RELATED: Joey Logano reveals he and wife Brittany are expecting a boy
So far no epic burnout to celebrate the birth of his son, akin to the announcement that Joey and Brittany Logano were expecting a boy, but the joy over his arrival is magnificent.
God gave us a little miracle last night!!! pic.twitter.com/YyPNZy7Ox7
— Joey Logano (@joeylogano) January 5, 2018
Congratulations to the couple on their first child.
Editor’s note: This is the third of three stories on 2018 breakout candidates. Camping World Truck Series breakout candidates can be read here; Xfinity Series breakout candidates can be found here.
Utilizing statistics accrued during the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, we can project future performance and identify five drivers likely to enjoy breakout campaigns in 2018:
Chase Elliott
Though he missed out on chances to win late in the year at Dover, Martinsville and Phoenix, Elliott’s popularity soared. In 2018, his on-track accolades might finally catch up to his burgeoning fan base.
Elliott was a top-5 position defender from both the preferred and non-preferred grooves on restarts. He ranked as the second most efficient passer across all track types, with a plus-3.11 percent surplus passing value trailing only that of Jimmie Johnson (plus-3.78 percent). This netted Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports team 172 positions beyond what was expected from his average running position, which improved along with his speed during the playoffs.
Hendrick teams across the board operated with a speed deficit during the first 26 races, but Elliott’s car ranked as the third fastest in the playoffs, per timing and scoring data supplied to NASCAR.com, up from sixth across all regular season races. Unclear is how teams under the Chevrolet banner will perform with the new Camaro body making its debut in 2018, but Elliott’s team, led by crew chief Alan Gustafson, can hedge with effective pit strategy. Gustafson’s crew retained Elliott’s running position on 67.39 percent of green-flag pit cycles and on 61.11 percent of green-flag stops when running inside the top 5. Both are rates above the series average.
Erik Jones
No, Jones didn’t win a race or qualify into the playoffs despite driving for Furniture Row Racing, but his passing ability on intermediate tracks suggests an immediate future rich in victories. In the 11 races on intermediates, Jones scored an additional 140 positions more than expected from his average running position, an average of 11.2 spots per 400 miles. That was the second highest rate in the Cup Series this season and over 13 positions per race better than the most effective 1.5-mile passer in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable, for which he is now a part.
Crew chief Chris Gayle moves with Jones from Furniture Row to JGR and is a year wiser following a rookie foray of his own. His pit strategy output from Year 1 as a Cup Series race-caller needs improving. Gayle defended Jones’s running position on 48.78 percent of green-flag pit cycles (the series average was 63.58) and 16.67 percent of green-flag pit cycles from a top-5 running positions (series average was 40.41) for a 44-position loss despite Jones never earning a single pit road penalty under green all year.
A little natural improvement in 2018 would go a long way for Jones and Gayle.
Clint Bowyer
The perception of Bowyer’s first year at Stewart-Haas Racing was it proved to be underwhelming. He didn’t win and he missed the playoffs. There were, however, things to like about his 2017 campaign and a forthcoming career mile marker that should excite.
Bowyer ranked ninth in Production in Equal Equipment Rating, a measure of a driver’s results independent of his team and car, and eighth in surplus passing value for a Stewart-Haas team that ranked just 15th in average green-flag speed for the entire season. Bowyer and crew chief Mike Bugarewicz created a niche for themselves during the summer; they produced the third-fastest car on 2-mile, non-drafting tracks. Considering most playoff teams deemphasize R&D for races at facilities like Michigan and Pocono, this track type marks an opportunity for Bowyer to win in 2018, locking down an elusive playoff spot.
Additionally, Bowyer soon hits upon a magic moment in a driver’s life. He turns 39 in May, which is the peak age for an average Cup Series driver according to a 2014 Motorsports Analytics study.
Ryan Blaney
Despite Blaney’s win at Pocono and respectable playoff showing, he underachieved as a whole in 2017 considering the gap in his average running whereabouts and tangible race results. He completed 64 percent of his laps inside the top 15—creating an expectation of 23 top-15 finishes—but fell six short of the projection. A chief reason for the disparity is his 2.4-position average loss during the final tenth of each race, the biggest positional drop in the series during that time frame. If he eradicates the late-race drops, he’s poised for some robust stat line improvement.
