Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Chad Knaus is about to become a two-time father — and so he doesn’t miss the birth of his second child, Knaus will not travel with the No. 24 team to this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway.
Veteran crew chief Keith Rodden, who last served as full-time crew chief on Kasey Kahne’s No. 5 team, will call the shots atop the pit box.
“Originally, this was going to be a stretch of back-to-back off weekends for us and everything was going to go to plan so I could be home for those two weeks,” Knaus said, according to Hendrick Motorsports. “Unfortunately, we now have two races in one week due to the shift in the schedule from the pandemic. Either way, we still have a great plan in place so that I get to be by (wife) Brooke’s side, and we can welcome our baby girl together.”
Knaus has not missed time atop the pit box since 2007, a string of 464 consecutive races. Most of them were with driver Jimmie Johnson, with whom Knaus spent the vast majority of his career. Knaus has been the crew chief for Byron since the 2019 season.
“We have a lot of depth to pull from in this situation at Hendrick Motorsports, and I know Keith is more than capable of getting the job done,” Knaus said. “I have all the faith that it will be a solid race for him and the No. 24 team.”
Rodden will get the reins in the midst of a playoff battle. With eight races remaining in the regular season, Byron finds himself two points below the cutline for the final spot.
The veteran has called 138 NASCAR Cup Series races as a crew chief, and he led Kahne to victory for Hendrick Motorsports at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2017. Coincidentally, that crown jewel win fell on July 23 – the same date of Thursday night’s race at Kansas Speedway.
“I’m super pumped to get to the track again and help out Chad, William and the No. 24 team,” Rodden said. “Being present for the birth of your child is important, especially in the world we are in now. That’s a moment you don’t want to take for granted. Myself and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports support Chad and his family 100% in whatever they need.”