The job advertisement should read something like this: Wanted, whiz mechanic to build cars and call races at NASCAR's highest level. Must be well-versed in communication skills, able to withstand crushing expectations, and know how to deal with often petulant drivers. Must be willing to risk fines of $10,000 or more from the sanctioning body, block out a sometimes irrational fan base that wants you fired at the slightest hint of a slump, and watch someone else get all the glory when the job is done right. Must be available to work weekends.

Bless the crew chief. There's not a more thankless job in NASCAR, as the recent saga surrounding Tony Eury Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports will readily attest. Drivers, with their throngs of devoted, blindly loyal fans, can often do no wrong. They struggle, and the reason has to lie somewhere else: in the cars, in the setup, in the pit crew or the man on top of the box. Drivers are paid much too well to be shuffled around like interchangeable parts. Crew chiefs have no such luxury. These days, there may be one -- Chad Knaus, the mechanical ace behind Jimmie Johnson's three consecutive titles -- who can be considered bulletproof. Everyone else looks at Eury, reassigned to a research and development job, and knows they could one day suffer the same fate.

Within a span of weeks or months, they can go from the smartest man in the series to the most ridiculed. Fans were lauding Eury's ability just one year ago, when he had Dale Earnhardt Jr. inside the top three in Sprint Cup points, and seemed to have the new chassis figured out better than anyone else at Hendrick. A few months later, they were ready to storm his office carrying torches and pitchforks. Steve Addington was once blamed for ruining Bobby Labonte's career, and yet Kyle Busch's success shows the man still knows how to set up a car. Steve Letarte has been through the cycle twice. In 2007, he was the young genius who helped Jeff Gordon enjoy one of his best seasons. In 2008, he was the reason Gordon couldn't win. Now that Gordon's skid is behind him and he's back in championship contention again, the folks with 24 flags fluttering from their car windows have granted Letarte something of a reprieve. (Continued)