Blaney established himself as an elite restarter during his final year with Wood Brothers Racing. He ranked as the third best preferred groove restarter, based on his 86.05 percent position rate, and the third best non-preferred groove restarter, protecting his position at a 63.54 percent clip. He netted 47 total positions in restarts from inside the first seven rows.
Aric Almirola
One could argue that regression is on the horizon for Almirola after he overachieved in a season truncated by injury. Based on his 13.8 percent of completed laps inside the top 15, he was expected to score four top-15 results; he actually corralled 10 such finishes. That’d be a difficult trick for any driver to replicate.
Almirola moves from Richard Petty Motorsports to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2017, where drivers like Bowyer and Kurt Busch had no problem finishing inside the top 15, doing so 23 and 18 times, respectively. Almirola might not overachieve to the same extent, but it is not necessary. His stat line will swell based on the simple change of scenery.
David Smith is the Founder of MotorsportsAnalytics.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DavidSmithMA.
RELATED: Jones moves to JGR for 2018 | New looks for 2018
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announces today that Menards home improvement stores along with several of their best vendor partners will be the primary sponsor for Brandon Jones for 10 races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2018. The No. 19 Menards Toyota Camry will display one partner-specific brand on the hood of the racecar for each of the Menards races.
The Menards partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) follows the recent announcement that Jones will run full-time for JGR in 2018. Menards joins other JGR sponsors of the No. 19 Toyota Camry and Jones who will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
“We are excited to once again sponsor Brandon Jones in the NASCAR Xfinity Series,” stated Jeff Abbott, Menards, Promotions Manager/Spokesperson. “Brandon is a nice young man who has been a great ambassador for Menards, plus he has a really bright future as a race car driver.”
Menards has been involved with NASCAR since 2001 and has supported a wide variety of racing ventures for several years. Currently, Menards is the title sponsor of the ARCA Racing Series as well as sponsoring entries in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck, Xfinity, and Monster Energy Cup Series and in the Verizon Indy Car Series. Menards is a family-owned company that started in 1958 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, which remains Menards headquarters today. Menards has grown to be a highly innovative home improvement industry leader totally dedicated to delivering superior customer service in sparkling, modern, well-stocked stores.
“We’re thrilled to have Menards partner with us and Brandon Jones,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “They’ve been involved in the racing industry for a long time and are a great American success story having grown a small family run business to become a leader in their industry.”
“I am very excited and proud to be a partner with a great sponsor like Menards,” states Brandon Jones. “Having Menards on my No. 19 Toyota Camry and racing for Joe Gibbs Racing is huge for our team and our run for a championship in 2018.”
MORE: @nascarcasm and @steveluvender come up with retirement gift for Dale
The holiday season concluded several days ago, but the greatest gift had yet to be given.
We are pleased to announce that our reader-selected retirement gift for Dale Earnhardt Jr. — a dapper Washington Redskins blazer, initially suggested by Twitter user @_F1yer_ — has reached our best friend Dale, just in time for the playoffs! OK, that was mean, sorry.
You may notice that the blazer fits impeccably, hugging Dale’s frame perfectly, just like his bicycle shorts. You’d be hard pressed to put on more ritz that this. We figured that this jacket can be the start of his broadcast wardrobe, as he prepares to make the move to NASCAR on NBC in 2018. Finally, something on a NASCAR broadcast that is louder than the roar of the engines.
Best gift ever! @steveluvender @nascarcasm https://t.co/aR3wO2NAvy
— Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) January 4, 2018
We are especially pleased that Amy Earnhardt seems to LOVE the blazer. We can only assume that in the near future, after the birth of their first child, in every family photo, Christmas card picture, etc. Dale will be wearing this versatile blazer. Amy, should you wish for a matching one, please to not hesitate to DM us.
RELATED: Track gifts for Earnhardt Jr.
The opening of said gift was even recorded and posted to the Twitter. WARNING: do not watch without a box of tissues nearby. The waterworks will inevitably turn on. We challenge any lame-ass unboxing video on YouTube to TOP THIS:
Here @DaleJr reads the heartfelt letter from @nascarcasm and @steveluvender and tries on a retirement gift from the #NASCAR.com team — a horrendously awesome @Redskins sport coat. pic.twitter.com/urN5y45wQe
— Mike Davis (@MikeDavis88) January 4, 2018
Our only suggestion — keep this magnificent piece of apparel somewhere safe. First off, Gus could attempt to rip it to shreds. Secondly, Amy may or may not attempt to bury it somewhere on your property, possibly back behind the Old West town, and by the time you realize it’s gone, it will be too late.
