Inside the Halls of Petty: Three times a crew chief

Hey, Petty fans. This is Bill Wilburn, crew chief of the No. 45 Wells Fargo/Marathon/Tire Kingdom Dodge. Over the past three races I have had the opportunity to work with three outstanding drivers, Chad McCumbee, Kyle Petty and John Andretti.

Chad McCumbee made his Nextel Cup debut at Pocono. John Andretti returned to Petty Enterprises at Michigan. Kyle pulled his driving/broadcasting double-duty at Infineon. (watch video) Each one of these men is dynamic in their own way, but they each like different setups. Some of you may be wondering how a crew chief approaches a rotating lineup of drivers. It takes hard work, but it has made me a better crew chief in the process.

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The most important thing in working with multiple drivers is communication. If there is a breakdown in communication then, more often than not, the wrong adjustments will be made to the car. The teams that are running up front have been together for several seasons. Those crew chiefs almost instinctively know what their drivers need.

Kyle and I are starting to find that because we have been working together for a while now. He is articulate and he paints a picture for me as he is talking.

Chad is a driver that is far beyond his years. He has a very good racing vocabulary and that made it easy to adjust on the car for him. One of my regrets from this year will be that the Pocono 500 didn't go all 200 laps because we were looking at a top-15 finish in his first start. I would have been proud of that.

John, being the veteran racer that he is, keeps his comments short and to the point. He is very clear on what he needs and he gives me enough information for me to do my job.

When you are a crew chief in the Nextel Cup Series, or Busch and Craftsman Truck series for that matter, you tend to have to take on the role of a psychiatrist during the race. Drivers are still people and people are different. There are drivers that need to be constantly assured they are doing a good job.

Some drivers are emotional, but all of them are intense. For example, John is very quiet on the radio and prefers to hear only the voice of his spotter. He is intensely focused on the job at hand. I tend to say very little to him, except under cautions.

Again, a guy like Kyle is really intense behind the wheel. I will work with him differently. As a crew chief you want a driver who has that fire and, believe me, Kyle has it.

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Chad is as cool as they come and very relaxed. I think it comes from his coastal North Carolina roots. He is like a silent assassin. He is mild-mannered, but can get up on the wheel when it's time to go.

I can tell you one thing. These three drivers would not be where they are today without one common thread: talent. No matter who is in the car, it is my job to get the most out of their immense talent. Each of them have won on big superspeedways or small bullrings.

Chad has been racing since he was 10 and has won at almost every level he has competed on in his 12-year career. He is going to have a long career in racing. He is a natural and he is always looking to improve.

Kyle and John have one thing that you can't teach or buy -- that is genetics. The names Petty and Andretti are synonymous with success in auto racing. They have been around the sport their whole lives. Those two have probably forgotten more about racing than many of us will ever know.

Situations like this, you have to be able to adapt to the driver. Some crew chiefs will force the driver to change to fit their style, but I don't think you can do that. I just feel fortunate to be the head wrench for these guys. They have a way of making me look good.

Your versatile crew chief,
Bill Wilburn