November 10, 2021 | By Lee Spencer

Dave Elenz returns to the Cup Series as crew chief for the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team

Two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion crew chief Dave Elenz will join Richard Petty Motorsports as crew chief for the No. 43 NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet driven by Erik Jones for the 2022 season, RPM announced on Wednesday.

Elenz comes to RPM from JR Motorsports, where he won consecutive Xfinity title with William Byron in 2017 and Tyler Reddick in 2018. In 228 career starts in the series, Elenz accumulated 15 victories as a crew chief.

“In 2001, when I started in NASCAR, my goal was to contend for a NASCAR Cup Series championship-title as a crew chief,” Elenz said. “The past seven years at JR Motorsports has prepared me for the next chapter in my career.

“Working with champion-caliber drivers like William (Byron), Tyler (Reddick), and Noah (Gragson) has not only fueled my desire to move up to the next level, but has also prepared me to the fullest for that next step.”

In 2021, Elenz guided Gragson to the Championship 4 and to a third-place finish in the final standings.

A graduate of Clemson University, Elenz, 40, began his career at Jasper Racing in 2001. He worked at Ginn Racing from 2003 to 2007 and at the Red Bull Racing Team from 2009 to 2011.  At Red Bull Racing Team, Elenz was a part of the organization’s first NASCAR Cup Series victory (Michigan) in 2009 as the lead engineer.

Elenz was recruited by Hendrick Motorsports as an engineer in 2012. Under the direction of crew chief Chad Knaus, he served as an engineer on Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning team in 2013. In 2015, Elenz joined JR Motorsports as a crew chief.

“I have watched Dave’s career develop, and I have always been impressed with him as a person and as a competitor,” said Philippe Lopez, competition director for Richard Petty Motorsports. “As a race engineer, he has won races and a championship in the NASCAR Cup Series, and as a crew chief he has won races and championships in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a very diverse group of drivers.

“I’m very excited to have him take on the role as crew chief for Richard Petty Motorsports as we roll out the Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2022 season.”