So once again, happy retirement. Welcome to the realm of high fashion.
Regards,
@SteveLuvender & @NASCARCASM
RELATED: Byron, Bell celebrated at awards | Start times set for 2018
It’s said that the sequel always has a hard time living up to the original. JR Motorsports is about to test that theory, albeit with one change.
For the 2017 season, JR Motorsports was the class of the NASCAR Xfinity Series placing all four of its drivers – Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier, William Byron and Michael Annett – in the playoffs. Sadler, Allgaier and Byron reached the Championship 4 with Byron besting Sadler for the championship.
A fourth runner-up finish in the Xfinity Series standings was particularly “hard to swallow” for Sadler.
“Homestead hurt,” Sadler said at last month’s NASCAR Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series Awards. “It’ll be good … that we can get refreshed and re-energized and start from scratch as we head into Daytona,”
Allgaier finished third in the standings for the second straight year. The 31-year-old Illinois native scored his first series wins since 2012 with victories at Phoenix and Chicago.
RELATED: Recap Allgaier’s 2017 season
“I was very pleased with where JR Motorsports was at in 2017,” Allgaier said. “Very rarely do you put all the pieces of the puzzle into place that put you in a situation to do what we did. To have 75 percent of the field for the Championship 4 as JR Motorsports competitors is crazy.”
Now, the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-co-owned organization looks to replicate or better that feat, although the team will have a driver change with Byron moving up to Hendrick Motorsports and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Tyler Reddick comes into the fold to fill the seat vacated by the 2017 Xfinity Series champ. Sadler, Allgaier and Annett all return for 2018.
Reddick’s Xfinity experience in 2017 driving the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in a part-time capacity – he won at Kentucky in September and notched poles in his final two starts – should help minimize any potential learning curve.
RELATED: Reddick wins at Kentucky | Reddick to join JRM in 2018
“I think Tyler will incorporate very seamlessly,” Allgaier said. “Tyler’s a great guy but he’s also a great competitor. To win this year at Kentucky for him and to see the success he had with the Chip Ganassi Racing team, I think he’s a great addition. He fits in really well with all of our guys that are there. … He’s somebody I can lean on because we have a lot of the same background and a lot of the same experiences and I think it’s going to be fun.”
Sadler echoed Allgaier’s thoughts, but acknowledged that given his UNC basketball fandom, Reddick’s last name made him think of former Duke basketball standout and current NBA player J.J. Redick.
“He definitely seems to have a good attitude and wants to do it, so I honestly think Tyler’s going to fit in just fine,” Sadler said. “I’ve already talked to him and said, ‘Look, man. If I call you J.J., I’m sorry.’ He’s like, ‘What?’ I’m like, ‘J.J. Redick. When I hear the name Reddick, that’s all I can think about it is J.J. Redick. So look, if we’re in the heat of battle or conversation talking about a race and I say J.J., it’s not a … I’m not cussing you. I’m just thinking, that’s being a Carolina fan. That’s what I think of when I hear Reddick.’ “
RELATED: Driver, crew chief changes for 2018
A list of full-time drivers and their rides in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for the 2018 season (This will be updated as drivers are announced for 2018):
*-indicates a change from the 2017 season
| Car No. | Driver | Team | Notable |
| 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Has made playoffs three straight seasons. |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Reached Championship 4 for first time in ’17. |
| 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Scored first win, made playoffs for second year in a row. |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Reached Championship 4 for third time in four seasons. |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne/Matt Kenseth* | Roush Fenway Racing | Kenseth’s return makes this a split for him and Bayne. |
| 9* | Chase Elliott* | Hendrick Motorsports | Strong end to sophomore season; first win is close. |
| 10 | Aric Almirola* | Stewart-Haas Racing | New team could yield big dividends for Florida native. |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Led most laps since ’12; won in every full-time season. |
| 12* | Ryan Blaney* | Team Penske* | Driving third Penske car after breakthrough ’17 season. |
| 13 | Ty Dillon | Germain Racing | New crew chief in Matt Borland for second-year driver. |
| 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Big bounce back in ’17, but winless drought at 185 races. |
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Two wins at plate tracks a sign of more to come. |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Runner-up had career-best in poles, over 2,000 laps led. |
| 19 | Daniel Suarez | Joe Gibbs Racing | Posted eight of 12 top 10s in second half of season. |
