NASCAR is a sport focused on the drivers, and deservedly so. After all, the drivers are the ones who control a team’s fate after all the hard work and preparation in the shop leading up to the green flag.
2011 NASCAR Chase For The Sprint Cup: Ranking The Crew Chiefs
The NASCAR garage sounds off on which crew chief they would want on their side heading into the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
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So as another Chase begins, it’s not surprising all the talk is focusing on which driver – if anyone – can challenge Jimmie Johnson for the Sprint Cup Series championship.
But perhaps included in the talk should be another question: How to beat Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus?
After all, there’s no one better to have atop the pit box during the Chase than Knaus – a sentiment reflected in an SBNation.com poll of the garage taken last weekend at Richmond.
That Knaus won the poll isn’t surprising in the least, which is why we asked drivers, crew chiefs, crew members and team officials to anonymously rank their top three most desired Chase crew chiefs instead of just one.
Knaus, who seems to do whatever it takes to remain out front – including a mid-race pit crew change in the thick of the Chase – was the easy winner. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Here’s the rest of our results:
1. Chad Knaus (15 votes)
Pretty obvious choice here, but we still had to ask just to make sure.
2. Alan Gustafson (8 votes)
Most in the garage that spoke up for Gustafson pointed to the fact he was able to turn Mark Martin’s program around, then do the same after moving to the No. 24 team with Jeff Gordon.
3 (tie). Mike Ford and Dave Rogers (4 votes each)
Those that sang the praises of Dave Rogers did so citing his methodical approach to managing a race, with a great team support system on his side. Ford drew votes for his runner-up campaign in last year’s Chase.
5. Jimmy Fennig (3 votes)
For those in the garage, the advantage Jimmy Fennig has over the competition is his veteran knowledge and years in the sport. The 2004 champion has been calling shots since 1986, something that has both its positives and negatives. As one person put it, “He has an advantage over others in terms of experience, but at the same time the sport is run by technology.”
6 (tie). Bob Osborne and Paul Wolfe (2 votes each)
A quiet former driver, Paul Wolfe is one of crew chiefs in the Chase with nothing to lose. According to a crew chief that spoke in his favor, Wolfe is calm under pressure, thinks things through and does not make “knee-jerk decisions” during the race. Osborne’s history with Carl Edwards showed voters he’s capable of another run.
8. Steve Addington (1 vote)
One crew member described Steve Addington as the type of crew chief who races for the moment. While he considered that Addington’s advantage, he also said Addington’s driver – Kurt Busch – could be a disadvantage when compared to the rest of the crew chiefs because of his volatile nature.
9 (tie). Tony Gibson, Darian Grubb, Steve Letarte, Gil Martin (not mentioned)
Four big-name Chase crew chiefs received no mentions, but that doesn’t mean they won’t make a title run. They simply weren’t named among the top crew chiefs when we asked.
Non-Chase crew chiefs (1 vote each)
Drew Blickensderfer
Richard ‘Slugger’ Labbe
Even though Blickensderfer and Labbe didn’t make the Chase, they still picked up one vote each in our garage poll.
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