NASCAR Sprint Cup: Following the Crew-Chief Musical Chairs Heading Into 2012

One of the aspects that make the Daytona 500 so interesting is to see all of the changes that have taken place over the offseason in NASCAR. Drivers and sponsors switching teams is the most apparent change to the fans. When a crew chief goes from one team to another, the change can be the most impactful change a NASCAR team can make.

It is the same as other pro sports teams changing their head coach. A new philosophy is brought into the garage, and a relationship must quickly be formed between the driver and the crew chief.

When Tony Stewart won the Sprint Cup Championship at the end of the 2011 season, one of the most surprising announcements was that he was letting his crew chief, Darian Grubb, go and looking for a new crew chief for his No. 14 Chevy. If the championship crew chief is not safe on his team, who is safe in the NASCAR garage?

For the casual NASCAR fan, knowing who the crew chief on each team really does not matter, but for the more serious NASCAR fan, if a crew chief change takes place on your favorite driver’s team, it could be the difference between a poor season and a successful season.

Here are 10 crew changes that took place over the offseason.

Darian Grubb

2011 Team: Stewart Haas Racing No. 14

2012 Team: Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11

Darian Grubb guiding Tony Stewart to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, and his being fired was one of the biggest stories in the offseason. This was not a change that took place immediately after the final race. Stewart and Grubb had been talking about going their separate ways since the middle of the season when Stewart and the No. 14 car were in a slump.

It did not take Grubb long to find a new job. Grubb signed with Joe Gibbs Racing to become the crew chief for Denny Hamlin and his No. 11 Toyota.

I think the change will be good for Hamlin and the No. 11 team. It seemed as though Hamlin and his former crew chief, Mike Ford, had a hard time getting over the blown championship in 2010.

Grubb is a proven winner and may be just what the No. 11 team needs.

Steve Addington

2011 Team: Penske Racing No. 22

2012 Team: Stewart Haas Racing No. 14

When Grubb left Stewart Haas Racing, it was because Stewart wanted to get his team back from his time at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Steve Addington will be Stewart’s new crew chief in 2012. Addington comes over from Penske Racing where he was the crew chief for Kurt Busch in 2011.

Addington and Stewart have a relationship from their time at Joe Gibbs Racing. Addington served as the No. 18 team’s crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing. Also, he was the crew chief for Stewart when he raced in the Nationwide series for Joe Gibbs Racing.

I think the change from Grubb to Addington will help Stewart in 2012. It was no secret that Stewart wanted to get the boys from Joe Gibbs Racing back together. Now, he has the people he has always wanted for Stewart Haas Racing. Maybe Stewart will start the season winning races instead of in a slump as he almost always does.

Greg Zipadelli

2011 Team: Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20

2012 Team Stewart Hass Racing No. 10

In order for Tony Stewart to complete his team at Stewart Haas Racing, he had to hire his former crew chief Greg Zipadelli.

Zipadelli comes over to Stewart Haas Racing from Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 car driven by Joey Lagano.

Zipadelli will be the crew chief for the No. 10 Stewart Haas Racing car driven by Danica Patrick. Patrick will drive a limited schedule in 2012, so Zipadelli will also serve as the Director of Competion for Stewart Haas Racing.

Zipadelli and Stewart have a strong relationship. Zipadelli was Stewart’s crew chief for 10 seasons, and they won two NASCAR Championships together.

I think the addition of Zipadelli to Stewart Haas Racing will be the move that keeps the No. 14 team as the favorite to win the championship in 2012.

Todd Gordon

2011 Team: Penske Racing (Nationwide Series No. 22)

2012 Team: Penske Racing No. 22

When Addington left for Stewart Haas Racing, a position opened up at Penske Racing for the No. 22 team.

The No. 22 Penske Dodge will be a new team for 2012 other than the Shell Pennzoil sponsor. A.J. Allmendinger was hired to take Kurt Busch’s place in the car, and Todd Gordon was hired to become the new crew chief.

Gordon was promoted from his crew chief position at Penske Racing’s Nationwide team. Gordon guided the No. 22 Nationwide team, driven primarily by Brad Keselowski, to five wins and 15 top-five finishes in 2011.

