Penkse tabs Addington as crew chief for Busch, 2 car

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Steve Addington will serve as crew chief for Kurt Busch's No. 2 Dodge team in the Sprint Cup Series, Penske Racing announced Monday.

Addington, 45, most recently worked as crew chief for Kurt's brother, Kyle, at Joe Gibbs Racing. Kyle Busch and Addington combined for 12 Cup Series wins the past two seasons.

Addington

Kurt Busch, with crew chief Pat Tryson, finished fourth in the series standings in 2009. Tryson announced before the end of the season plans to move to the Michael Waltrip Racing team of Martin Truex Jr. next season.

"Steve Addington has a proven track record of success in NASCAR, and we are excited to welcome him to Penske Racing," team owner Roger Penske said.

Addington first became a Cup crew chief in 2005 at JGR. He paired with Kyle Busch in 2008, and Busch won eight races and qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as the No. 1 seed. The No. 18 team struggled in the Chase, however, and Busch finished 10th. The two parted ways before the end of the 2009 season after Busch failed to make the Chase.

Addington is excited about the opportunity to work with Kurt Busch, who won the 2004 championship, the first under the Chase format.

"This a championship-caliber team with a great driver," Addington said, "and with the resources and experience at Penske Racing, we have the opportunity to add to the team's success starting next season."

Kurt Busch won two races and posted 10 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s in 2009. It was Busch's best season since 2004.

"We're coming off a strong season, but I know we can be even better in 2010," Busch said. "With Steve on board, I am confident we can build on the momentum from 2009 and compete for wins and the series title in the Miller Lite Dodge."