[ad_1]
-
Bob PockrassNASCAR
If Jimmie Johnson wins a NASCAR Cup championship eighth record, it will not be with Chad Knaus as his crew chief.
When Matt DiBenedetto announced he was leaving Go Fas Racing, he was betting on him to land with a more competitive team. That bet paid off Wednesday when he was announced as Leavine Family Racing driver for 2019.
The Team Penske driver has started a winning tradition of giving young fans checkered flags because "it's a little thing we can do to make their day."
1 Related
Kevin Meendering, crew chief for Elliott Sadler in the Xfinity Series, will take over the No. 48 team starting in 2019, while Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron will follow suit.
Knaus and Johnson began working together in Johnson's rookie season in 2002, and they won five consecutive Cup championships together from 2006 to 2010 and in 2013 and 2016. They have struggled the past two years, however, with Johnson finishing 10th in the standings last year and failing to advance the first round of the playoffs this year.
"It's no secret that Rick Hendrick and Rick Hendrick said in a news release. "They're fierce competitors, great friends and have tremendous respect for one another.
"They also fight like brothers and sisters."
Johnson, who ranks for career victories, has a 53-race winless streak.
Johnson shared his thoughts on the change via Twitter.
Chad and I have had unimaginable success together and I'm grateful for his friendship. I can not thank him for his dedication to success and the drive to win. I'm looking forward to what the future holds for the whole @TeamHendrick organization. pic.twitter.com/zA8fse6XfI
– Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) October 10, 2018
Meendering has spent three years at HMS affiliate JR Motorsports and has guided Sadler to three wins and 38 top-5 finishes.
"Over the last couple of years, he's been one of the most sought-after talents in the garage," Hendrick said. "Kevin is an impressive person who has come to know us well in the past. We know how to behave well.
"Having worked with a driver like him or her for the right time."
Knaus signed a two-year contract and will be paired with Byron, who is 22nd in the Cup standings as a rookie and turns 21 in November. The move "reunites" Knaus with the team that gave him his Cup in 1993: the HMS No. 24 crew.
"William, who is a special talent," Hendrick said in the statement. "The two of them are a great match, and I'm excited to see what they can do together.
"Chad has the Rainbow Warriors pedigree and truly appreciates the history of the No. 24. I've asked him to make a second opinion and to give him the green light."
Only the crew will change roles. The remainder of the team will stick with their current drivers.
"Chad and Jimmie will be one of the greatest combinations in sports history," Hendrick said. "They defied the odds by performing at a championship level for longer than anyone could have possibly imagined.
"What they've done is an incredible, storybook run."
Current Byron crew chief Darian Grubb will move into a technical director role in the HMS engineering and vehicle development department.
[ad_2]
Source link
