From his first race as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief at the ripe age of 18, Tim Brewer was destined for greatness. The Winston-Salem native joined Richard Childress Racing as one of the youngest crew chiefs in the sport’s history and immediately guided Childress to his first career top-10 finish.
But it was Brewer’s subsequent partnership with NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson that thrust him into the spotlight. Upon joining Johnson’s team, Brewer led Hall of Famers Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip to 32 wins during a magical four-year stretch, bookended by two championships (1978 with Yarborough, ’81 with Waltrip).
He was painfully close to two other Cup championships, losing by 16 points in ’80 and 10 points with Bill Elliott in the famous ’92 finale. Over his 30-year career, Brewer racked up 53 victories — including two Southern 500s — and 55 poles. Following his crew chief career, Brewer spent time as a technical analyst for ESPN race broadcasts.
TIM BREWER BIO
Born: Feb. 4, 1955
Hometown: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Championships (2): Cup-1978, ’81(crew chief)
Cup Series Crew Chief Stats
Competed: 1973-2004
Wins: 53
Poles: 55
Years on Ballot: 4