Tim O'Brien will fill the vacant lead engineer position for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team in the 2016 season, the team confirmed.
O'Brien worked with Clint Bowyer upon his arrival to Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012 before serving as the lead engineer for the No. 55 MWR team in 2015. His tenure with the Waltrip-owned team followed a seven-season stint with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
The position became available after former No. 88 lead engineer Kevin Meendering left Hendrick Motorsports to crew chief for Elliott Sadler's newly minted JR Motorsports ride in 2016. Meendering served as the No. 88 lead engineer for five seasons before his departure.