| 20 | Erik Jones* | Joe Gibbs Racing | Sunoco Rookie winner steps into Matt Kenseth’s seat. |
| 21 | Paul Menard* | Wood Brothers Racing | Veteran moves from one legendary race team to another. |
| 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Missed postseason for first time with ‘The Captain.’ |
| 24 | William Byron* | Hendrick Motorsports | Rookie’s quick climb continues, eyes Sunoco sweep. |
| 31 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Veteran snapped 127-race winless streak at Phoenix. |
| 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | Go Fas Racing | Social media favorite returns for second year at Go Fas. |
| 34 | Michael McDowell* | Front Row Motorsports | Career-best average finish in first full-time season. |
| 37 | Chris Buescher | JTG Daugherty Racing | Career-best in top 10s, average finish for new team. |
| 38 | David Ragan | Front Row Motorsports | Veteran driver just two starts from 400 in top series. |
| 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Daytona 500 winner has new crew chief in Billy Scott. |
| 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Four wins in ’17 a springboard for bigger things in ’18. |
| 43 | Darrell Wallace Jr.* | Richard Petty Motorsports | Rookie steps into ‘The King’s’ ride with Chevrolet. |
| 47 | AJ Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Road course ace has made 145 consecutive starts. |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | ‘Seven-Time’ at 83 wins, closing in on Waltrip, Allison. |
| 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Champ eyes repeat after eight-win, 2,253-laps-led season. |
| 88 | Alex Bowman* | Hendrick Motorsports | Young driver fills Dale Jr.’s seat after fill-in success in ’16. |
| 95 | Kasey Kahne* | Leavine Family Racing | Got back to Victory Lane in ’17; takes over for McDowell. |
MORE: NASCAR Next info | Deegan named to NASCAR Next class
Who’s got next?
That’d be Hailie Deegan, the youngest driver and only female of the current NASCAR Next class, named Wednesday to drive the No. 19 Mobil 1/NAPA Power Premium Plus Toyota Camry full-time for K&N Pro Series West powerhouse team Bill McAnally Racing.
The 16-year-old from Temecula, California will challenge for the Rookie of the Year Award and overall title as she runs the full 15-race schedule in the West division of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, while also racing in select events in the East division.
Deegan joins BMR on the heels of the organization’s third straight series title and second straight with fellow Toyota development driver Todd Gilliland. The reigning champ will move up to join Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series for the 2018 season.
The announcement came after BMR hosted an audition of sorts in late 2017 in which Deegan’s talent shone brightly.
“Back a couple months ago, I did a test with BMR that Toyota set up and a couple girls went out there and a couple boys, too,” Deegan told NASCAR.com. “We just kind of drove the K&N cars out there and I ended up doing really well so Toyota put together a great deal for me for K&N for BMR. I’m really excited about it.
“It didn’t feel like an audition at the moment, but then a week later, I realized it was. But when I was there I thought they just wanted to practice since we’re out there but it ended up being like an audition and I ended up getting picked for it, which is really cool. That was a nice little confidence booster.”
Deegan, who began racing off-road trucks at the age of 8, has racing in her blood. The daughter of the most decorated freestyle motocross rider in history and an off-road champion himself in Brian Deegan, the up-and-comer has wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps for most of her life.
“I think (my dad) has been a pro to the whole situation of being a girl in racing and knowing the racing world,” she said. “There’s not too many girl racers out there, let alone girls who want to race or have dads who race. Kind of a total package thing where I get a lot of help from my dad. He’s been in the stock car racing world before.”
Deegan raced a full season of off-road trucks in 2017 — including four podium finishes — and added a handful of late model and super late model races to her plate as well. She had a pair of starts in the CARS Super Late Model Tour, with a best finish of 11th at Tri-County Motor Speedway.
With the path Toyota development stars have been paving over the past few years (see: Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Christopher Bell, etc.), Deegan is hopeful to establish herself as the next rising driver to create a buzz.
It all starts with what she’s capable of on the track.
“I just want to be able to run up front. I’m definitely with the best team out there, hands down, with BMR and just the whole crew and everyone around me. I’m going to put in a lot of practice time, a lot of testing just to get seat time,” Deegan said. “That’s really critical for me right now. I just want to be able to run up front to show people that I can run up front.
“For sure (stock car racing is where I see my future). That’s where I’m pushing towards. I know it’s going to be a lot of work, but me and my family are really excited to do it.”
