Veteran pit boss to serve as crew chief for David Gilliland and the No. 38 team
MORE: Find out who else is on the move in 2015
Donnie Wingo has joined Front Row Motorsports for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season as crew chief for the No. 38 Ford and driver David Gilliland.
Several news organizations reported the news Monday afternoon, and a spokesperson for the Statesville, North Carolina-based team confirmed the reports independently to NASCAR.com.
Wingo, 54, has worked with the venerable Wood Brothers Racing team for the past four seasons, a span that produced his biggest win — the 2011 Daytona 500 with Trevor Bayne at the wheel. Wingo has seven victories during his 25-year tenure as a crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series.
Gilliland tweeted his excitement over the news on Monday afternoon.
Super excited to have @donniewingo for my crew chief. Going to be a great addition to @FrontRowNASCAR #cantwait
— David Gilliland (@DavidGilliland) January 5, 2015
Gilliland, 38, worked with crew chief Frank Kerr for the first 30 races last year, then closed out 2014 with Jay Guy atop the pit box. Gilliland, a teammate to David Ragan on the Bob Jenkins-owned Front Row team, wound up 30th in the final Sprint Cup standings with a best finish of 17th place at Pocono Raceway in August.
Gilliland, who joined the Sprint Cup circuit in 2006, spent the holidays driving cross-country to his home state of California. On social media, he has documented visits to at least 20 Love’s Travel Stops — one of his primary sponsors — along the way.
As previously announced, Wingo will be replaced by Jeremy Bullins as crew chief for the Wood Brothers’ famed No. 21 Ford and the team’s new driver, Ryan Blaney. Last season, Bullins helped guide the Team Penske No. 22 to six victories and the team owner championship in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, now the XFINITY Series.