On the job training: Mike Skarbowski settles into crew chief role at RFK

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Mike Skarbowski began his week with an emergency meeting with Brad Keselowski and RFK Racing competition director Josh Sell. By the end, he was appointed interim crew chief of the No. 6 team, starting at Kansas Speedway. “I sat down in Josh’s office with Brad and he said, ‘You’re in,’” Skarbowski recalled to NASCAR.com on Friday. “And so here we are. It was definitely a thrash of a week, but luckily, it’s a solid team. They have been doing it for 29 weeks this year so far as a team together, and most of the guys have been together for five-plus years and have 10, 15 years of experience in this sport. “It was easy to rely on those guys to handle the jobs that they need to do.” RELATED: Cup Series standings | Kansas weekend schedule RFK Racing announced on Monday that the organization and longtime crew chief Jeremy Bullins would split immediately. Bullins joined RFK ahead of the 2025 season to pair with Keselowski after spending 2020 and 2021 together at Team Penske. Legacy Motor Club confirmed Wednesday that it signed Bullins to lead Riley Herbst and the No. 84 crew in 2027. “We’re excited for Jeremy and his family as he embarks on a new opportunity,” RFK Racing said in a statement. “Jeremy has been a terrific teammate, leader and vital member of our competition think tank. Not only has he been a trusted voice with the No. 6 team, but he’s also brought great value to the garage in sharing strategic insights and historical perspective as we’ve crafted a shared vision for RFK Racing’s on-track success.” Enter Skarbowski. Before spending the past year with RFK Racing, Skarbowski, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a mechanical engineering degree, served as the lead engineer for Ross Chastain’s No. 1 team beginning in 2022. In his first season with Trackhouse Racing, the Pennsylvania native helped the second-year organization make a stunning run to the Championship 4, ultimately finishing runner-up to Joey Logano in the championship battle. Skarbowski was hired last October as the race support manager for RFK. He was tasked with overseeing fellow engineers. He considers that gig a natural transition to be a crew chief, where he helped prepare all three teams and work directly with them on strategy throughout race weekends. When RFK debuted a fourth entry to attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 with Corey LaJoie in February, Skarbowski was called in to serve as crew chief. The No. 99 Ford was involved in an overtime crash in the first America 250 Florida Duel race and failed to qualify for the “Great American Race.” “Looking ahead, I am also excited about Mike Skarbowski stepping into this role,” Keselowski said in a team statement. “Mike was previously RFK’s race support manager and crew chief of the No. 99 car at Daytona in February. We believe in him, and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.” Skarbowski grew up racing quarter midgets and asphalt modified around Allentown, Pennsylvania. Once deciding to move South and further his career, his goal was to eventually become a crew chief. Now at 35 years old, he’s among the youngest leaders in the Cup garage, taking over for the 2012 Cup champion. “I just get the thrill of going to battle with a group of people – a team – and being competitive and competing for wins,” Skarbowski noted, defiantly. “Being able to lead that, guide the ship and make strategic decisions with individuals is something I enjoy. “Racing at the pinnacle at motorsports in North America in the Cup Series is something I always dreamed of.” RFK has been in full-court press mode to give Skarbowski the tools he needs to hit the ground running. He’s spent much of the week buried in computer screens, with plenty of helping hands from throughout the organization. Skarbowski said: “So many people are very talented at RFK. Had a lot of managers from each group reaching out asking how they can help, which speaks to the culture and testament of what Brad and everyone at RFK is building in the shop.” The immediate goal is to help the No. 6 team end its season on a high note. While Keselowski’s average finish is a smidge better year over year by 0.1 positions, he has seven fewer top 10 finishes compared to 2025. He has just two top 10s in the last 20 races, though, dating back to Talladega Superspeedway in late April. Consider this an audition for Skarbowski, who will officially make his crew chiefing debut in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). “Just taking it one day at a time,” he stated. “First things first, we need to have fast race cars for the rest of the year and we will see where those conversations go.”