Meet the 16 crew chiefs in the 2016 Chase

By | Published: September 7, 2016 17

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When drivers win, sometimes we forget the people who helped get them to Victory Lane. No one plays a greater role in a driver's success than the crew chief -- they make the calls on when to pit, how to adjust cars and talk drivers through strategy

We take a look at the crew chiefs of the 16 drivers in the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Here is a photo of Steve Letarte from 2007 when he was crew chief for Jeff Gordon atop the pit box.

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Adam Stevens

Driver: Kyle Busch
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 61
Number of races with driver: 50
Sprint Cup wins: 9
Previous Chase appearances: 1
Titles: 1

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Paul Wolfe

Driver: Brad Keselowski
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 203
Number of races with driver: 203
Sprint Cup wins: 20
Previous Chase appearances: 4
Titles: 1

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Michael Wheeler

Driver: Denny Hamlin
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 32
Number of races with driver: 32
Sprint Cup wins: 3
Previous Chase appearances: 0
Titles: 0

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Rodney Childers

Driver: Kevin Harvick
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 385
Number of races with driver: 97
Sprint Cup wins: 13
Previous Chase appearances: 2
Titles: 1

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Dave Rogers

Driver: Carl Edwards
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 256
Number of races with driver: 26
Sprint Cup wins: 17
Previous Chase appearances: 5
Titles: 0

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Cole Pearn

Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 61
Number of races with driver: 61
Sprint Cup wins: 3
Previous Chase appearances: 1
Titles: 0

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Jason Ratcliff

Driver: Matt Kenseth
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 171
Number of races with driver: 131
Sprint Cup wins: 14
Previous Chase appearances: 3
Titles: 0

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Chad Knaus

Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 557
Number of races with driver: 522
Sprint Cup wins: 75
Previous Chase appearances: 12
Titles: 6

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Todd Gordon

Driver: Joey Logano
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 167
Number of races with driver: 131
Sprint Cup wins: 13
Previous Chase appearances: 3
Titles: 0

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Chad Johnston

Driver: Kyle Larson
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 186
Number of races with driver: 25
Sprint Cup wins: 2
Previous Chase appearances: 1
Titles: 0

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Mike Bugarewicz

Driver: Tony Stewart
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 26
Number of races with driver: 18
Sprint Cup wins: 1
Previous Chase appearances: 0
Titles: 0

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Tony Gibson

Driver: Kurt Busch
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 395
Number of races with driver: 61
Sprint Cup wins: 5
Previous Chase appearances: 3
Titles: 0

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Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

Bob Osborne

Driver: Chris Buescher
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 359
Number of races with driver: 26
Sprint Cup wins: 19
Previous Chase appearances: 6
Titles: 0

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Alan Gustafson

Driver: Chase Elliott
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 422
Number of races with driver: 26
Sprint Cup wins: 20
Previous Chase appearances: 8
Titles: 0

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Richard 'Slugger' Labbe

Driver: Austin Dillon
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 480
Number of races with driver: 47
Sprint Cup wins: 5
Previous Chase appearances: 1
Titles: 0

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Matt McCall

Driver: Jamie McMurray
Career Sprint Cup races as crew chief: 63
Number of races with driver: 62
Sprint Cup wins: 0
Previous Chase appearances: 1
Titles: 0