Which new driver/crew chief combination will find their happily ever after?
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Which new driver/crew chief combinations have the best opportunity for success in 2019?
Following lackluster and winless seasons for some key pairings, a number of prominent teams will have a different look this season as owners hope to breathe life into struggling squads.
A change of scenery—and chemistry—could be the perfect catalyst to put these drivers back on track.
Topping the list must be seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson. When the 2018 season began, did anyone foresee the seven-time champion competing in 36 races without visiting Victory Lane? His winless streak has now stretched to 59 races. After 17 years of crew chief Chad Knaus calling the shots, Johnson experienced by far his worse season to date and finished 14th in the Monster Energy Cup standings. The 43-year-old seven-time champion posted just two top-five finishes and led just 40 laps last year.
While the Johnson/Knaus breakup might have surprised a few people, even the players involved acknowledged this move was long overdue.
“One thing that I did know was that the way things were going and where Chad and I ended up, that needed to change,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t bringing the best out of either one of us and we weren’t delivering like we needed to. So, I knew that much, for sure, last year. And then I’m just excited to get this fresh start and see where it takes us.”
Enter Kevin Meendering. In October, Hendrick Motorsports announced the 37-year-old Grand Rapids, Michigan, native would take the reins of the No. 48 team, starting with the 2019 season. Meendering honed his crew chief skills overseeing the No. 1 JR Motorsports team and Elliott Sadler in the Xfinity Series.
Prior to that, he grew up in the Hendrick Motorsports system, starting as an intern in the chassis department while in high school. Meendering earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and transitioned to the team side in 2008 as an assistant engineer for Jeff Gordon. He became the lead engineer on the No. 88 squad with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2011.
Despite the record of success Johnson and Knaus established, Meendering believes he’s ready to step into the role as crew chief for the No. 48 team.
“I feel like the more prepared you are, the more work you put in, the less pressure there is because you are ready for those situations,” Meendering said. “I think having all the resources here and surrounding yourself with good people definitely helps you make those touch decisions and take some of that pressure away.”
Johnson worked with his new crew chief while Meendering was on the No. 88 team as an engineer, when the 48 and 88 teams shared a shop. In addition to establishing rapport over a few cold brews in the off-season, Meendering and Johnson have conferred on potential hires and car builds. Their first trip to the track came at the new car test at Las Vegas last week.
Meendering believes Johnson's commitment remains as strong as ever. He believes the new challenge has rejuvenated his driver.
“After the struggles he had last year I think he wants to win,” Meendering said. “That is his mentality. He is going to do whatever it takes. He is going to push himself past the limit. We will be back in Victory Lane this year.”
Johnson insists his drive for an eighth title has never been higher.
“The past is great, and I’ve won seven championships and 83 races, but that’s then and this is now, and I’m still as hungry and focused and dedicated as ever,” Johnson said. “And having a year like I did last year also ramps-up the intensity some, so I’m just ready to get going.”
“I’ve never been in this position, I know that much. There is a lot of ‘new’ to it, there’s no way around that. But I do have the history of knowing everybody here at the shop and the history of the No. 48 and all that, so it doesn’t feel totally new, but largely new, for sure.”
Here are six additional fresh combinations to keep an eye on in 2019:
- Denny Hamlin—With Chris Gabehart calling the shots on the No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota, Hamlin, 38, will have a familiar voice over the radio—one that has already guided the driver to Victory Lane. In their three starts together in the Xfinity Series in 2017, Hamlin won one race, posted two top-five finished and earned an 8.7 average finish. Although Hamlin has 31 wins in 470 starts, he cannot afford another winless season. Gabehart should ensure that doesn’t happen.
- Kurt Busch—As a former champion and 30-race winner, Busch will have to be both driver and leader of the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing team. He’s inheriting a team that has not sniffed Victory Lane for the last 184 races. Under crew chief Matt McCall, Jamie McMurray had 11 top-five finishes and led 44 laps in the last four years. Last year, Busch, 40, led the series with five poles, had six top-fives and led 644 laps. McCall knows he’s gaining an additional resource with Busch, whom he describes as “impressive.”
- Austin Dillon—Sure, Dillon won the Daytona 500, but then he flamed out over the next 35 races, posting just one additional top-five finish (fourth-place at Michigan in August). Although crew chief Justin Alexander led Dillon to his two career Cup wins, the No. 3 Chevrolet led just 35 laps in the last two years. While Danny Stockman Jr., marks the fourth crew chief for the 28-year-old grandson of Richard Childress, this is a merger that has produced five Xfinity wins, 11 poles and the 2013 Xfinity title. When Stockman filled in for Alexander last year at the Las Vegas playoff race, Dillon finished 11th.
- Ryan Newman—After a rough season with no wins, no poles and no top-five finishes, Newman will have a fresh start in the flagship car at Roush Fenway Racing. He becomes just the fifth driver since Mark Martin to drive the No. 6 Ford. After a three-year absence from RFR, Scott Graves returns as Newman’s crew chief. His familiarity with the Roush systems should expedite Newman’s learning curve. Newman's and Graves’ engineering backgrounds should come in handy with the new aero package this season.
- Daniel Suarez--At Joe Gibbs Racing, Suarez was an afterthought in the shadows of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones. Now, the 27-year-old hopes to find similar success as Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer did when they moved to Stewart-Haas Racing. Like Bowyer replacing Tony Stewart, Almirola has a tough act to follow in the No. 41 Ford. Kurt Busch won in each of this last five seasons at SHR and qualified for the playoffs. Suarez endured a similar experience when he was recruited to replace Carl Edwards, however, with two years of Cup racing under his belt, there are no more excuses.
- William Byron—Byron won rookie honors in 2018 despite an uninspiring debut season. The 21-year-old had plenty of determination, but his best result was a sixth-place finish at Pocono Raceway in July. Not surprisingly, Byron wants to put last year behind and concentrate on his new opportunity with championship crew chief Chad Knaus. Before the season started, Knaus was already impressed with Byron’s commitment.
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