Rick Ren Has Been Dominating the Truck Series As It's Best Crew Chief

Rick Ren has been one of the top crew chief's in the camping World Truck Series. Over the last three years, he's finished second twice and won a championship with Ron Hornaday Jr. in 2007.

Ren, like so many crew chiefs in NASCAR, started out a driver. He's also a 33-year veteran and at the top of his game.

Ren got his first race car at 18 and would spend the next 14 years racing late-model dirt track cars all over the East Coast, accumulating over 130 wins.

Ren would attend a couple of NASCAR races. He was fascinated by the calls made on pit road and would tell his friends he could do that.

In 1990, Ren moved to Charlotte, intending on finding a job in NASCAR, and 10 days later, he was a NASCAR crew chief.

He would crew chief for Mike Swain's Nationwide Series program. He worked with both Morgan Shepard and Ward Burton.

In 1991, he moved up to the Sprint Cup to work for Jimmy Means but didn't stay long and would re-team with Ward Burton. In Feb. 1992, he won his first race as a crew chief, with Ward Burton at "the Rock," Rockingham Speedway.

Over the next 12 years, he's worked with, Ricky Craven, Travis Kvapil, Bobby Dotter, Rick Carelli, Steve Kinser, Andy Houston, Johnny Benson, Elliot Sadler, Dale Jarrett, Ron Hornaday, and a bunch more.

He guided and mentored both Ricky Craven and Travis Kvapil to Rookie of the Year honors—Craven in Cup and Kvapil in trucks.

"I have confidence in my ability to accomplish my goal's", said Ren. "As long as my hands aren't tied, I will fix anything". (Kevin Harvick, Incorporated)

Ren has worked in Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and the Camping World Truck Series, as a crew member or crew chief.

One interesting thing about Ren is that regardless of where he's been through his career, he's always taking notes, jotting down observations about race tracks, and data he noted about how the car or truck is running.

He's so bad about it, he has at his home over five filing cabinets full of these notes, about the Camping World No. 33, even more in binders and folders at the KHI garage.

Hm, maybe Ren and Horn will be all set in 2009 with the no testing ban. They'll be at each others RV's, drinking a cold beer reading over the notes figuring out what they need for a setup for the race.

In 2004, he moved to Robert Yates racing, where he started the Nationwide Series program with Elliot Sadler and Dale Jarrett.

Both teams had great success in 11 races, the teams accomplished combined stats of four top-five and six top-10 finishes.

In 2005, he would move on, midseason to Bill Davis Racing's Truck Series Program to become Johnny Benson's crew chief.

Shortly after, he took over the program, he had JB in the Top 10 in the points standings and would end the season in that position.

In 2006, Ren would lead the 23 team to a second place finish in the points, compiling five-wins, 13 top-fives, and 17 top-10 finishes in 25 races. 

He would be awarded as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year, for his accomplishments through the season with JB and the 23 team.

In January 2007, he would leave Bill Davis Racing and join Kevin Harvick Incorporated to be Ron Hornaday Jr.'s crew chief.

Ren would make the move a week or so, before the truck series was to start testing at Daytona International Speedway.

"Rick Ren brings years of truck experience and will be a great asset to that team," said Kevin Harvick. "He has won at every organization, he has worked for and I believe that he and Ron Hornaday will get along very well," concluded Harvick. (truckseries.com)

Back in 2007, I was excited by the move, knew both are wily veterans, they are opposites that compliment each other to make it work, but never thought they would have dominated the series the way they have.

Six races into the 2007 season, they recorded their first win together at Lowes, when Horn won the Quaker Steak and Lube 200.

Ren would also tie a record for most wins with different drivers at five, which he shares with John Monsam.

Interesting enough, Ren's first win in the series, came with Rick Carelli in 1996, he's now Horn's spotter and both have also won races with Monsam.

Ren for those curious fans, has won with Rick Carelli, Andy Houston, Travis Kvapil, JB, and Horn.

The two would go on in 2007 and just have one of those years where nothing bad really happened to them throughout the season and would battle Mike Skinner all the way to Homestead for the championship.

Which, ultimately, Horn would win, due to tire issues to Mike Skinner's truck. It would be Horn's third title in the series, Ren's first as a crew chief, and KHI would win it's first championship after just five full-time years.

The pair compiled four-wins, two-poles, 13 top-fives, and 22 top-10 finishes in 25 races.

The magic between Ren and Horn would continue through the 2008 season. The pair just doesn't make mistakes, Ren keeps his crews confidence up they don't make any mistakes on pit road and he also keeps Horn calm whenever he gets overly nervous.

The pair battled JB for most of the season, they'd swap the points lead five times between the two.

The pair fell short of repeating, on a gamble yet again Homestead, but fell short by four-tenths of a second—20 yards.

The pair compiled six wins, six poles, 14 top-fives, 18 top-10 finishes in 25 races, and led a career best 1,326 laps.

Sure we'll see Ren and Horn in 2009, at the top of their game, dominating races and with Ren's leadership got to pick Horn for the title.

This is my 100th article, 64th Truck Series article, just wanted to thank my fans, B/R and the NASCAR Community for the great support.

Note for editors, JB is a nickname for Johnny Benson and Horn is a nickname for Ron Hornaday.

Sources: truckseries.com, kevinharvickinc.com & espn.com

Photo Credit: yahoosports.com