Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing officials have announced that Dave Winston will serve as crew chief for the organization’s No. 95 Chevrolet team and driver Michael McDowell in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series for 2016.
A former race engineer, Winston served as crew chief for Alex Bowman at BK Racing in 2014. His 15-year career in NASCAR has included stops at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Team Penske, Red Bull Racing and Roush Fenway Racing.
“Dave is a perfect fit for our team, having worked at both large and small organizations,” CSLFR’s Bob Leavine said. “He understands the budget constraints of a small team but knows what is required to make the team more competitive.
“I really like his engineering background as that is a key factor in our alliance with (Richard Childress Racing).”
The group also announced the promotion of marketing director Jeremy Lange to Vice President of Operations.
Circle Sport, owned by Joe Falk, and Leavine Family Racing, owned by Bob Leavine, merged during the ’15 offseason. The 2016 season will be the first full-time effort for the former Leavine Family Racing organization.
Circle Sport fielded the No. 33 Chevrolet in all 36 races this past season with a variety of drivers behind the wheel.
McDowell made 16 starts last year for the LFR team, which previously fielded Ford entries.