe Gibbs Racing. In a curious case of perhaps moving out of the fire and into the frying pan, he takes over as crew chief with the elder Busch brother, who last year finished fourth in points. Keep an eye on this duo, which could make a serious title run this year.

No. 6, Roush Fenway Racing, David Ragan/Donnie Wingo — Ragan nearly made the Chase in 2008, but tailed off badly last season. Team co-owner Jack Roush is counting on the steady hand of veteran Wingo to get the talented Ragan pointed back in the right direction.

No. 7, Robby Gordon Motorsports, Robby Gordon/Iain Watt — Watt, who spent most of his career in the open-wheel and sports car ranks, moves over to Robby Gordon Motorsports after a stint at Richard Petty Motorsports, where he served as director of performance engineering. It remains to be seen how many races this car will run.

No. 12, Penske Racing, Brad Keselowski/Jay Guy — Here’s one of the more intriguing new pairings of the off-season. Keselowski is fast but prone to fits of temper, while Guy consistently overachieved with the underfunded Furniture Row Racing squad. This team could be very good this season, or it could struggle mightily.


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