RELATED: Start times for 2018 Xfinity Series schedule set
Editor’s note: This is the second of three stories on 2018 breakout candidates. Camping World Truck Series breakout candidates can be read here; Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series breakout candidates can be read here.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series lost its champion with William Byron graduating to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but a handful of young drivers are poised to take his place. Using statistics compiled in 2017 to project performance in 2018, here is a list of likely breakthrough competitors for the upcoming season:
Reddick, a three-time winner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, gets a crack at full-time Xfinity Series racing, taking the reins of the very JR Motorsports entry that captured the series championship with Byron.
Last season, Reddick made 18 starts behind the wheel of a Chip Ganassi Racing entry he shared with Monster Energy Series regular Kyle Larson. The difference in performance was noticeable. Reddick’s 16.7-place average finish was 10 positions worse than Larson’s (6.1). Reddick eventually scored a win at Kentucky, but overall, his results left a lot to be desired.
His peripheral numbers provide optimism. Among drivers with 10 or more starts, Reddick ranked 12th in restart position retention from the preferred groove– seventh with Cup drivers omitted — defending his running spot on 82.93 percent of restarts. Races with more restarts were advantageous for him. He averaged a 21.75-place finish in events with less than seven restarts; his average result in races with nine or more was 9.5.
His passing outside the restart window proved effective on the larger tracks — 1.5-mile intermediates, where he earned an adjusted pass differential 19 positions more than expected from driver with his average running position, and the 2-mile, non-drafting tracks where his plus-9.04 percent surplus passing value ranked third among front-runners, trailing only Joey Logano (plus-11.65 percent) and Larson (plus-11.39).
An Xfinity Series rookie in 2017, Hemric acclimated to the higher level of competition in the second half of the season when his 8.73-place average finish was more than seven positions better than his first-half average (15.88). He was one of two rookies to qualify into the Championship 4 and, unlike fellow rookie and eventual champion Byron, he remains in the series in 2018.
Without the need for assimilation, Hemric appears capable of a concentrated bid for the series championship. His passing could act as the foundation to a potential title march. He ranked as the best passer among series regulars on the intermediates of Atlanta, Charlotte and Texas, where he bagged 35 positions beyond the expectation of his average running position. He was also a plus passer on tracks 1 to 1.49 miles in length.
His crash rate of 0.21 times per race was exactly the series average among drivers with six or more starts, and that’s a good thing considering an average young driver’s penchant for crashing. A 2017 Motorsports Analytics study proves a driver’s crash rate dissipates the older he/she gets, meaning Hemric projects as a cleaner driver moving forward.
Among playoff participants, Custer’s No. 00 was the fastest car, per timing and scoring data supplied to NASCAR.com, in the final seven races of 2017 and at 1.5-mile intermediate tracks all season. If that speed carries into the new season — it’s unclear what the pending merger of Biagi-DenBeste Racing and the Xfinity operation of Stewart-Haas Racing means for the on-track product– Custer will threaten to dominate races in the manner he did during the season finale at Homestead.
It takes talent to go fast in a race car, so Custer’s effort shouldn’t be taken lightly, but his peripheral numbers looked as if they belonged to a rookie. His minus-6.83 percent surplus passing value ranked as the second worst among series regulars and led to an adjusted pass differential 253 positions worse than expected. The restart window proved troublesome. He suffered a net loss of 131 positions, retaining his position far less often than the series average.
Another season in the Xfinity Series means another year of possible growth, and for Custer that is an opportunity to hone his skill set when clean air eludes him.
In a miniscule eight-race sample size, Bell looked every bit the part of a future Xfinity Series title contender. The 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion receives the full-time promotion to Xfinity in 2018 and at his disposal is a reliable race-winning car from the Joe Gibbs Racing stable.
Bell ranked as the 12th most efficient passer, among front-running drivers, across all track types and ranked second and third, respectively, on short tracks and high-banked intermediates, a combination on which he scored a 70-position surplus pass differential, a heavy takeaway from traffic in just four races.
In 20 restart attempts from the preferred groove, he retained his running position 95 percent of the time for a gain of 18 positions, a positive sign for a driver who projects to be in clean air the majority of the time in what is perennially one of the series’ fastest cars.
Briscoe’s exploits in the Truck Series flew below the radar and culminated in a win in the season’s final race. The 23-year-old driver was an effective restarter all year, retaining his running position 80 percent of the time from the preferred groove for a gain of 47 spots, the third highest total behind Ryan Truex (66) and John Hunter Nemechek (57). Additionally, he was a plus passer across all track types, a pleasant designation for a rookie regardless of series strength.