I think Gordon and the No. 22 team will have success this season. Allmendinger and Gordon are both in the positions they have been dreaming about. It will not be hard for this team to be motivated to succeed in 2012.

Kenny Francis

2011 Team: Red Bull Racing No. 4

2012 Team: Hendricks Motorsports No. 5

The No. 5 Hendricks Motorsports Chevy will have new members in 2012 as well.

Mark Martin’s contract was up so Hendricks Motorsports signed Kasey Kahne to drive the No. 5 car in 2012. Kahne’s has had Kenny Francis as his crew chief for the past six seasons. It was only natural to hire Francis to be Kahne’s crew chief in the No. 5 car instead of placing Kahne with a crew chief with whom he would be unfamiliar.

I think Kahne and Francis will be the breakout team in 2012. The No. 5 car will make the Chase, and I would not be surprised if they competed for the Championship in 2012.

Drew Blickensdefer

2011 Team: Roush Fenway Racing No. 6

2012 Team: Richard Childress Racing No. 31

Roush Fenway Racing had to reduce their organization from a four car operation to three cars in 2012. The team and driver who were left out were David Ragan and the No. 6 team.

Drew Blickensdefer was the crew chief for the No. 6 team last season. In 2012, he will be the crew chief for the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing car driven by Jeff Burton.

Blickensdefer has had success when he was the crew chief for Matt Kenseth at Roush Fenway Racing. He did not have the same success as the crew chief of the No. 6 team.

Jeff Burton and the No. 31 team have been struggling. A change will be good, but I am not sure if Blickensdefer will be enough to get the team back into the Chase in 2012.

Todd Berrier

2011 Team: Richard Childress Racing No. 31

2012 Team: Daugherty Racing No. 47

With Drew Blickensdefer taking over as the new crew chief of the No. 31 team, that left the former crew chief of the No. 31 team, Todd Berrier, looking for a new job.

Berrier was hired from Richard Childress Racing to become the new crew chief of the No. 47 Daugherty Racing Toyota driven by Bobby Labonte.

The move from Richard Childress Racing to Daugherty Racing is a step down for Berrier. I do not think the No. 47 team will win any races in 2012, but they will show flashes of competitiveness. Berrier has not been a winning crew chief since he guided Kevin Harvick to victory in 2007 at the Daytona 500.

Brian Pattie

2011 Team: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 42

2012 Team: Michael Waltrip Racing No. 15

Michael Waltrip Racing shocked many fans last season when the announcement was made that Clint Bowyer was leaving Richard Childress Racing to become the new driver of the No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota.

Brian Pattie was hired from Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to become the new crew chief for the No. 15 car.

Pattie had been working with Juan Pablo Montoya at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Working with Clint Bowyer will be a much easier task for Pattie. Montoya can be difficult at times, and the change to the No. 15 team could be what Pattie needs.

I do not believe the No. 15 team will make the Chase in 2012, but Pattie and Bowyer will be competitive in most races.

Chris Heroy

2011 Team: Hendricks Motorsports (Engineer)

2012 Team: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 42

Brian Pattie’s departure from the No. 42 team left an opening for a new crew chief. To fill the spot, Earnhardt Ganassi hired Chris Heroy from Hendricks Motorsports.

Heroy served as an engineer for Hendricks Motorsports. He will get his chance to be a crew chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series for 2012. It will be interesting to see how his relationship with Juan Pablo Montoya evolves in 2012. It will be much different working with Montoya than it was working for the most organized garages in NASCAR at Hendricks Motorsports.

Shane Wilson

2011 Team: Richard Childress Racing No. 33

2012 Team: Richard Childress Racing No. 29

When Clint Bowyer left for Michael Waltrip Racing the No. 33 Richard Childress team was left without a driver. With only a month before teams report to Daytona for Speed Weeks, Richard Childress still has not decided if the No. 33 team will compete in 2012.

Shane Wilson was the crew chief for the No. 33 car in 2011. This season, Wilson will move to the No. 29 car at Richard Childress Racing, driven by Kevin Harvick.

The No. 29 team was in position to win the championship in 2011. I do not think the addition of Wilson to the No. 29 team will do anything to hurt their chances in 2012. Look for Harvick and Wilson to have success this season.

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