2 Changes to Cup Series Crew Chiefs stand above all the rest in 2023
Alex Bowman And Ryan Preece cut their work when NASCAR Cup Series The season begins at Daytona in just over a month, but their teams know they can’t do it alone. That’s why they’ll each be working with a new crew chief in 2023 after a pair of high-impact decisions.
Blake Harris and Chad Johnson won’t be the only new faces on top of the box, but they’ll be the two most-watched newcomers calling the shots.
Alex Bowman’s new crew chief made a strong first impression
Losing Drew Blakensderver to Aric Almirola at Stewart-Haas Racing after the 2021 season was a letdown for Michael McDowell. The driver of the No. 34 Ford was winless until he broke into significant time alongside Blickensderfer with his victory in the Daytona 500.
There will be no trips to Victory Lane in 2022, but McDowell and rookie crew chief Blake Harris still enjoyed a productive season together. McDowell more than doubled his previous best by achieving more than ten top-ten finishes. The driver’s average finish of 16.7 blunted anything he had done previously.
Now, McDowell is embarking on the new season with his third crew chief in three seasons because Harris has moved to Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Chevy at Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman went from four wins in 2021 to just one last season. However, the season was largely positive until a concussion took him out of five playoff races.
Bowman in the year of his contract, the only HMS driver not to sit out a long-term deal. The pessimism about his future with the most successful team in Cup Series history is overblown, and I’d be surprised if he didn’t sign an extension by Memorial Day. However, Bowman wants to be more than just Rick Hendrick’s No. 4 driver, and Harris could be the crew chief that gets him there.
Stuart Haas is hoping Ryan Preece can be a long-term solution
Aric Almirola has already tried to retire once and could be gone for good by this time next year or in 2025. Kevin Harvick is as good as he went in November if you believe mainstream opinion. This means that Stewart-Haas Racing needs someone who can keep up with Chase Briscoe’s career path.
Ryan Preece gets the first crack at the role, having been promoted from reserve driver to Cole Custer’s replacement. In the latest breaking news, SHR invited Chad Johnson, 42, to run Bryce’s No. 41 Ford.
Johnston, who teamed with Bryce to place in the top five of five of six rounds in the 2022 Truck Series, was previously the Cup Series crew chief for Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson and Matt Kenseth. The Larson-Johnson combined has won six times in 144 attempts at Chip Ganassi Racing.
“It’s great to have Chad back on our race team,” said Greg Zipadelli, SHR’s chief competition officer. Advertising. “A lot of the people he worked with when he was here before are still here today, and he really does have a relationship with Ryan Preece. Chad fits in seamlessly and has a tremendous work ethic.”
Noah Gragson and Ty Gibbs bring the Xfinity Series crew chiefs with them
Another collaboration worth watching is Noah Gragson with crew chief Luke Lambert at Petty GMS. They worked together last season at JR Motorsports, and the result was eight wins and a second-place finish in the Xfinity Series.
Coincidentally, Eric Jones’ crew chief for the team’s second year is David Ellens, who worked with Gargson in 2021. And Chris Gayle, who worked with Jones from 2017-20, is making the Cup Series jump with Ty Gibbs. They have won 11 Xfinity races in two seasons and the 2022 series title together.
A handful of other drivers will have new crew chiefs in 2023:
- Richard Childress Racing has hired Keith Roden for the Austin Dillon car.
- Travis Peterson is the new crew chief for Michael McDowell at Front Row Motorsports, who hired Ryan Bergenti for second-year driver Todd Gilliland.
- Mike Kelly is the new face at JTG Daugherty Racing for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
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