In 2018, he’ll be part of a driving triumvirate in the iconic No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing car alongside Ty Majeski and Austin Cindric. In Briscoe’s starts, restarts could prove bountiful as he represents something Roush Fenway’s Xfinity program did not have in 2017: an above average restarter from the non-preferred groove, where Briscoe was one of the 10 best position defenders in the Truck Series.
David Smith is the Founder of MotorsportsAnalytics.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DavidSmithMA.
Chip Ganassi Racing announced today that long-time racing executive Doug Duchardt has been named Chief Operating Officer of the corporation. Duchardt begins the role effective immediately in preparation for the upcoming 2018 seasons while Max Jones is promoted to Managing Director of the team’s NASCAR Operation joining Mike Hull, Managing Director of the team’s INDYCAR and IMSA Operations.
Additionally, a newly formed Corporate Office will include Team Owner and CEO Chip Ganassi, President Steve Lauletta, COO Duchardt, CFO Chuck Gottschalk and Vice President of Human Resources Rob Wilder. The Corporate Office will oversee all of CGR’s racing and commercial activities globally.
Duchardt will work closely with Managing Directors Max Jones and Mike Hull and team President Steve Lauletta to increase collaboration, performance and growth across all of CGR’s worldwide racing activities.
“We are all so pleased to get someone with both Doug’s racing credentials and his business acumen,” said Ganassi. “He has a lot of racing championships under his belt and a strong track record for running successful businesses and has the respect of the racing industry. Doug will be a great addition to help lead what I think is already a very good group of people.”
Duchardt brings a championship pedigree with him as he was most recently executive vice president and general manager at Hendrick Motorsports (HMS). He spent over 12 years at HMS where he directed all racing operations for a NASCAR team that fields four cars in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS). Under his watch, the team won seven MENCS Championships including a run of six consecutive from 2006-11.
“I am excited to become a part of Chip Ganassi Racing,” said Duchardt. “I, along with the rest of the industry have always admired Chip and what he does across so many forms of racing. What has been especially impressive of late has been the turnaround they have made in their NASCAR operation. I am also looking forward to competing in INDYCAR and IMSA once again. Along with Felix Sabates and Rob Kauffman, Chip has assembled a group of championship caliber people on each of his teams that I am looking forward to working with and helping them achieve even more success both on and off the track.”
Prior to HMS, the Morton, Illinois native spent over 20 years with General Motors where he most recently managed their entire North American motor sports initiatives with relationships in NASCAR, INDYCAR, NHRA, IMSA and SCCA.
He is a graduate of Missouri University of Science and Technology with a mechanical engineering degree. He earned a master’s degree in engineering from Purdue University. Most recently he completed his Advanced Certificate for Executives at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management.
Duchardt resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife Pam and has three children, Jackson, Hannah and Matthew.
RELATED: SHR sets driver-crew chief lineup | Key moments for SHR | Recapping 2017 for SHR
With the calendar turning to 2018, Stewart-Haas Racing is raising the flag — literally — on its 10th anniversary as a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series organization.
Tony Stewart and Gene Haas joined forces in 2009 as Stewart moved to the organization following a successful and two-time championship-winning reign behind the wheel for Joe Gibbs Racing. Since that time, SHR has won 39 races and two driver championships in the sport’s top series with Stewart (in 2011) and Kevin Harvick (in 2014).
After raising a glass to the New Year, we raise a new flag to commemorate Stewart-Haas Racing’s 10th anniversary. Join us in the celebration throughout the 2018 #NASCAR season. #SHRacing10Yrs pic.twitter.com/C3gcoMnx8Q
— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) January 2, 2018
Last season, the organization made the move to Ford as a manufacturer and won its first Daytona 500 with Kurt Busch driving the No. 41. SHR also expanded into the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2017 with Cole Custer driving the No. 00.
For the 2018 season, SHR will field Fords for Harvick (No. 4), Aric Almirola (No. 10), Clint Bowyer (No. 14) and Busch (No. 41) in the Monster Energy Series. The race team also will field two Xfinity cars in a partnership with Biagl-DenBeste Racing with Cole Custer (No. 00) and the No. 98 with an assortment of drivers.
RELATED: SHR partners with Biagl-DenBeste Racing in Xfinity effort
