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Hendrick Motorsports Names New 2019 Crew Chiefs For Johnson & Byron
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Hendrick Motorsports has named new crew chiefs for the organization’s Nos. 24 and 48 NASCAR Cup Series teams, effective at the conclusion of the 2018 racing season.
The assignments represent new roles for veterans Chad Knaus and Darian Grubb, along with the return to Hendrick Motorsports of Kevin Meendering. The responsibilities for 2019 include:
• Knaus will become crew chief for William Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team with its respective personnel. He currently leads the No. 48 team of Jimmie Johnson.
• Meendering will become crew chief for Johnson and the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team with its respective personnel. He is currently crew chief of NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff contender Elliott Sadler.
• Grubb will be promoted to technical director, an executive leadership role supporting Hendrick Motorsports’ engineering and vehicle development resources. He is currently crew chief of the No. 24 team with Byron.
"Chad and Jimmie will go down as one of the greatest combinations in sports history," Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick said. "They defied the odds by performing at a championship level for longer than anyone could’ve possibly imagined. What they’ve accomplished together has been absolutely remarkable and will be celebrated for generations. This has been an incredible, storybook run."
Knaus will complete his 17th season as crew chief for Johnson and the No. 48 team, representing the longest-running crew chief-driver relationship in NASCAR. The pair has won a record-tying seven NASCAR Cup championships together and this season competed in the series playoffs for a record 15th time.
Knaus will return to the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team he originally joined 25 years ago. From 1993 to 1998, the Rockford, Illinois, native assumed a variety of duties under the direction of crew chief and mentor Ray Evernham. He oversaw body development and served as a tire changer for the No. 24 team, proving to be an integral part of driver Jeff Gordon’s 1995 and 1997 Cup titles.
Grubb will finish the season as crew chief for the No. 24 team with Byron, who leads the 2018 Cup Series rookie of the year standings. The Floyd, Virginia, native served in a variety of technical roles with Hendrick Motorsports from 2003-2008, including race engineer, engineering manager and crew chief.
After stints at Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing, where he won a Cup title as crew chief for Tony Stewart, Grubb returned to Hendrick Motorsports in January 2016 as vehicle production director. He was promoted to director of competition systems in August 2017 before being named crew chief of the No. 24 team. Grubb holds a mechanical engineering degree from Virginia Tech.
The assignments represent new roles for veterans Chad Knaus and Darian Grubb, along with the return to Hendrick Motorsports of Kevin Meendering. The responsibilities for 2019 include:
• Knaus will become crew chief for William Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team with its respective personnel. He currently leads the No. 48 team of Jimmie Johnson.
• Meendering will become crew chief for Johnson and the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team with its respective personnel. He is currently crew chief of NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff contender Elliott Sadler.
• Grubb will be promoted to technical director, an executive leadership role supporting Hendrick Motorsports’ engineering and vehicle development resources. He is currently crew chief of the No. 24 team with Byron.
"Chad and Jimmie will go down as one of the greatest combinations in sports history," Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick said. "They defied the odds by performing at a championship level for longer than anyone could’ve possibly imagined. What they’ve accomplished together has been absolutely remarkable and will be celebrated for generations. This has been an incredible, storybook run."
Knaus will complete his 17th season as crew chief for Johnson and the No. 48 team, representing the longest-running crew chief-driver relationship in NASCAR. The pair has won a record-tying seven NASCAR Cup championships together and this season competed in the series playoffs for a record 15th time.
Knaus will return to the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team he originally joined 25 years ago. From 1993 to 1998, the Rockford, Illinois, native assumed a variety of duties under the direction of crew chief and mentor Ray Evernham. He oversaw body development and served as a tire changer for the No. 24 team, proving to be an integral part of driver Jeff Gordon’s 1995 and 1997 Cup titles.
Grubb will finish the season as crew chief for the No. 24 team with Byron, who leads the 2018 Cup Series rookie of the year standings. The Floyd, Virginia, native served in a variety of technical roles with Hendrick Motorsports from 2003-2008, including race engineer, engineering manager and crew chief.
After stints at Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing, where he won a Cup title as crew chief for Tony Stewart, Grubb returned to Hendrick Motorsports in January 2016 as vehicle production director. He was promoted to director of competition systems in August 2017 before being named crew chief of the No. 24 team. Grubb holds a mechanical engineering degree from Virginia Tech.
